How life changed since becoming a dad. Identity shifts, things you miss, things you gained, the transformation of fatherhood.
749 threads
Undiagnosed anxiety made me a disaster for years. Couldn't hold jobs, relationships were a mess, always stressed about everything. Became a dad and finally got diagnosed and treate
Dont get me wrong I love my kids more than anything but man sometimes I miss the days where I could just sleep till 10 am on a Saturday and then spontaneously drive to another city
Just hit my 5 year mark last week and honestly I had to stop and really think about how different everything is. 5 years ago I was losing my family, got divorced, lost a job, the w
Not gonna lie the divorce sucked and was painful but looking back now I realize I was genuinely depressed in that marriage for a long time. Just going through motions, barely smili
Started community college last year after being out of school for 12 years. Everyone thought I was crazy, wife was skeptical, but I needed something for myself that wasnt work or d
Miss: sleeping until whenever I want, spontaneous trips, clean house, finishing a thought, money for hobbies, my old body, going to movies without planning 3 weeks in advance, bein
Used to be up until 2-3am playing online with the boys, sleeping until 10am, no responsibilities. Now I have a 3 year old and a 6 year old and I'm literally falling asleep during t
I quit my job 8 months ago when childcare costs were eating up my whole salary anyway. Been doing the SAHD thing since my daughter was born. The weird part is I don't really know w
Started at 285 two years ago. Doctor said I was heading for a heart attack at 38. That was the wake up call. Did keto, hit the gym 4 days a week, stopped drinking beer every night.
Spent 25 years in a marriage pretending to be someone I wasn't. Divorced 3 years ago and finally living authentically. My kids took it hard at first, especially my oldest son, but
Spent 15 years climbing the ladder at a Fortune 500 company. Made good money, had the title, the corner office. But I was miserable and my kids barely knew me. Took a pay cut and g
Grew up in a culture where you don't show emotion, you handle your business, you don't ask for help. As a dad I realized that was poison. My kids were scared of me because I was al
I was a functional alcoholic for years. My family made excuses for me. Then one day my oldest said he didn't want to bring friends over because he was embarrassed. That hit differe
I was a mess at 25. Every weekend was about going out, staying up late, basically avoiding being an adult. Then my girl got pregnant and I had to choose - keep living like a 20 yea
Spent 12 years climbing the ladder, making good money, miserable every single day. Wife finally said something had to give. We sold the house in the suburbs, bought land, started f
Three years ago I was overweight, drinking too much to cope with anxiety, and single. Decided to change after a bad week. Hit the gym, got into therapy, quit drinking. Met my now w
Spent 10 years climbing the corporate ladder at a place that was slowly killing me. Chest pains, not sleeping, snapping at my family. When my son was born I realized I wanted to ac
Not gonna lie I wasn't ready. My son was a surprise. I was still living like I was 22, playing video games till 3am, spending recklessly. Becoming a dad forced me to actually be an
This time last year I was going out 4 nights a week, sleeping till 10am on weekends, spending money on whatever I wanted. Now I'm packing lunches, discussing which preschools are b
Two years ago I was 40 pounds overweight, my knees hurt all the time, and I couldn't play with my kids without getting winded. Started running (barely jogging at first) and it chan