How life changed since becoming a dad. Identity shifts, things you miss, things you gained, the transformation of fatherhood.
832 threads
Two years ago my life was sleeping till noon, eating takeout every night, bunch of random hobbies I never finished. Met my now-wife, we had a kid, and suddenly I'm the guy who goes
Three years ago I was climbing the corporate ladder, working 60 hour weeks, hated it but thought that's what success looked like. Wife had the kids home but wanted her career back.
Got in the best shape of my life last year. Cut out junk, hit the gym hard, whole thing. Then found out my wife was pregnant and the motivation just shifted, you know? Still stay a
Used to numb everything with alcohol. Lost time, lost relationships, almost lost my kids. Got sober because my son asked why daddy was always sleepy. That broke me. 18 months now a
Started the gym grind when my daughter was born because I wanted to be around to see her graduate. The physical transformation is real, people barely recognize me. But what I wasn'
Five years ago I was that guy hitting bars every weekend, sleeping till noon on Saturdays, spending money on stupid stuff. Now I'm falling asleep at 8pm watching my kids play video
Corporate grind had me working 60 hours a week, never home for dinner, missed my youngest's first steps. Wife makes good money so we decided I'd step back. Lost the title, the mone
This is gonna sound crazy but I quit my 6 figure job when my son was born and I dont regret it one bit. Was miserable, stuck in traffic, never saw my family. Wife wanted to keep wo
So I used to be that guy. Video games, online all the time, barely left the couch except for work. Then my daughter was born 4 years ago and something just clicked. I realized I wa
Not gonna get too deep into it but I was a mess. Drinking every day, my wife almost left, my kids were scared of me. Hit rock bottom when my oldest told his mom he didnt want me at
Real talk for a second. Before kids I could just hang out with my buddies whenever, sleep in, do whatever I wanted. Now I cant remember the last time I slept past 6am. My free time
Everyone said I was throwing my life away having a kid so young. Looking back, they were kind of right about one thing - I did throw away my party years. No more going out Friday n
Man, I can't believe how different my life is now. Used to be up until 2am playing online with my buddies, sleeping until noon on weekends. Now I'm up at 5:30am with my 3 year old
Spent the first 10 years of my kid's life grinding at the office thinking I was being a good dad by providing. Missed first days of school, sports games, all of it. Made great mone
Before kids me was always down for last minute plans, weekend trips, staying out late. Now I'm the guy who bails on stuff or leaves early because my kid has soccer at 9am. My singl
Lost: uninterrupted sleep, my body, spontaneity, conversations that don't involve poop, the ability to watch rated R movies, my identity as just a guy. Gained: a reason to actuall
Before kids I was that guy who would just gas up and drive 8 hours on a whim, stopping wherever looked interesting. Now a 20 minute drive to the park involves three snack requests,
My divorce was messy. Me and my ex couldn't be in the same room without fighting. The kids saw all of it and it sucked. Went to therapy, did some real work on myself, and realized
Five years ago I was the guy everyone called for a good time. Sleeping till noon, going out every weekend, no real responsibilities. Then my girlfriend got pregnant with twins and
This time last year I weighed 280 pounds and couldn't keep up with my kids. Decided something had to change. Started going to the gym, eating better, waking up early. It took about