Took my 6yo camping for literally the first time ever last weekend. Got a brand new Coleman tent from Walmart (like $70). First night it rains. Not a little bit - actually rains. Woke up to water pooling under his sleeping bag. Spent the rest of the night in the car. Pretty sure I failed camping 10...

Moving to Portland next month with an 8-week-old and a 2-year-old. Our apartment is tiny so I need something lightweight and compact but not a jogger because those things are massive. Don't want to spend $1000+ either. Currently looking at the Uppababy Minu or maybe just going with a lightweight umb...

I read all these articles about being a spiritual leader but honestly some of it feels out of touch. What does this actually mean in real life? Is it just praying with your family? Reading the Bible to them? How do you live it out when you're working 50 hours a week and your wife is handling most of...

My 8yo has watched Planet Earth like 47 times. He knows more about deep sea creatures than I do at this point. Yesterday he gave me a 10-minute lecture about bioluminescence. Is this normal? Should I be concerned he's not interested in sports or whatever? Honestly kinda cool but also worried I'm rai...

Some guys at work said I should start streaming since I'm always talking about the games I'm playing anyway. Never done it before so not sure what's involved. Is it worth the hassle or just another distraction? Looking for honest advice from anyone who streams.

So I've been doing the frozen pizza thing on nights when I'm solo parenting and wife has book club. Instead of just... serving frozen pizza, I've been: - Adding fresh spinach on top before baking - Throwing on some of those pre-cooked chicken strips - Finishing with fresh basil after it comes out K...

So my wife is exclusively pumping and I'm handling night feeds with a bottle so she can get some sleep. Yesterday she suggested I warm the bottle in warm water instead of the warmer we've been using, and I asked why the warmer exists if that's better. She took it as me criticizing her feeding knowle...

Saw someone mention Rubbermaid Brilliance containers on here before and finally grabbed some for my kid's lunches. Tbh they're a game-changer compared to the weird Tupperware we had that never sealed right. No leaks, actually keeps food fresher, and my son likes packing his own lunch in them now whi...

Built one this past weekend with stuff we already had: - Pool noodles duct taped between trees for crawling - Hula hoops laid out for jumping - Old ladder for climbing - Cones for weaving - Balance beam made from a 2x4 and some blocks Kids (7, 10, 11) are OBSESSED. Literally set up a "competition" ...

So my 7yo wants to "do science" this weekend and last time that meant baking soda and vinegar EVERYWHERE. I'm looking for stuff that's actually educational but I don't need to be finding sodium bicarbonate in the cabinet hinges for six months. What are your go-to experiments that don't leave a mess?...

Bought one of those 'build your own birdhouse' kits for my 7yo thinking it'd be a fun weekend project. Instructions were overly complicated, pieces didn't fit together properly, and he lost interest after 20 minutes. $35 down the drain. There's gotta be a better option between "just hand them wood a...

Remember my post about trying to implement the 2-hour rule? Well, it's been 3 weeks and I'm legitimately shocked. My 7yo and 9yo complained for exactly 2 days, then they just... started playing outside more. Yesterday my older one built an entire fort situation in the backyard and was outside for li...

Looking to upgrade from our ancient Coleman single-burner stove. We go camping 4-5 times a year, mostly car camping with kids ages 8 and 10. Need something that won't take up half the trunk but reliable enough to cook real meals, not just hot dogs. Any recommendations? Budget is flexible but I don't...

Coworker made some comment about how I'm living in the 1950s because I mentioned opening doors for my wife and planning to teach my daughter that kind of chivalry matters. Didn't get into it with him but it bugged me. Feel like we've lost something when treating women with respect is seen as backwar...

Taking three kids (12, 9, 7) on a 6-hour drive next month. Already have: coloring books, tablets loaded with shows, snacks, travel pillows. Feel like I'm forgetting something obvious. What's kept other people's sanity intact on long drives?