After 3 weekends of procrastination, I actually finished building and filling the four 4x8 raised beds in the backyard. Used cedar, filled with a mix of topsoil and compost. Wife wants to do vegetables this year so I guess I'm learning about gardening now. The toddler 'helped' which mostly meant I h...
My son gave me a real smile this morning, not just gas, a genuine social smile and I literally teared up. Been a rough couple months with sleep deprivation and constant worrying about if we're doing things right. But that smile just made everything worth it. Don't think I've ever felt something hit ...
Was in line with my two kids and my oldest was getting a little cranky about not getting candy. Instead of giving in, we talked about it and I explained why we weren't buying it. He understood and moved on. Woman behind us said she was impressed with how I handled it. Made my whole week honestly. So...
Quit my job 8 months ago when kiddo was born. Made six figures, had the corner office, the whole deal. Now I'm covered in spit-up, haven't shaved in a week, and I'm genuinely excited about getting a good nap schedule going. What's wild is I don't miss it. Like I thought I would, but I don't. I miss ...
My grandfather was the kind of man who stood up when a lady entered the room, said yes sir and no sir, opened doors, all that. He was respectful but strong. My oldest is 14 and I want him to have that same foundation but everything in the world is telling him that's uncool or outdated. I'm not tryin...
Found out he's been sneaking on his buddy's account at school. He told us he was playing Minecraft and we said okay. I looked it up and Fortnite isn't even that violent compared to what we thought but now I'm worried about the lying part, not the game. We had a whole conversation about honesty and h...
My wife thinks 30 mins a day is the max, I think an hour is reasonable on school nights. We've been going back and forth about this forever. He's begging for a Switch and I'm not sure if we're ready. What's everyone doing? Are we being too strict or is my wife right? He's not glued to screens consta...
Just started a new shift rotation and I'm missing so much. Kids are asleep when I leave, asleep when I get home. My wife is doing the heavy lifting and I feel like a ghost in my own house. Paycheck is better but man this sucks. Anyone else doing night shift? Does it get easier or is this just the tr...
We were at my in laws house for dinner, right after I'd just changed our 4 week old. I put him on my shoulder to burp and this explosion just went everywhere. Down my back, on my shirt, it was everywhere. I felt so embarrassed but everyone was cool about it. Just needed to vent. Does this happen to ...
Been remote for 2 years now since my daughter was born and I genuinely can't imagine going back to an office. I get to have lunch with her, pick her up from daycare most days, help with bedtime routine without being exhausted from commuting. My work actually got better because I'm not wasting 2 hour...
Anyone else get hit with this constant low level panic about whether you're doing enough for your family financially? I make decent money but some days I just spiral thinking about unexpected costs or what happens if I lose my job. My wife says I'm catastrophizing but I can't turn it off. Started af...
I need some new material because my kids are calling me out on repeating the same ones. What are your staples? I've been leaning on 'I'm reading a book on the history of glue - can't put it down' but they're over it.
Keep having this voice in my head telling me I'm not good enough. Yelled at my son yesterday for spilling juice and now I can't stop replaying it. Logically I know I'm doing my best and one moment doesn't define me but the guilt and shame just won't leave. Started having these thoughts more frequent...
So my son learned what a dad joke is yesterday and now he's been making them all day. Most don't even make sense but he laughs so hard he falls over. Just told me 'Why did the chicken cross the road? Because it was a CHICKEN road!' and acted like he invented comedy. I've created a monster but honest...
Can't believe my little girl is already 6 months old. Time is flying and honestly some days feel like a blur but looking back at pictures from when she was born I can see how much she's grown and changed. She's laughing now, rolling around, almost sitting up on her own. Being a dad is scary and amaz...