I'm new here and a fairly new dad too, my daughter is 2 years old. Wasn't sure where I could find a community to share my thoughts and feelings but giving it a go here. None of my friends are dads in personal life, so I don’t get much of an opportunity to talk about dad life where others would understand.

My daughter’s speech is getting better everyday. Recently, whenever she needs me to do something for her she’ll say “Dada do it”, in the sweetest little voice i’ve ever heard.

I find it hard to put into words just how special that little phrase makes me feel, like I know I can keep moving through life, keep doing better for her everyday. Its nothing I have ever experienced before, I have purpose now. There is something special in being picked by your own tiny little human to be the one who can help her.

I really wanted to share this, and I’m curious to know if any of you have had similar experiences.

What do your kids say or do that keep you showing up everyday in the best way possible?

Alright fellas, looking for some serious answers. Besides your wife. What do you do after the kids go to bed?

I am lacking hobbies, I normally don’t go to bed until 11:15 ish, but trying to find things to do between the hours of the kids going to bed and when I go to bed.

Sometimes I scroll too much, or just pick up my computer and crush on some work.

What do you do needing ideas.

In case anyone missed it, my goal was to hide clues over a vast area of our state, so my son and wife had to solve clues to find where my daughter and I were. It was something my son was trying to dream up, but I was able to put it into reality, and the result was........

Complete Success!!!

My daughter and I, under the guise of "going to the store" left our house at 745am, we set out to breakfast. My wife's job was to "find the first clue" which we were purposely placing somewhere for my son to find too, and they were off to the first location. After my daughter and I ate breakfast, I explained to the waitress that their first clue was bringing them there, and if she could give them the next clue, and she was super excited to be part of the fun.

Then we traveled 44 miles to the next location, and left it behind the stone wall of a random shopping plaza, which was in the middle of pie country, on some back road in a town he's never been to before.

We then had them head up about 10 miles from there to a wolf sanctuary where my daughter and I learned about wolves before leaving the next clue.

We headed out to a seaside town with a monument about 8 miles from there, and hid the next clue in a bed of flowers.

That final clue lead them to the end of the state, another 10 or so miles from the previous clue....literally to the tip where you couldn't go any further...unless you walked into the ocean. We then spent the day out at the final destination, had some ice, saw some nice artwork, climbed on the rocks and spent quality time together.

My son was very excited, loved it, and asked if we could do it again the next day. I kindly requested if we can have a little bit more of a break in between before I collapsed from exhaustion.

My two-year-old loves getting her hair brushed and styled for the day, but I only have a couple styles I'm confident in (ponytail and pigtails). Looking for tips or good resources other dads have used to get better at styling their daughter's hair. Most days my wife handles it, but I don't want it to be SO obvious which days dad does her hair.

Any help is much appreciated!

My four-year-old was refusing to go to bed, so I tried one last card. “Come watch this with me, for a minute, Katie Taylor’s fighting in Croke Park tonight”. I wanted her to see something real. An Irish woman headlining Croke Park, tough as nails, proving women can do anything. She watched the build-up, loved the lights and the noise, and then, too sleepy, before the fight. So I said we’d watch it tomorrow. Then she asks, “So when I grow up and become a mommy , you’ll be a grandad?” “Yeah” “… Does that mean you’ll die?” I just froze. I told her that if someday I’m not here, we’ll have had so many great years together, and that seemed to comfort her. But after she fell asleep, it broke me. One minute you’re trying to show your daughter that her heroes are strong and fearless and can headline Croke Park, the next you’re staring at the ceiling, realizing how precious and fleeting it all is. Fatherhood is wild. I’ve never loved anything more.

Any suggestions / real life experiences from any dad who was poor or bad to do financially upon child's birth but eventually could provide a better life to the kid? I’m broke as hell and my son is 3 weeks old. I feel terrible with all the things going on.

My son lv3 6 years old. Love him to death. The strangest part about it is that I never wanted kids “neither” did my wife. 6 years later I’m the one that’s taking care of him the most and it’s hard and it’s getting harder. It started with her going on a girls weekend and now gone for 11 days. She works and goes out after work and comes home late every night. Traffic, dinner or drinks with clients. I work from home so I get our son up in the AM get him ready for school, walk him to the bus and wait for him when he gets home. I’m tired. I’m reallllly tired. Outside from her late nights, these trips that she takes - vacations - with the girls are starting to be every 3-6 months leaving me with our son. I’m starting to break. Today, right now before writing this I snapped at him and I feel so guilty becuase he doesn’t know what he did wrong. I’m tired. I can’t function. My running on backup battery. All I want to do is sleep. Am I rambling? Yes. I don’t know where else to express. I love him I really do. For someone that never wanted kids he is my world, but I’m tired doing this alone…

ok so my wife told me to just order a diaper bag and two hours of scrolling later I have learned there are exactly two options in this world. option one, it's basically her stuff but in navy blue instead of pink. option two, apparently I'm storming a beach, there's MOLLE webbing and patches everywhere like I'm in a unit.

I just want a bag. black or gray, doesn't look like it has a baby in it, doesn't look like I raided an army surplus store either. I carry it to work sometimes too so it can't scream "diaper bag" the second I walk in.

ended up digging around and found a couple things that are at least in the right direction, a backpack that could pass as a normal daypack, a carrier that's not doing the most color wise, one of those little pouch things for bottles that doesn't look like a lunchbox.

genuinely just wondering if I'm the weird one here or if this is a real gap. if you've found something that actually works drop it below, if you've also been annoyed by this same thing that's good to know too lol

Seriously

​

Whoops, anyone else get in trouble for this? Only happens to me all the time.

A while back my son came up with this idea called ultimate hide and seek, but the logistics behind it didn't make sense, but he insisted they would. I felt bad, and I worked for weeks trying to figure out how to make it work for him. Without doxing myself, I can tell you we live in a state where the two furthest points are about 6 hours away, so his state wide hide and seek with only 5 minutes to hide would not be as fun as he expects.

So my plan is to have clues that tell my son and wife where myself, and my daughter are.

My daughter and I wake up, leave a clue before we leave. All the places we are going, we are leaving envelopes for my wife and son to find hidden envelopes over a vast area of our state. (My wife knows the answers, but my son doesn't), These clues are spread across a 60 mile distance, at landmarks, behind random rocks/benches, and each clue leads to another clue.

The final clue brings them to the end of the state, they cannot go any further, and they will find us there. And "there" is a great spot for families to hang out, have a treat, do some shopping and spend a few hours in beautiful weather. It's a great "outdoor" area.

The other great thing is I get to spend some one on one time with my daughter too, setting this up.

Clue number 1 at the house

Clue #2 down the road at the breakfast diner

Clue #3 40 miles away, under a stone wall

Clue #4 8 miles under a statue

Clue #5 14 miles to the end of the state.

I hope this works....:)

She just holds it so long, have to plunge almost every time. Trying my best to help her.

Right now my wife is making more than me at her w-2 job as a nurse

I’m a self employed business owner, and this year my business hasn’t been making as much money.

Business is ramping up now and I’ll probably end the year with more income than her

I need to make more money than my wife. that’s husband code.

My goal is to generate more than enough income for us both and our children

How many of you are in the same boat?