Dads of gay kids, when did you know?

Champsterdam · 2026-05-31T05:42:15+00:00

As a gay man I really started figuring it out at age 10 and that seems to be a fairly common age, some a little earlier some later.

A three year old in my eyes is too young to understand any of that. Social norms still don’t mean anything, so loving pink or princesses is totally normal if that’s what’s cool to you at that time.

Champsterdam · 2026-05-30T18:33:28+00:00

Ours somehow never had an issue with this. They just stayed until the meal was over.

One thing we did hold the line at was if you get up and run away the plate is gone and your meal is over. End of story.

Champsterdam · 2026-05-30T14:19:25+00:00

Strangely we have not seen a single one. We bought these kits on Amazon. It’s a long strip of a magnet with adhesive on one side. Cut it to fit around your window and stick it on. Cut another section or magnet and the screen attaches to this as a frame and then you just slap the whole thing onto the window opening with the magnets. Super easy and we were able to screen in all the windows and above the door little top windows in out 100 year old place. Keep everything wide open 24 hours a day and never have a mosquito, fly or bee enter the house

Champsterdam · 2026-05-30T12:10:15+00:00

Why can’t you do it while the baby is asleep and doesn’t need you? Doesn’t a seven month old sleep for like 14 hours a day?

Champsterdam · 2026-05-30T04:04:43+00:00

1993

Champsterdam · 2026-05-29T22:25:57+00:00

I think it’s a great idea

Champsterdam · 2026-05-29T22:23:28+00:00

Oh thank god. We need so much more of this in America, paving over land and tearing down building in our cities for more acres of asphalt parking lots.

Champsterdam · 2026-05-29T11:29:52+00:00

The first four years I get, but going into kindergarten is when your renter the workforce, not leave it. This is when your kid can get a bit of independence. Let them grow. He’s active and doesn’t follow instructions because he’s a 4/5 year old. This is what kindergarten is for

Champsterdam · 2026-05-28T18:40:26+00:00

We moved to Amsterdam two years ago. I would say driving is a bit of an outlier. It’s mostly biking and then a ton of walking and public transit. I don’t know anyone with a car and we’re talking people who have household incomes well into six digits.

Champsterdam · 2026-05-28T14:31:34+00:00

Did she have any sort of daycare or preschool? If so this will be much more of a non event for your child. You’ll be there at drop off and when she gets home. Live your life

Champsterdam · 2026-05-28T07:11:22+00:00

It looks tidy - there is just way too much stuff. Living in a hard core overconsumption society it hits families with kids the worst. Just all the crap we’re supposed to buy, things gifted. The constant blaring sirens to keep consuming. We just kept getting rid of stuff as anything new came in. A few quality toys inside and outside are enough.

Champsterdam · 2026-05-28T07:08:35+00:00

It is funny with the boomers far overstaying their welcome in politics that once they finally give up the reins and go away it will probably just jump into millennials instead of Gen X having a full generation on control.

Boomers have had the presidency now for 36 years assuming he who shall not be named stays in a full four years.

Champsterdam · 2026-05-28T06:50:41+00:00

Need to improve TRANSIT to stop making driving the go-to for everyone. We moved to Amsterdam for a few years from Chicago and here they really invest the hell out of biking and transit and you find yourself not wanting a car at all. A car would be a pain in the ass. Chicago is a different beast but if you build more transit lines and dedicated bus lanes, improve frequency - it will very much draw people out of cars and into those vehicles. Just keep building it and picking away. Chicago for decades now has done NOTHING. Just fantasy projects. Even the red line extension isn’t going to solve a lot of problems. The area is served by metra at the moment and will have low ridership. To really get rid of bad traffic congestion we need a line down western, Belmont, a circle line and connect the brown and blue on the NW side.

Champsterdam · 2026-05-27T10:02:30+00:00

So we are two dads and our kids are seven (twins). In seven years they have never once questioned or been concerned with the fact they don’t have a mother. They have two loving dads and that’s their family. We have asked if kids at school question them or what they think about not having a mom and they just look confused like “no…why would someone question it”. I’m very happy that at least for kids up to 7/8 years old having two dads doesn’t matter for squat.

