How life changed since becoming a dad. Identity shifts, things you miss, things you gained, the transformation of fatherhood.
832 threads
I used to make major decisions based on what I wanted. New job? Take it if the money was good. Wanted to travel? Booked a ticket. Now literally everything is filtered through how i
Used to actually go to the gym, had abs, dressed decent. Now I own five gray t-shirts and jeans with mysterious stains. Haven't been to the gym in two years. I've gained like 30 po
I'm not going to go into all the details of what I was doing before but basically I wasn't here. Even when I was physically present I was checked out. Hit rock bottom about 2 years
For the first couple years after the split I was angry at everything. Blamed my ex for everything, made things harder on the kids, didn't want her new partner around them. Got some
Before kids I was all about working out, hanging with buddies, staying late at the bar, doing whatever I wanted. Then my daughter was born and like overnight I cared about complete
Used to be a road salesman, gone 3-4 days a week making decent money. Missed so much. Kids would go to bed before I got home most nights. Got burned out and switched to a local sal
Three years ago I was 40 pounds heavier, barely left the house except for work, and my kids would rather watch YouTube than spend time with me. Something just clicked one day and I
Two years ago I was married, working 60 hours a week, barely seeing my kids. Now I have them 50 percent of the time and work 45 hours. The money is tighter and I'm busier than ever
Finished my degree last month after five years of community college classes at night and weekends. I miss sleep mostly. And having free time. And not being stressed about deadlines
Almost two years sober now. I'm not going to sit here and say I was some rock bottom guy but I was definitely using it to cope and it was affecting everything - my relationships, m
I know this sounds basic but genuinely three months ago I was completely sedentary. Got winded playing tag with my kids. My buddy convinced me to just try showing up at 5am before
Just hit the five year mark since my divorce was finalized and I was thinking about how much has changed. I'm healthier, actually sleeping through the night, and I laugh way more n
Been reflecting this morning on who I was before kids. I was the guy going out every weekend, sleeping in until noon, only responsible for myself. Getting my oldest diagnosed with
I was a heavy drinker before my second kid was born. After my wife gave me the real talk about how checked out I was and how it was affecting our family, something clicked. Three y
Left a high paying corporate job that had me traveling constantly to work a local government job making significantly less. My wife thought I was insane but I was missing everythin
Before I became a dad at 24 I was pretty selfish honestly. Spent money on dumb stuff, didn't think about the future, kind of drifted through life. Becoming a father forced me to ge
Left my six figure job last year to stay home with the kids while my wife pursued her career opportunity. Everyone thought I was crazy including my parents. Honestly the identity s
Posted here before but wanted to update. I was drinking every night, missing stuff, being a terrible husband and father. My kid didn't even want to hug me. Rock bottom hit hard. Be
Two years ago I was 280 pounds, never exercised, living like my dad did. Now I'm 195, run 3-4 times a week, and just finished a half marathon. Sounds cliche but it literally change
Went back to school for electrician work at 38. Was a middle manager at a tech company for over a decade but always felt fake. Hated the politics, the meetings, the fakeness. Now I