Surly Dad Thread

[Homercles 10,205]

Upon seeing a hole in the street, my 4yo:

“Daddy, what’s that broken spot?”
“It’s called a pothole son”
*peers closely*
“...Where’s the pot??”

As a counterpoint to my prior post of married-with-young-children-woes...you gotta love those moments.

Per Mr. Joel...the good ole days weren’t always good and tomorrow’s not as bad it seems

[Mikey4 2,476]

It's official. I'm getting sterilized in a couple of weeks. Seems like just yesterday I was a new dad. Now, I'm done.

[Goofyboy 3,268]

Welcome to the other club.

[Hunchback 51]

I'm contemplating that decision myself. No real fear, just lack of motivation. I think it would be good for peace of mind but I just haven't done it yet.
Plus now I've missed March madness...what's the next big sports weekend?

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,817]

Im definitely doing it after we this next one. My gun is far too dangerous, 3 pregnancies in like 8 attempts. Pull and pray worked but F that amateur hour BS. 

 

Going to try lining it up during March Madness 

Edited April 5, 2018 by MNLonghornFUKM

[Homercles 10,205]

I'm contemplating that decision myself. No real fear, just lack of motivation. I think it would be good for peace of mind but I just haven't done it yet.
Plus now I've missed March madness...what's the next big sports weekend?

Uhhh Masters? A tradition unlike any other

[Hunchback 51]

Uhhh Masters? A tradition unlike any other

Too short notice. If I'm going to let some "doctor" do that to me, he better damn well be good enough to be booked more than a couple of days in advance.

[Homercles 10,205]

My wife ended up getting tied as a ‘while we are in there’ sorta thing due to requiring a c-section, else I told her I’d get snipped the first day of the NCAA tourney.

Too bad you’re right on the short notice, I think even I’d watch The Masters if I was recovering from that.   

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

My wife ended up getting tied as a ‘while we are in there’ sorta thing due to requiring a c-section, else I told her I’d get snipped the first day of the NCAA tourney.
Too bad you’re right on the short notice, I think even I’d watch The Masters if I was recovering from that.   

So did my wife. But I still think there is a chance she told the doc to 86 the procedure and she is trying to trick me.

[Homercles 10,205]

NOT me.  I saw those tubes with my own eyes, the OB held them up over the curtain and said ‘see this...no more babies!’

weirdly my first thought was ‘I’d pan fry that with some onions, jalapeños and olive oil’.  

[Bateshorn 9,927]

Did my first college tour for the Dauphin last weekend.  Davidson is fucking nice.

[BigDHornfan 6,545]

Can’t believe this kid is about to be out of kindergarten but my wallet is glad he’s finally out of Primrose School. Hello $14k a year raise!!!

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,817]

Daddy needs a new boat!

[Dr.J 31]

We hit 20 weeks tomorrow and tonight is the fancy sonoscan 4d thing.  If I can grab a pic I'll post em here later.

Also, just signed the lease for the new building to move my office, hoping to get that all squared away this summer before the kid shows up  

[atomheartbevo 89,618]

Anybody else with a 2-year-old that are refusing to nap until well into the afternoon (like after 3pm).  They are getting plenty of outside/park/playground time.  Frustrating, because we can't let them nap too long after 3pm, since they would be headed to bed before 8.

They are sleeping from around 9pm-8am.

[Amobie 58]

9 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Anybody else with a 2-year-old that are refusing to nap until well into the afternoon (like after 3pm).  They are getting plenty of outside/park/playground time.  Frustrating, because we can't let them nap too long after 3pm, since they would be headed to bed before 8.

They are sleeping from around 9pm-8am.

What time does your 2 year old wake up in the morning?  

[atomheartbevo 89,618]

3 minutes ago, Amobie said:

What time does your 2 year old wake up in the morning?  

She's in bed around 8-8:30pm, going to sleep around 9-9:30pm, wakes up at 7:15 - 8:30am (usually at 8am).

It's like she's resisting napping, because you try and get her down, and she just refuses/tries to climb out/stirs up shit.  If she naps, it's because of either being in the car or on a long stroller walk.

 

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,817]

Anybody else with a 2-year-old that are refusing to nap until well into the afternoon (like after 3pm).  They are getting plenty of outside/park/playground time.  Frustrating, because we can't let them nap too long after 3pm, since they would be headed to bed before 8.
They are sleeping from around 9pm-8am.

