Built one with 2x6s and steel cable last summer when my kids were 11 and 13. Figured they'd be into it for like 2 weeks. Instead now there's literally a line of neighborhood kids waiting to go on it every afternoon. It's kind of amazing tbh but also mildly stressful because I keep picturing a lawsui...
Made volcano with my 7yo using baking soda and vinegar. Seemed chill enough right? Kid decided to add ENTIRE bottle of food coloring and then knocked the thing over before it even erupted. Now there's red staining on the deck that won't come off and I'm getting grief about it for WEEKS. Should've do...
Belaying kids at an actual rock gym a few times last summer got my 9yo obsessed. There's a new gym 15 min from our house and they're pushing a $50/month kids membership. Is this one of those activities that'll be intense for 3 months then die off, or have you guys seen your kids stick with it? Anyon...
My 13yo is pushing for Instagram now that she's "aged out of TikTok." I don't fully understand the difference and ngl I'm tired of fighting these battles. Is one actually better than the other or am I just delaying the inevitable? Curious what age other parents let their kids on social media.
Thinking about building a small quarter pipe in the driveway for my 12yo. He's starting to get into skateboarding but lessons are expensive and the local skate park is kind of intimidating for him. Anyone built one? How much space and materials are we talking? Rough budget? And realistically how muc...
So my 10yo was playing some Mario Kart thing on Switch and got a friend request from someone who was "nice" in the lobby. Didn't accept it, which is good, but when I asked him about it he was like "why would they be weird?" and I realized I never had the talk about online predators with him. That wa...
My 13yo is really into skateboarding and needs a place to practice during winter when the weather sucks. So I cleared out the garage, put some rolled rubber flooring down, set up some DIY ramps and boxes. Cost me like $400 total and probably 8 hours of work but honestly? He's actually using it. Not ...
Wondering what everyone thinks about this. My neighbor says we're too intense about faith stuff with our kids. We do church, prayer before meals, Bible stories at bedtime. We're not extremist about it but it's definitely central to how we parent. Is there such a thing as too much? Or do you think if...
Took 8 months of emails and conversations but they approved a Mon-Thu schedule starting next month. Tips if you're thinking about pitching this: - Show the math: my productivity actually went UP when I'm not exhausted - Propose a 3-month trial, not permanent - Have a coverage plan for Fridays - Don...
My 11yo is into science right now (finally!) and I want to feed that while I can. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a science person at all. I need experiments that: - Don't require specialty equipment - Can be done in the backyard or kitchen - Don't explode or stain anything - Are actually interesting, ...
So we got that Netflix email about the password thing and it's annoying because my parents use our login. Trying to figure out if we just pay the extra $7 or switch to Disney+ or what. Anyone have strong opinions on this? We mostly watch family stuff (Marvel, animated series) so options are pretty o...
My wife keeps pushing for us to do a garden with the kids this spring. I love the idea in theory but I'm worried it's gonna be a project that requires constant nagging and I'll end up doing it all myself while my 6yo and 8yo lose interest after week two. Is this a realistic concern or am I being cyn...
ngl I'm nervous about this. We're planning a 2-night trip in May with our 3yo (first time camping) and our 7yo. I'm worried about sleep schedules getting wrecked, diaper changes in a tent, and the general chaos. Anyone done this before? Do we need a fancy camping setup or is a regular tent fine? How...
So my 15yo has both and I'm trying to understand which one I should actually worry about more. Instagram seems more about feeds and curated posts (which is its own mental health thing I get it) but TikTok's algorithm is insane and she's showing me videos that... I don't even know how they're recomme...
Had a wake-up call recently. My buddy mentioned planning a week away with his family in August and I realized I literally can't remember the last time we took more than a long weekend. Between work demands and the constant guilt about taking time off, I just... haven't. Booked a week at the beach i...