Been a parent for 5 years now and I'm feeling reflective. What I miss: sleeping past 6am, finishing a conversation with my wife without interruption, spontaneity, clean clothes, having money. What I gained: my son laughing at my stupid jokes, my daughter running to me when she's hurt, feeling like I...
Guys I'm really wrestling with this. I want to lead my family spiritually but honestly I feel like a fraud sometimes. I pray with the kids at dinner but then I'm watching stuff online I shouldn't be watching. My wife sees me trying to correct our son's attitude about money and generosity but she kno...
Just wanted to share a win. Started doing 10 minute devotions with my kids using this app that tells stories instead of me trying to explain stuff. My 6 year old is actually asking questions and my 9 year old isn't rolling his eyes. Small thing but it feels like we're actually building something her...
Three years ago I was commuting 90 minutes each way and barely seeing the kids awake. Since going remote I eat lunch with them, pick them up from school, help with homework. My boss thinks I'm less productive but honestly I get more done in 6 focused hours than I used to in 10 at the office. My wife...
Don't get me wrong, I love being home more and being present with the family. But I miss the identity. I was somebody at that company. People knew my name, asked my opinion, relied on me. Now I'm just dad. Don't get me wrong, it's meaningful, but sometimes I wonder if I threw away the part of myself...
Used to think being a good dad meant micromanaging everything. What they ate, what they wore, who their friends were, what sports they played. My oldest got to college and barely talked to me. That broke me. Started going to therapy and realized I was trying to control them because I was scared of l...
Just finished our backyard treehouse project and the kids are obsessed. We used mostly scrap wood I had lying around and some new 2x8s. My 11yo helped with the drill, my 8yo did all the painting. Cost about $400 total and took way longer than I thought but honestly best money and time I've spent all...
Taking my 6 and 9 year old camping for the first time at a state park 2 hours away. Any tips for keeping them entertained and not completely losing my mind? Planning to bring a hammock, fishing poles, and some card games. Should I worry about bear safety even though they say bears aren't really a pr...
My kids eye roll when I bring up family prayer night. I know they're picking up on my own inconsistency because honestly I don't pray much on my own either. How do I model faith to them when I'm not really walking the walk myself? Trying to get my own life right first but man it's harder than I thou...
Anyone else get hit with anxiety when the new school year starts? I thought I'd be relieved to get them back in class but instead I'm spiraling about whether they're making friends, if their teacher likes them, what they're eating for lunch. My wife says I need to chill but I can't stop thinking abo...
I've been trying to do more self-care stuff but taking a bath or doing breathing exercises feels stupid to me honestly. I usually just zone out playing video games or working on my truck in the garage and that's my decompression time. Is that self-care or am I avoiding dealing with my stress? Lookin...
Never done this before and I'm kind of dreading it. What do I even say? Do I need to have my whole life figured out before I go? My doctor recommended I see someone to work through some stuff from my past and my current stress levels. Part of me thinks this is what I need but another part feels like...
Been putting it off for like 2 years because I thought I could just tough it out. Finally pulled the trigger and had my first session yesterday. My therapist seems really cool and actually gets what I'm going through instead of just telling me to think positive or whatever. Already feeling a bit lig...
He's been asking to join Discord so he can voice chat with his friends while playing Minecraft. I've heard Discord can be sketchy but also seems like where all the kids are hanging out now. What's the real risk here? Should I let him do it with parental controls or am I overprotective?
I've been running out of material and need some fresh ones. My kids have heard all my classics about knock knock jokes and the 'this guy walks into a bar' setup. What are your reliable openers that actually get groans or laughs? I need content bad.