We gave up on naps on our 2.5 yr old. If she wants one, she'll crawl up on you And pass out...but if it's anytime after 5pm, it's a 20 min nap.

I just think of it as a way that the kid will go to sleep at night much easier when it matters.

[Quagmire 2,147]

Anybody else with a 2-year-old that are refusing to nap until well into the afternoon (like after 3pm).  They are getting plenty of outside/park/playground time.  Frustrating, because we can't let them nap too long after 3pm, since they would be headed to bed before 8.
They are sleeping from around 9pm-8am.

Mine did that shit, said fuck it no naps for you then.

[MoJames 8,244]

Had a legitimate back slider last night.  Walked in to the play room and the two year old on his belly had just shit, room stunk.  Look down and he's got shit going up his back.

 

Asshole.

[BrazilHorn 6,586]

My 11 year old son just had his first “girlfriend” break up with him. 

He seems fine but it’s tough seeing him upset about something I can’t “fix”

 

[bernorange 8,359]

2 minutes ago, BrazilHorn said:

My 11 year old son just had his first “girlfriend” break up with him. 

He seems fine but it’s tough seeing him upset about something I can’t “fix”

You have to teach them not to put the pussy on a pedestal.

[BrazilHorn 6,586]

Just now, bernorange said:

You have to teach them not to put the pussy on a pedestal.

I’m giving him that advice for sure. He’s a good looking, athletic kid and will be able to make his way with the ladies. I don’t want him getting serious with anyone for a long time. 

[Amobie 58]

19 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

She's in bed around 8-8:30pm, going to sleep around 9-9:30pm, wakes up at 7:15 - 8:30am (usually at 8am).

It's like she's resisting napping, because you try and get her down, and she just refuses/tries to climb out/stirs up shit.  If she naps, it's because of either being in the car or on a long stroller walk.

 

Yeah you are waking her up early enough so that's not it. 

Maybe she's too excited leading up to the nap??  

 

[kmac30 416]

Anyone have any ideas on the best way to handle a 3yo girl that absolutely won't cooperate when it's time to leave the house? Won't get dressed, no socks/shoes, screaming, etc. We try to let the kids make their own choices so they have some control over what to wear, what they want for breakfast, etc but when the time comes that we *have* to go and patience is exhausted what is the best course of action? I'm not big on bribes because I don't want to reward bad behavior. My instinct is to just pick her up and carry her out screaming but I also don't want to teach her that it's ok for someone bigger/stronger than you to force you to do something that you don't want to.

Everyone does things differently, we try to let our kids make decisions to a point. I believe kids need structure. They need you to tell them what to do and when to do it. That’s why I’m the parent. When we have time for bullshit, I let them figure it out. When we don’t, I’m making the decisions or let them think they’re making decisions that we’ve already made for them. As they get older I give them notice and let them make bigger decisions and if they haven’t made said decisions by my timeline, we’re making it for them. Oldest is 6. She has more responsibilities than her 4 year old brother/sister. For school, the clothing options are figured out the night before and they are usually given 2 or 3 options. My wife is shitty at making decisions and my oldest inherited that trait. The fewer options the easier the decision.

Figure out how to empower your kids without letting them run the show.

That’s just my opinion.

[solamente73 1,132]

On 4/3/2018 at 11:51 PM, Jkwellborn said:

Wait until they start school.

Patient Zero is already in preschool 3 days/week.  That's where he gets everything to spread through the family.

On 4/4/2018 at 8:34 AM, Kringelbert Fishtybuns said:

One of you will probably still get sick, but sometimes you have to go strict quarantine method at least until the fevers break.  Don't let them play/bathe together.  If one parent gets sick, they go sleep in the guest bed.  Sick parent also doesn't make any food for a non sick person.

We do all that stuff pretty well, yet it still spreads through the family.  It's incredibly predictable, too.  Patient Zero, then Mrs. Sola (still no pics) followed quickly by our youngest, then me right about the time that I think I might actually escape it.  It's so predictable, I can call my shot.  When the flu hit and started making its way through the 4 of us, on a Tuesday I told everyone that I would be symptomatic Saturday.  Saturday afternoon, I went from a 98.4* to 102.7* fever in 4 hours. 

For this to happen despite all our precautions, it reminds me of that scene in Aliens where they are in Medical and the aliens are advancing.  The trackers read that the aliens are inside the room but they don't see any.  Ripley says something like, "We missed something.  Something not in the blue prints..." Then they realize they didn't account for space between floors... I'm trying to figure out what our space in between floors is.