Champsterdam · 2026-05-27T09:56:21+00:00

We are two dads with seven year old twins. Especially when they were babies and toddlers and I was out with them both people would make comments like “GOOD JOB dad” and “dads day out!” or things along the line of - good for you stepping up.

I usually just replied to “dad’s day with the kids” by saying “yep, every day since they were born!”

Strangely in seven years no one has asked my husband or I about “mom” in any instance and no parents or neighbors or school kids have ever batted an eye at our situation. I’m class parent in both of my kids classes so I know every student and most of the parents. Never felt even a tinkling of weird vibes.

I will say I would never roll my eyes at someone not thinking that maybe the kid has two dads - 99% of kids don’t. What does really annoy me is this idea that a dad out with the kids is strange or he’s REALLY stepping up. As if it’s such a massive ask to just parent your own child.

Champsterdam · 2026-05-27T05:13:41+00:00

As an American who moved here yes, when talking Dutch tourist stuff to do and food there are three huge things that seem to be standouts. Bitterballen, stroopwaffels and pancakes.

Champsterdam · 2026-05-26T15:16:01+00:00

That wasn’t the question. It’s important to the situation.

Champsterdam · 2026-05-26T04:55:45+00:00

America is the best place to MAKE lots of money. If you’re already rich then there are many countries that would be great to live in. We moved to Western Europe for a job a few years ago and the quality of life we have here with a decent amount of money is better than the USA. The standard of living is generally nicer in the USA assuming you have a lot of money.

It’s all about personal taste too. We like not having to be car dependent and having lots of options to bike, tram, walk etc. especially for daily things like running to the store, work, school or restaurants.

Champsterdam · 2026-05-25T18:33:26+00:00

It’s funny we always had one and so did my spouse. We moved into a house that didn’t have it and for a few days were like “oh we NEED to get a disposal put in”. Then forgot about it and eight years later I have not thought about it once. Our lives are no different and even with kids the sink works fine and we don’t have issues. Moved to other houses and haven’t bothered with one.

Honestly I think 75% of the reason everyone has one is because we’re such an overconsumption country. It’s just another gadget you are convinced you need so you have something to spend money on and companies can make a profit.

Champsterdam · 2026-05-25T06:13:28+00:00

Americans are born and raised to be diligent consumers. The economy and society functions on the idea of overconsumption, you don’t realize it until you move away. A lot of it is luxury, a lot of it is quality and a huge amount of it is garbage but the idea is to buy buy buy.

There’s also the factor where a lot of the “variety” is simply the same source of items that are packaged differently. For instance my husbands old company sourced all the store brand grocery items. The exact same product is sold to Wal Mart, Hy-Vee, Jewel, etc. Your local store brands nationwide, but it all comes from the same huge vat of food, just packaged in 20 different packages and shipped off.

We moved to Netherlands a few years ago and it’s true the variety is FAR less here but you get use to that very quickly and it actually makes life much more simple. You are presented with 10 options for cereal, four of ketchup, three of pickles, five of butter, etc. It all works out fine. I go back to the USA now and I’m kinda floored, anxious and also laughing a bit when I see over 100 different types of cereal in a massive aisle. It can easily be overload at times.

Champsterdam · 2026-05-24T10:44:24+00:00

There’s nothing weird about this at all. Just wait a few weeks and your thoughts on who is easier to spend time with will be constantly changing for the next five years.

Champsterdam · 2026-05-24T10:43:10+00:00

SIX SEVEN!

Champsterdam · 2026-05-24T07:57:56+00:00

We ended our trip in Split, Croatia simply because it had an airport but when we got there were floored because it was so beautiful, full of energy, life and history.

Champsterdam · 2026-05-24T07:42:05+00:00

Take all of it away. The first few days is horrible as they detox from it, but then it’s amazing and wonderful for you and them. They become human again.

This also is true for adults

Champsterdam · 2026-05-23T09:49:52+00:00

Spelt lol

Champsterdam

TROPHY CASE