Went to a family reunion last month and was genuinely shocked at how some of the younger guys act. No manners, talking back to their elders, dressing like slobs. My grandfather would have lost his mind. I'm trying to figure out how to pass along some of these values without sounding like I'm stuck i...
Its Mothers Day this weekend and my 6yo wanted to make breakfast for his mom 'all by myself'. I had to just sit back and let him do it even though I was sweating bullets watching him handle a spatula. He made toast with peanut butter, cereal in a bowl, and microwaved some bacon. It was definitely no...
Been seeing a lot of confusion about what traditional leadership in a family looks like. For me it's not about being a dictator. It's about being someone my wife and kids can rely on. It means I lead by example, I make the hard decisions when needed, I provide for my family, and I take responsibilit...
This is a miracle honestly. Got my 7 and 10 year old to help me frame it out on Saturday and they didn't quit halfway through. We planted some seeds on Sunday and now they keep checking on it every day. Maybe I should have gotten them into yard projects sooner instead of assuming they'd hate it.
I know this probably won't last forever but holy crap I'm riding this high all day. She's 8 and usually prefers mom for everything. I let her have ice cream for lunch and apparently that's all it takes lol. Taking the win.
First time doing a full 12 hour smoke. Picked up an 8 pounder from Costco and I'm running dry rub all night. Planning to invite some neighbors over and actually have adult time while the kids play. This is happening and I'm way too excited about meat.
My wife was filming the kids and I walked by and said 'What are you guys doing?' My son goes 'Dad you literally just watched us set this up 10 minutes ago' and I said 'I know but I forgot, my memory isn't what it used to be.' My wife didn't laugh. My kids groaned. I'll take it.
Every time we go camping I try to do something ambitious and it goes sideways. Last weekend I attempted to make fajitas over a campfire and everything just tasted like smoke. My wife just shakes her head and pulls out PB&J sandwiches. I think I need to accept that camping food should be simple but p...
We're all going to a state park for Memorial Day weekend and I volunteered to be in charge of meals. Planning to do breakfast burritos Saturday morning, pulled pork sandwiches for lunch, and maybe something on a campfire for dinner. Kids are excited but I'm low key stressed about cooking for 12 peop...
Promised my neighbor I'd help him rebuild his deck three weeks ago. Totally forgot about it until he texted me yesterday asking what time I'd be over. Had plans with the guys but I gave my word. Cancelled my plans, showed up early with coffee, worked til it was done. His face when I remembered said ...
Everyone says dads need to take care of their mental health and practice self care but like, what does that even look like? I can't take a 3 hour weekend to myself without feeling guilty. The 30 minutes I get to work out feels stolen. I don't remember the last time I did something just for me that w...
Weird as it sounds we set up a Discord so the kids can message us during the day instead of asking for their phones every 5 seconds. They think it's cool, we can monitor it, and it's actually cut down on the constant asking. My 14yo even posts memes in it and talks to us which never happens IRL. Not...
Taking my boys to the lake this summer for the first time and want to actually teach them to fish instead of just showing them how to throw a line. They're 7 and 10. What's the best setup for kids that age? Should I get them their own rods or is that overkill? Also any tips for keeping them entertai...
Got a smoker for my birthday and I'm obsessed. Every weekend I'm experimenting with new recipes, wood types, techniques. My garage is basically a test kitchen at this point. The kids actually want to hang out while I'm cooking now instead of being inside on screens. Plus my buddy group has become th...
She's been anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour late picking up the kids almost every week. I have plans, I have a life outside of being a dad and I can't make any solid commitments anymore. Already tried being nice about it, already tried the text reminders. Do I need to go back to the mediator or a...