Speaking of aliens, when my kids are teething, the drool is everywhere.  That doesn't help with keeping disease from spreading.  My kid coming at me, drenched in infectious drool, always reminds me of this:

[hornian 5,210]

4 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

She's in bed around 8-8:30pm, going to sleep around 9-9:30pm, wakes up at 7:15 - 8:30am (usually at 8am).

It's like she's resisting napping, because you try and get her down, and she just refuses/tries to climb out/stirs up shit.  If she naps, it's because of either being in the car or on a long stroller walk.

 

My 2.5 year old just quit napping right around 2. The only way now is if we are driving somewhere in the afternoon. Otherwise, NO NAP FOR YOU.

He does sleep from about 8:30pm - 7:30am though, so not worried about him getting enough sleep. 

[Goofyboy 3,268]

My 2.5 year old just quit napping right around 2. The only way now is if we are driving somewhere in the afternoon. Otherwise, NO NAP FOR YOU.
He does sleep from about 8:30pm - 7:30am though, so not worried about him getting enough sleep. 

Mine quit napping at home / school around 1.5 - 2. I would toss him in the truck and drive around for an hour and he would sleep for most of that. Did that most weekends for 6 months.

[Modessit 5,598]

Anybody else with a 2-year-old that are refusing to nap until well into the afternoon (like after 3pm).  They are getting plenty of outside/park/playground time.  Frustrating, because we can't let them nap too long after 3pm, since they would be headed to bed before 8.
They are sleeping from around 9pm-8am.

You might need to quit with the "7:15-8:30 but usually 8am" thing and go to a strict 7am every damn day if you want naps in mid-afternoon. My 2-yr-old daughter will nap even waking up at 9 or 10, but my now 4-yr-old son decided not to nap if he didn't get up until 8 or later, despite going to bed 8:30-9:00pm every day. When I changed jobs and they started getting up at 7am every day, naps around 1-2 are a thing again.

[Modessit 5,598]

My 11 year old son just had his first “girlfriend” break up with him. 
He seems fine but it’s tough seeing him upset about something I can’t “fix”
 

"Son - now you know why there are strip clubs and alcohol."

[MadTrapper 152]

So we started giving our daycare germ-infested 3 yo honey a couple months ago and it seems to have helped abate the daily sickness/colds. We give her a spoonful every night before brushing teeth. Anyone else notice similar trends?

 

Doing the same thing with our 1 yo girl because why the hell not.

 

I remember my dad saying they used to get gallons of honey at a time delivered to them while living out on the farm.

 

 

[Jkwellborn 6,686]

Honey is fucking terrible. A couple of weeks ago, I had a cough that no medicine would touch. Drank some honey. Worked like a charm. I couldn’t believe how bad it tasted though.

[SMUlawUTgrad 81]

I love honey

[atomheartbevo 89,618]

Thanks for the recommendations, going to wake her up a little earlier (maybe 7) and on a regular schedule, and just take her to the park/playground for a few hours after breakfast and then start putting her down for a nap around noon or one when grandpa drops her off.

[Dr.J 31]

First pic of the littledr

[pacman 7,354]

Let's get one thing straight. Toddler's don't nap for their benefit. It's for the preservation of our sanity as parents.

They nap because we need a fucking break.

Put your kid down for a nap at tge same time every day, for a set time period. They can sleep or not, who gives a shit so long as I can forget they exist for two hours.

 

f'n toddlers man

[Jkwellborn 6,686]

I love honey

Do you get glitter from her?

[GSU&UT 1,798]

Dad things that need to be vented on a Friday night

• On my third beer (which gets me more buzzed than ever after having a kid) 
• Trying to learn some AWS stuff for a certification exam
• Dealing with the baby who is likely going through a 10 month old sleep regression
• Wife is somewhat sick sleeping in the main bedroom
• Getting pissed every time the baby wakes up because my wife and I are in disagreement with how to handle this

[GlenFromTheMailRoom 1,603]

On 4/5/2018 at 10:53 AM, BrazilHorn said:

My 11 year old son just had his first “girlfriend” break up with him. 

He seems fine but it’s tough seeing him upset about something I can’t “fix”

 

His first playboy (the old school version), tub of hand lotion, fist bump while leaving the room, and then you drop the imaginary mic.

[GlenFromTheMailRoom 1,603]

On 4/4/2018 at 9:15 PM, Hunchback said:

I'm contemplating that decision myself. No real fear, just lack of motivation. I think it would be good for peace of mind but I just haven't done it yet.
Plus now I've missed March madness...what's the next big sports weekend?

