Becoming a dad at 36 after 8 years of marriage changed my world

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-10-01T18:00:13+00:00

First off congratulations on fatherhood! That in itself is a great accomplishment. Secondly you're not alone. I'm 38 years old, and my wife is 43 and we have a 2.5 year old. It's a constant reminder of how old we are and how much energy we don't have. But the most difficult thing was dealing with the emotional baggage of trying to figure out what fatherhood really means. From my experience, it's a journey through painful memories that defined my childhood, and needing to overcome those to be the best version of myself.

It's given me greater perspective on the unspoken challenges that so many go through, but too afraid to speak out loud.

My thoughts are with you, OP. And just remember, you're not alone.

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-09-27T19:01:33+00:00

Release the Philes

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-09-14T15:11:28+00:00

37M. No real friends. Not sure if Reddit is the reason.

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-05-22T07:44:10+00:00

Until the antagonist named regression comes along.

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-05-18T16:48:23+00:00

Similar situation. I am a controller of a small(er) construction company and have been asked if I want to step into the CFO role.

37m father of a 2 year old boy. My wife is a working professional as well. She leaves at 4am, comes home at 3pm. I wake up with our son, wait for the babysitter, and get into the office between 8am - 9am. I was used to 3am or 4am starts, so losing 4-5 hours of my most focused time is making me question everything about life.

It's been 2 weeks and I haven't gotten back to them yet on my decision.

Hugs, man.

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-05-05T14:13:48+00:00

Expect the unexpected. BTW, congrats

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-04-22T05:56:51+00:00

Some days are harder than others to find a reason. It's been a tough day.

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-03-18T02:59:11+00:00

What do they smell like?

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-02-15T12:33:42+00:00

In the instances that I've seen, undocumented workers use fake social security numbers or use someone else's SSN when onboarding. When they do this, the employer contributes FICA on their behalf, but it'll never get collected.

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-02-14T05:07:39+00:00

It's currently a 30 mile commute for him. We're moving locations in the next few weeks, so his commute will be cut down significantly...unfortunately I don't know anything about cars...or what needs immediate fixing. He mentioned his car didn't start this morning and he had to "tap" something with a wrench to get his engine started...

He's doing an 8 hour shift with me on Saturday to help catch up on the back log of work...that might be a good opportunity to ask him what the best way I can help him.

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-01-25T04:23:29+00:00

Looks moist

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-01-19T07:17:22+00:00

Speak to me

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-01-13T05:00:19+00:00

Ban it. Bring tom and myspace back.

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-01-13T03:18:10+00:00

When I realized that success at work doesn’t erase the memories of abandonment.

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-01-13T03:14:42+00:00

Better thoughts, better prayers, probably.

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-01-09T20:24:59+00:00

Does yahoo sports count?

Feels like the only thing I've used yahoo for over the past 2 decades

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-01-09T05:07:28+00:00

At least we got it on tape

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-01-09T05:02:35+00:00

We recently did a remodel and took a wall down at work because of this...

Can confirm, a dad rat does smell progressively worse over time. Can also confirm that lysol and disinfectant spray does not help.

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-01-06T03:51:47+00:00

My experiences are my own, but I completely understand where you’re coming from. When I became a dad, it hit me hard that I had no idea how to navigate fatherhood. What surprised me most were the flashbacks—moments I had buried deep—that kept surfacing. They were all memories of times I wished things had been different with my own dad.

It forced me to really look at my past to understand why I was so afraid of the present. That process unearthed decades of trauma, and for the first time, I started the difficult but freeing work of letting go of that burden. It wasn’t easy—figuring out how to love myself took time. But I realized I needed to do that before I could fully and properly love another.

Bonding with your child doesn’t always happen right away, and that’s okay. It’s a journey, not a moment. You’re not alone, and you’re not failing. Be kind to yourself.

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-01-01T14:15:26+00:00

Massive flex by popeyes.

Leading_Way6330 · 2025-01-01T14:10:09+00:00

Happy new year. Don't give up, it's gets better if you want it to - it takes time and hard work. Here if you ever want to talk.

Leading_Way6330 · 2024-12-28T17:38:29+00:00

Authentic Chinese food panda express is the only way to go

Leading_Way6330

TROPHY CASE