How life changed since becoming a dad. Identity shifts, things you miss, things you gained, the transformation of fatherhood.
758 threads
Before I had kids I was fit but it was all vanity. Beach bod for dating, gym as social thing. Then my daughter was born and suddenly I wasn't thinking about how I looked. I was thi
Ten years ago I was the guy who went out every weekend, slept till noon on Sundays, bought whatever I wanted. Had a kid at 25 and everything shifted. Now I'm that dad in the grocer
Been a parent for 5 years now and I'm feeling reflective. What I miss: sleeping past 6am, finishing a conversation with my wife without interruption, spontaneity, clean clothes, ha
This will be 3 years sober next month. I got help after my wife said she was done. I was missing my kids growing up because I was checked out. Being present is still new to me but
Spent 15 years climbing a ladder in finance. Made great money, hated myself. Woke up at 42 and realized I didn't know my kids and my wife was basically a stranger. Quit my job, too
Don't get me wrong, I love being home more and being present with the family. But I miss the identity. I was somebody at that company. People knew my name, asked my opinion, relied
Used to think being a good dad meant micromanaging everything. What they ate, what they wore, who their friends were, what sports they played. My oldest got to college and barely t
My dad was very distant. He worked all the time, didn't know how to show affection, and we didn't really talk about emotions. I swore I'd be different and I have been. I'm actively
So I'm 40 now, got three kids, and my body is just not what it was at 28 when I was doing CrossFit every day and had abs. I'm 30 pounds heavier, way less flexible, sleep is a luxur
Got laid off 6 months ago and it completely wrecked my sense of self. I had been in finance for 18 years and that was like the entire core of who I thought I was. First few months
Five years ago I was still going out 3-4 nights a week, sleeping till noon on weekends, living pretty recklessly honestly. My buddy called me yesterday to see if I wanted to go to
Started my weight loss journey about 18 months ago at 225lbs. Wanted to be able to keep up with my kids. Now I'm at 185 and run a 5k three times a week. Honestly the physical trans
My first marriage ended when my oldest was 3. Spent years thinking I'd destroyed my kids' lives and that I was a failure as a dad. Barely saw him some weeks because I was so depres
So I used to be that guy who'd stay up until 2-3am gaming, sleeping in until noon on weekends. Could do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Now with two kids under 5 I'm up at 5am
I'm officially a college graduate as of last month. Took me 15 years to finish what I started at 24 but I'm done. Had my kids during the last three years of it which was absolutely
It's been 14 months sober. Not gonna sugarcoat it, the first 6 months were hell. My daughter barely looked at me for the first two months after I told her and the kids why daddy wa
Started at 280 and I'm at 200 now. Been a weird journey because like I'm obviously happy about it health wise and my kids definitely noticed, my oldest actually said I look like I
I was out of shape before, then kids came and I just decided I didn't want to be that heavy dad anymore. Wanted to keep up with them, you know? Started running in the mornings when
So I used to stay up until 2am gaming and sleeping in until 10. Now I'm up at 5 every morning with my two year old and honestly I don't hate it. There's something about the quiet b
Had the big corporate job, 60+ hours a week, making decent money but I was miserable. Then my son was born and suddenly the promotion didn't matter as much. Took a step back to a s