Been working with my 8 year old on his handshake. Firm grip, eye contact, clear voice when he says his name. My old man taught me this way and it matters. Took him to church last Sunday and he shook the pastor's hand like a man should. Pastor even commented on it. Small thing but it sets the tone fo...

She texts constantly and now she's calling multiple times on days the kids are with me. Says it's emergencies but it's usually just stuff that can wait til I drop them off. I feel like she can't let go of control when they're not in her house. I try to be cordial but this is driving me insane. It's ...

Bought a new rod and took my older boy out to the lake last Saturday. Didn't catch much but that wasn't really the point. Just being out on the water early in the morning with some coffee and someone who's interested in what I'm doing felt amazing. Already planning the next trip and checking reports...

Been at my company for 5 years and they finally approved my request. Baby number 2 is due in 6 weeks. Part of me is excited to actually be there for the first two weeks but honestly I'm freaking out about what's piling up at work. My boss keeps saying "we'll figure it out" but I know that really mea...

My 12 year old came back from his mom's house saying he doesn't want to come to my place anymore. She's been telling him stuff like I don't care about his sports or that I'm only around on weekends so I don't matter. I don't want to bad mouth her to him but this is breaking me. Has anyone dealt with...

Was loading the dishwasher and dropped a plate. I said 'Well that's one less thing to wash' and cracked up for a solid minute. My 8 year old just stared at me like I'd lost my mind. This is what I've become.

My ex wants to swap weekends for the next month because of her work thing. I don't have a problem with it but I'm worried about messing up the kids' routine. They do better when things are consistent. Is it unreasonable to ask for a written agreement even though it's temporary? I don't want to be th...

Getting back into gaming now that I actually have some free time again. Used to play a lot before kids came along. Looking to set up a decent rig that doesn't look insane in my living room. Not trying to go full streaming setup or anything, just want a nice monitor, comfortable chair, and something ...

Took me like 8 months but it's done. Got the old garage converted, new flooring, wall mounted TV, mini fridge stocked with beer, pool table in the corner. Even got a sound system set up. My buddies came over last weekend and we had the place packed. The kids think it's cool too which was my main con...

Space is tight in my backyard, got maybe 4x6 feet to work with. Been using a basic Weber kettle for years but want to upgrade without taking up the whole patio. Looking at some of the compact offset smokers or a quality gas grill. Budget is around 500-700 bucks. Anyone have recommendations for someo...

Got the papers signed yesterday. 60/40 in my favor which is way more than I expected honestly. My ex struggles with consistency and the judge seemed to pick up on that during the proceedings. But now I'm sitting here feeling like crap about it. The kids want to see her more and I don't want to be th...

Been thinking about converting half my garage into a small workshop. Nothing crazy, just some basics to make small stuff. Cutting boards, maybe a toy box for the kids. Space isn't huge and I'm totally new to this. What's the bare minimum investment to not suck at this? Any recommendations on where t...

Work has been insane the last few months. Understaffed, project deadlines crushing us, emails at 10 PM about stuff that's not even close to urgent. I come home exhausted and I don't have patience with my kids like I should. I snapped at my 6 year old yesterday for something stupid and he just looked...

The deck is falling apart and I've been putting it off for like 3 years. Thinking about pulling it up and rebuilding it this summer when I have more time. It's a decent size, maybe 12x14 feet. Is it a realistic DIY project or am I crazy? How long did it take you guys?

Taking my two kids on a moderate 3 mile hike this Saturday. Looking for snack ideas that are easy to pack and won't melt. Trail mix gets old fast. Are those granola bars still a thing or am I dating myself? Also how often should we stop for breaks? Don't want the kids to bonk out halfway.