2 years in - I don't recognize myself anymore
Before I had my daughter I was that guy who would sleep till noon on weekends, had a spotless apartment, and genuinely enjoyed going to bars with my buddies. Now I wake up at 6am e
JJoey M.89 views
-20
How life changed since becoming a dad. Identity shifts, things you miss, things you gained, the transformation of fatherhood.
270 threads
Before I had my daughter I was that guy who would sleep till noon on weekends, had a spotless apartment, and genuinely enjoyed going to bars with my buddies. Now I wake up at 6am e
My crew from college all stayed pretty tight until we started having kids. Now I'm the only one with three and my buddies without kids just don't get why I can't do last minute wee
Used to backpack Southeast Asia and sleep in hostels. Wife and kids changed that. Now my vacations are planned around school breaks and involve way more logistics. Do I miss the fr
Man I was out every weekend before kids. Thought my life was over when my first was born but honestly? I wouldn't trade it. Miss sleeping past 6am and just being spontaneous but ga
I was genuinely selfish before becoming a dad. Career focused, relationships were secondary, money was everything. Fatherhood basically rewired my brain. Everything I do now has th
At 28 I was hitting the gym 5 days a week, had abs, the whole thing. Three kids later I'm 35, carrying an extra 40 pounds, and I honestly don't miss it that much. The time commitme
Short version: I was irritable, yelled at the kids over stupid stuff, took my work stress out on everyone. My daughter told my wife she was scared of me and that hit different. Sta
Used to work 60 hour weeks and miss basically everything. Kids would show me drawings and I'd half listen while checking emails. Wife was running the house solo. Made the switch to
Was coaching baseball and traveling weekends for years. Thought it was my identity. Wife was doing everything else. Took a year to really sit with it and realized I was avoiding my
I was that guy sneaking beers in the garage, telling myself it wasn't a problem. My oldest asked me why I smelled funny one time and that destroyed me. Finally admitted I needed he
Before kids I thought I was important because of my job and my paycheck. I had this whole identity wrapped up in being the ambitious guy at the office. First kid came along and sud
I miss just being selfish with my time. Like on a Saturday I could decide at 8am to go to a movie, grab lunch, spend 6 hours at a coffee shop reading without planning it out. Now e
I was that guy who went out 4-5 nights a week. Did fantasy football, went to games, slept till noon on weekends. My apartment was basically a man cave. Now I'm waking up at 6am whe
Long story short I grew up super religious, became disillusioned as an adult, left my church 4 years ago. Now I have kids and I'm questioning everything about what I want to teach
I spent 15 years working a job I hated just to pay the bills. Finally took the leap and went back for my degree. Graduated last year and just got hired at a place I actually respec
Never thought I'd write this but here we are. I quit drinking 6 months ago and everything has changed. I actually want to be around my kids now instead of just tolerating them. I'm
I was the guy who defined himself by his career. CFO, long hours, lots of prestige. Then my wife got a job offer we couldn't refuse and we decided I'd stay home with the kids. Firs
Quit my six figure job last year to start my own thing and be more present with the family. Best decision but also weirdest adjustment. What I miss: the validation, the paychecks h
Five years ago I was 280 pounds, spent all my free time gaming and eating junk. My kids barely recognized me half the time because I was always checked out. Something just clicked
Few years back I was that bitter single dad, hated my ex, felt like life did me dirty. Just angry all the time. Met my now wife at a friend's BBQ and literally everything started t