Unprompted hug and kiss when I got home from work today. That's it that's the post. I'm running on that for the rest of the week.

Started having bedtime prayers where each of us says something we're thankful for and something we're worried about. It's been maybe two weeks. Last night my 6yo prayed for his friend who's moving away and asked God to help him not be lonely. My 10yo prayed about doing better on his test. The honest...

Like actually in shape. Went to the gym five days a week, ran on weekends, ate clean, looked decent. Then kid number one showed up and suddenly I'm at 230 with no gym membership and a dad bod that just keeps growing. The weird part is I care less about it now than I did then. Too tired to care I gue...

Picked up two nice NY strips from Costco and want to try the reverse sear method for the first time. Should I let them sit out for 30 mins first? Also wondering about temp - should I aim for 225 in the smoker area then sear hot on the other side? Any other pointers would help. Want to impress the fa...

Used to commute 45 minutes each way and barely saw the kids before bedtime. Now I work from home and can do lunch with my family, help with homework in the afternoon, and actually be present. My boss is cool with it as long as I get my work done, which I do. Yeah there's some blurred lines between w...

Wife left 18 months ago, took me a while to process everything. Life looks completely different now. I'm the one doing school runs, packing lunches, helping with homework on weeknights. Some days are hard and I miss having a partner, but I've gained this really strong bond with my kids that maybe wo...

Before kids I had my friends, we'd go out whenever. Now I'm home with the kids while everyone else is still doing their thing. My wife gets her adult interaction at work but I'm mainly with the kids all day. By the time they're in bed I'm too tired to hang out with anyone. Do other stay at home dads...

Got the kids this weekend and they seemed distant. My ex has been making comments about how I'm not as available as she is and I think they're picking up on that narrative. I work long hours but I'm still paying child support and trying to be present. It's starting to feel like no matter what I do I...

Some days I wake up with this crushing weight in my chest about whether I'm doing right by my kids. Am I patient enough? Smart enough? Teaching them the right things? It's like my brain won't turn off. I've talked to my doctor about it but haven't done anything yet. Just wanted to know if other dads...

Attempted to take my youngest on a medium difficulty trail because my wife needed a break. Thought the carrier would be fine. It was NOT fine. Three miles in my lower back was screaming, he was asking why the trees looked that way, and I realized I had packed literally nothing useful. We made it bac...

My ex and I just finalized a 50/50 schedule with alternating weeks. I'm nervous about the kids adjusting but want to make sure I'm doing this right. Do you guys keep stuff at both houses or move everything back and forth? What's worked for you in similar situations?

She literally just told me "go play, I've got the kids, back by 6" and I nearly cried right there. Didn't expect it, didn't ask for it. Went to a coffee shop with my Steam Deck and felt like a human again for the first time in weeks. Not sure if this is a one-time thing or new arrangement but either...

So this is my horror story. I got the idea to build a simple platform in the oak tree in our backyard. Seemed fun, right? WRONG. First I had to deal with getting the wood, then figuring out how to actually build something safe (did way too much research on Reddit), then my 11yo "helped" which meant ...

I've been making my kids (8, 10, 13) help rake leaves and pull weeds on weekends. My sister says I'm making them hate nature and outdoor work, but I think teaching them responsibility is important. They get paid a little bit but it's not about the money. Curious what other parents think - am I being...

Everyone talks about self-care but for dads it seems impossible. Like 20 minutes for a bath? I can't even shower without someone needing something. Looking for actual realistic suggestions from people with kids, not the typical bullshit. What do you actually do that's sustainable and actually helps ...