How life changed since becoming a dad. Identity shifts, things you miss, things you gained, the transformation of fatherhood.
259 threads
5 years ago I was in a suit working 60 hour weeks at a marketing firm making 6 figures. Super stressed, barely saw my kids, but at least I knew who I was. Now I'm a freelancer work
Married my girlfriend a year ago and took on two step kids ages 8 and 11. I went from being a single guy who thought he didn't want kids to being a full time parent overnight. It's
I don't talk about this much but I was a heavy drinker for years. Like sneaking drinks at work heavy. My kids were scared of me. Anyway I hit a breaking point 18 months ago and wen
Used to think my job was to make everyone laugh and keep things light. Realized about a year ago that I was using humor as a shield. My kids didn't need another comedian, they need
Hit my goal weight 6 months ago after two years of grinding. Everyone's congratulating me, I look better, clothes fit, way more confident physically. But here's the weird part: I d
Left my six figure job last year to move my family to a smaller town and work part time as a consultant. On paper it sounds like I downgraded but I'm actually up on everything that
Started at 245 lbs three years ago, couldn't walk up stairs without getting winded. Now I'm 185 and running 5ks. What changed was my mindset. My kid asked me to play tag with him a
Two years ago I was doing 60+ hour weeks at a marketing firm. Burned out, missing my kids, marriage was getting rocky. Made the jump to freelance consulting last year and honestly
Wife left 18 months ago, took me a while to process everything. Life looks completely different now. I'm the one doing school runs, packing lunches, helping with homework on weekni
Quit my job at a consulting firm 2 years ago when my second kid was born. Wife makes decent money so we decided I'd stay home. Honestly I didn't know who I was outside of work. My
Marriage fell apart. Got custody of the kids 50/50. Had to move into a smaller place, sell the house, figure out logistics I never had to think about before. I was the guy who went
6 months sober now. Used to crush beers with the guys after work, weekends were fuzzy, missed a lot of stuff I didn't even realize. Got sober because my 5yo asked why I was always
Spent 12 years at a company that didn't appreciate me, made the same salary, watched younger guys get promoted over me. My wife finally said either you try something new or you're
I didn't completely overhaul my life or anything dramatic but I did get in the best shape I've been since college. Started meal prepping on Sundays which sounds lame but it actuall
Two years ago my doctor told me I was heading for a heart attack if I didn't make changes. I was almost 280 pounds, couldn't play with my kids without getting winded, hated how I l
I worked nights for almost 7 years straight. Third shift, warehouse job, sleeping during the day. It messed with everything - my marriage, my health, my relationship with the kids.
I was drinking too much and everyone around me knew it but nobody said anything directly. My kids started asking why dad was always tired. That hit me hard. I went to AA, been sobe
Started my weight loss journey at 285, now sitting at 200. Been two years of counting calories, hitting the gym, changing literally everything about how I eat. The before and after
Just walked at graduation last month after 4 years of night classes while working full time and being a dad. I'm a business analyst now instead of being stuck in warehouse manageme
It's been almost a year since the papers were signed and I gotta say I'm unrecognizable to who I was. Spent 15 years in a marriage that wasn't working and didn't realize how small