Dads Navigating New Parenthood Challenges

“For backstory, my ex and I met and she was pregnant within three months. We were strangers basically but we’d done a lot of growing up. So we thought we’d give it a go and if it didn’t work out between us, we’d still raise our child. Fast forward to a few months after our daughter’s birth, I’m having extreme difficulty cohabiting. My anxiety is at an all time high and there seemed no relief in sight. I relapsed on opiates. The next couple of years were pretty rough on both of us. I was lying and”

“Just recently moved to a new area with kids. I’ll take them to the park and such but since they are different ages they often don’t play together. A few times there’s been another dad with similar aged kids who get along really well. I’d like for kids to make friends in the area and have often said to myself if I see these parents again, I’ll ask to meet up, but we often don’t run into them a second time. Typically it’ll seem like the women who go to the park will go with a group of women or wil”

“To the single dads out there, a question after a short story. I recently started seeing someone. She is a single mom too. We are looking for places to go to get physical together. Neither of our houses are options. She has a few adult kids and one in high school. I’m currently living with my mom passing down debt from divorce. It’s not affordable to get a hotel room every time we get together. Neither of us wants to hook up in the car. Are there options I’m not thinking of? Any contribution is a”

“Hi Everyone The wife would like to go on holiday with our 1.5 year old daughter and I'm somewhat disinclined. Before the kid I was already in charge of carrying/driving everywhere and the trips she organised were usually of the exploring kind. For instance we went to Scotland and travelled across the country (great place to go btw.) and I did all of the driving, loading, unloading etc. While the trip was awesome and she did all of the organisation (no small feat, I'm fully aware), I'”

“Hey dads, I'm interested in camping with my kids. Current one is 16 months, 2nd is due in Dec. Obviously I can bring my wife and that's technically "camping" for Kid #2, but let's be real... For those of you that have done this, I'm interested in learning how to teach the little ones about it. My son currently sleeps in a crib in a blacked out room with a white noise machine so I'm worried about the transition. Do I bring a pack and play with me? How do you deal wit”

“Dad of a preschooler here. My wife and I are solid partners, not in crisis, but we have slid into a very functional roommate vibe. We do the handoffs, logistics, laundry, lunches, work, repeat. By the time the house is finally quiet we both just want to scroll or fall asleep. I do not want this to be an explicit sex post, but I miss feeling wanted and connected in a way that naturally leads to a better sex life. Right now we rarely even cuddle. If I reach for a hug or a kiss it sometimes feels l”

“A few friends (all fellow dads) and I are planning a summer trip away for a couple nights. This is recreating a trip we did over 15 years ago when we were all childless and not married. Everyone else is onboard except one friend, well let’s say his wife. This friend said “I’m in but my wife said she has to come”… Like dude, this is a time for guys to go away and be guys together, drink, relax, hangout and make new memories together. Maybe I can say that nicely and suggest the wives plan their ow”

“I’m a single dad of two boys, one grown-up, one 13. My ex sees the youngest for one overnight per week at my place. It’s made it very difficult for me to have other relationships, because I can never give someone the time they deserve from a partner. I did have a six-month relationship with someone who treated me wonderfully, but I felt like my ex was almost sabotaging it. She kept saying I had to be home very early in the morning to let her get to work, and getting very irritated when I said sh”

“Hello fellow Dads. I could use some wisdom. My ex and I separated last year, and we have a now 17 month old little girl, she is my world. Her mom started to gradually reduce my time with our daughter, and then abruptly cut me off from her four months ago, and hasn't let me see her. Its been the hardest time of my life, I love my daughter more than anything. Im finally going to get to see her soon, and I was wondering if you guys had advice on how I can make my daughter as comfortable as poss”

“Dads have any of had to Do a group outing and you were forced to socialize with other dads because your wives and kids all became friends? Did it turn out well or would you prefer not to be forced into new dad friendships? submitted by /u/Newsdayray [link] [comments]”

“Dads, I’m struggling. I have a 5 year old. Wife and I have one on the way. We take a trip every year to Colorado. We drive up. Bring everything with us. It’s a cheap vacation that we love. Yesterday started great. Amazing actually. We got here last Saturday night. Everybody slept in. Woke up to the most perfect card from my daughter. Had breakfast the usual. Then we decided it was time for a hike. We stopped by a creek to have a snack. Daughter stepped in. Water over her boot. No big deal. Left”

“I take my son to the playground almost every weekend. Every once in a while I'll end up talking to another dad, but toddlers don't exactly stay in one place. One minute you're having a conversation, the next your kid is heading for a ladder, a climbing wall, or a drop that seems way higher than it looked five seconds ago. By the time you've rescued your child, the conversation is over and everybody has disappeared. It got me thinking. For dads that actually have dad friends, how”

“Beginning of the year, planning time off. Wife and kids tell me we need to go camping, since we didn't the past two summers. Fine. I spend a few hours finding suitable sites to meet as many of their individual preferences as I can. We picked a coastal site because we figured (correctly) that the mountains would be too dry for campfires even in the early summer. I booked the campsite. I made sure there were plenty of things for the kids to do there: creek, playground, Junior Ranger program, b”

“So, kinda title says it all, but for more context... I (42m) have a daughter who's almost 6 and she's my absolute world. Her mom (38f) and I officially separated last February after almost 2 years of trying to make it work, and finally moved into our own places (making everything final) in October. The decision to split was amicable when it was finally made, and honestly, we both still consider ourselves one of each other's best friends which has been great for the co-parenting thing”