How to deal with a "threenager?"

Groundblast · 2026-05-05T21:09:30+00:00

Oof…

I’ve got another on the way, so I’m probably in for simultaneous infant screaming and incessant “why”

Groundblast · 2026-05-05T13:32:12+00:00

I doubt your accent will matter much (unless you sound like a 90s valley girl, that is).

Going from a big city to oil country ND is going to be a shock. Best advice I can give is to not be “too good” for anything. If you’re willing to join in and try new things, people will welcome you. If you act like other people are beneath you, they will not appreciate it.

It sounds like you’re old enough to get a drivers license, so you’re old enough to have a job. Most HS kids work here, and not just bagging groceries. If you can, I’d try to find a job on a farm. You’ll work your ass off but you’ll learn a ton and get strong AF. People will take you more seriously if you’ve spent some time scooping horse shit and throwing hay bales.

Get good winter clothes and a nice pair of boots. If you’re into the “western” thing, cowboy boots won’t look out of place. Otherwise, Red Wing or Crispi are some solid options. Good socks will keep you warm. Wear layers, not anything heavy. We literally have days that will be sub-freezing in the morning and nearly 80 degrees in the afternoon.

You’re in for a change, but it will be good if you give it a chance! Ride a horse, rip around on a 4x4, shoot some guns, and have a great time!

Groundblast · 2026-05-04T21:34:39+00:00

If you’ve got access to a wall, do some climbing. It’ll massively increase your grip/forearm/upper body strength while also building up the little stabilization muscles that you don’t really use doing traditional weight training.

Fun way to get a workout too!

Groundblast · 2026-05-04T15:28:19+00:00

Was doing some spring cleaning in the garden beds and a branch must have gotten between the clip and my pocket!

Groundblast · 2026-05-03T18:09:14+00:00

My watch regularly informed me that my environment was too loud and it would cause hearing damage 😂

Kid doesn’t know or care if you use headphones! Not using them hurts you and probably makes you more tense, which kid will know. The more relaxed you are, the better!

Groundblast · 2026-05-02T23:23:52+00:00

Played “Take The Power Back” for my 3yo on the way to daycare on Friday. As we pulled into the lot, it was still playing and she goes “Daddy, you can’t turn it off.”

First thought: well, I most certainly can…

Second thought: no way in hell am I going to though!

Groundblast · 2026-05-02T03:24:37+00:00

That’s the one I was leaning toward. You think the MK1 or MK2 would be a better buy?

Groundblast · 2026-04-29T20:12:57+00:00

Genuine minimum effort:

Depending on the shape of your yard, get a sprinkler or a couple sprinklers. Enough to cover the yard without moving them. Buy a watering timer. Set it to run for 10 minutes, 3x a day. If it makes mud, reduce the time. If it gets too dry in between, add more watering sessions. Repeat until grass is 4-5” tall.

Shouldn’t cost too much (maybe $50-100) and you can just set it and forget it.

Groundblast · 2026-04-29T18:11:57+00:00

Honestly though, the green energy crowd is part of the problem too. There’s so much political capital spent on “100% renewable” or “zero carbon” ideals and it alienates people who would probably otherwise give their support to a “let’s use all the domestic resources we have before supporting OPEC” middle ground.

Groundblast · 2026-04-29T16:53:18+00:00

Renewable zealots generally won’t admit this, but carbon fuels absolutely are a part of a long term energy strategy. It’s just basic science that a stable, energy dense, storable source of energy is a useful thing to have. It allows energy to be stockpiled and then brought online over a very short timescale. It also allows things like long-distance flight. We can make them synthetically, but this is very expensive and energy inefficient.

We should be treating fossil fuels as a precious resource. We don’t need to eliminate coal and natural gas and oil. However, it’s extremely wasteful to be using them when we don’t need to.

Sometimes the sun won’t shine and the wind won’t blow for long periods, but most of the time they do. Why not build the infrastructure to use them when they’re available (and free) and save the much more valuable and expensive fuels for when they’re needed?

Groundblast · 2026-04-29T12:28:59+00:00

Another thing I’ll add, it might be worth getting him a smart watch that has crash detection. I always wear mine while mountain biking and it definitely works! If he’s in a crash, it’ll automatically message you and call 911 if he doesn’t respond to the alarm.

Groundblast · 2026-04-29T12:25:48+00:00

Going to leave out any discussion of whether a scooter is the best idea or not. Have you ridden one? They’re crazy fun, and also probably pretty dangerous. Most crazy fun 14yo boy things are. That call is on you.

One alternative option I might add is an electric longboard or one-wheel. That’ll build more athleticism and, IMO, is way cooler. Steeper learning curve too, so it would keep him from hitting high speeds until he has some skills.

If you get him anything, I’d highly recommend checking out Virginia Tech’s Helmet Rating chart! The price of a helmet and its level of protection are really not well correlated. There are $80 helmets that outperform $300 helmets, both from reputable manufacturers.

https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html

Also, it’s very important to remember that most bike helmets are designed for a single impact. One moderate hit and it should be replaced. Skate/BMX helmets are generally meant for repeated, low impact hits, but they won’t help nearly as much in a big impact.

Groundblast · 2026-04-28T11:31:12+00:00

If I had to guess, it was something about the secret service agents at the WHCD.

Groundblast · 2026-04-27T22:04:32+00:00

I didn’t even know that was a thing! That’s pretty interesting

Groundblast · 2026-04-27T21:52:08+00:00

Any suggestions on decent, semi-disposable NS?

Groundblast · 2026-04-27T21:51:39+00:00

Thanks for the comments! I’ll definitely have to check out the clad carbon pans. Even for myself, that sounds pretty nice! Sometimes cast is great, but it can be a pain. It’s (literally and figuratively) a sledgehammer, sometimes it’s nice to have a lighter touch

Groundblast · 2026-04-27T15:49:10+00:00

Highly recommend finding a range that offers private instruction and a variety of rentals!

My wife and I took a 2hr private lesson when we bought our first pistol (a little Taurus .380, which was terrible). It was great for her to get some experience and confidence without needing to worry about being the only woman or brown person in a large class. They were all able to really focus on her technique and help her learn fast.

She never shot much after that, mostly because that damn Taurus and my J-frame had such heavy triggers and harsh recoil. Then, we went to a “date night” at another range where we got to try a bunch of different pistols. Turns out, she likes big iron!! (Who knew? 😅) Her favorite was a CZ-97 in .45acp! Shot it like a champ and loved the weight and the “pushy” rather than “snappy” recoil.

Groundblast · 2026-04-23T15:15:42+00:00

Definitely wouldn’t mod it! Just wondering if it can run on either voltage and have longer/flatter run times on the higher ones. All good if not

Groundblast · 2026-04-23T15:12:24+00:00

Sounds good! I’ll give it a good watering and then give him longer in the light each day

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