 

On 4/5/2018 at 11:52 AM, kmac30 said:

Everyone does things differently, we try to let our kids make decisions to a point. I believe kids need structure. They need you to tell them what to do and when to do it. That’s why I’m the parent. When we have time for bullshit, I let them figure it out. When we don’t, I’m making the decisions or let them think they’re making decisions that we’ve already made for them. As they get older I give them notice and let them make bigger decisions and if they haven’t made said decisions by my timeline, we’re making it for them. Oldest is 6. She has more responsibilities than her 4 year old brother/sister. For school, the clothing options are figured out the night before and they are usually given 2 or 3 options. My wife is shitty at making decisions and my oldest inherited that trait. The fewer options the easier the decision.

Figure out how to empower your kids without letting them run the show.

That’s just my opinion.

Spot.  Fucking. On.  

[GlenFromTheMailRoom 1,603]

Minion no. 1 had her first experience with salt lick’s blackberry cobbler tonight.  Never seen a 7 year old so happy in my life.  

[wood 11,225]

In. What y'all need to know? 

[Bert Orange 1,120]

I’m blessed to have two wonderful daughters (12 and 10) that have great dispositions and bleeding hearts. They also took to dance very young and I was honored to watch them perform halftime for the Rockets this week. Now I type this from my dock as me and my oldest fish on daddy daughter lake excursion for her birthday. Rain be damned!

daughters freaking rock

[berlinerbaer 670]

On 4/5/2018 at 2:30 PM, hornian said:

My 2.5 year old just quit napping right around 2. The only way now is if we are driving somewhere in the afternoon. Otherwise, NO NAP FOR YOU.

He does sleep from about 8:30pm - 7:30am though, so not worried about him getting enough sleep. 

This is where we are with our 2 yo son. Daycare has been informing me the last few weeks that he hasn't been napping for at least one day each week. This week, it went to two days, including yesterday when he fell asleep on the ride home before dinner. That left my wife and I with the dilemma of whether to wake him up and try to feed him and give him a bath, or let him sleep until he wakes up hungry in the middle of the night. We chose the former and he pitched a two hour-long fit but slept solid from 8:30 to 7:00 this morning.

The drives in the car on weekends, a tried and true method to knock him out, have progressively gotten longer. I'm resigned to the fact that the early afternoon P&Q will come to an eventual end.

[kmac30 416]

My kids are 4.5 and they still take a nap. Anywhere from 1.5-2 hours. 6 yr lays down for about 30min to an hour. Days they have school they don’t nap. When I get home from work I can usually tell who has and who hasn’t had a nap.

 

 

I also just took an hour long nap and it was pretty nice.

[Homercles 10,205]

My boy stopped napping at about 3, at least at home, he usually does at daycare. It’s been an absolute killer because there was a blissful period there where they both napped at about the same time....that lasted all of two months.

Sleep in general has got to be one of the most frustrating elements of parenthood...my 4yo is constantly changing, just when we got him consistently falling asleep on his own without having to lay there...he’s entered a fear stage, all lights have to be on, and he frequently ‘hears something’ which leads him to come into our room at 1am, asking to have all the kitchen/living room lights on as wants to sleep on the couch.

Being tired all the time is such a drain on our marriage. Physically having kids is a young persons game, the mental/money element is so much better as a 37yo with 1.5/4.5yo kids. One of those life dichotomies, with a few buddies my age getting ready for kids to move out, I express a hint of jealousy but they note “while you were traveling the world for work and tripping balls with friends, I was changing diapers”. Fair point.

[Lobwedgephil 1,139]

So my twins are almost one, supposed to switch to cows milk. Any recommendations on what is the best? Should I transition slowly or go cold turkey from formula? 

[Modessit 5,598]

Whole milk until they're 2, then whatever kind you like (we like 1%). We started with 25% milk/75% formula for a week or so, then 50/50. Ater that we just tried all milk and they took to it just fine.

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2,731]

Our 5 yo son is in the “Why?” stage with everything we say. This can be taxing when he surpasses the record for consecutive questions set by McCauley Culkin in Uncle Buck.

[3adays 454]

Anyone have issues with their kiddo favoriting one parent vs the other? My 15 month daughter is all about daddy and while mom is appreciative of our bond it hurts her at the same time.

I’m sure as she gets older this will change, but right now the favoritism is so lopsided I feel bad for her.