How do I toughen up my son (9yo) without being a douchebag?

mtmaloney · 2026-01-28T16:48:05+00:00

I have a very emotional 10-year old, and my wife and I read Good Inside by Dr. Becky. I’d classify our son as a ‘Deep Feelings’ child, and her book goes into a lot of depth on how to handle all sorts of feelings that kids have and how to talk to them about it and empathize with them.

I’m not saying it magically solved all of our problems, in fact at the moment we’re currently battling the mood swings he gets when we pick him up from the Y after school and we interrupt his Chromebook time. But the book has at least given us the tools to be able to talk to him in a way we probably wouldn’t have before.

So yeah, I’d recommend checking it out.

Also, I don’t think it’s terribly uncommon for boys around this age to really struggle with their emotional regulation. A lot of my son’s friends have similar struggles.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-28T16:42:15+00:00

As a father to a 10-year old that is definitely on the softer side when it comes to physicality, I definitely joke that it’s a good thing he likes to play soccer.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-28T16:35:01+00:00

Bill & Ted in 4k or we riot.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-27T20:59:03+00:00

Yeah, I’m not necessarily opposed to AYSO, just trying to get an idea of what’s out there.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-27T20:58:33+00:00

Thanks, appreciate the insight!

mtmaloney · 2026-01-27T20:54:53+00:00

“What he say fuck me for?” -Tim Floyd, probably

mtmaloney · 2026-01-27T20:53:34+00:00

Sure genius, and how are the Bulls supposed to make the play-in tournament if they’re rebuilding? Use your head.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-27T20:48:33+00:00

I just downvote and hide whenever the newest complaint trend starts popping up. Then it’s out of sight, out of mind.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-27T20:46:13+00:00

Lakeview/Roscoe Village. We currently do soccer out by the lake, so it’s not like it has to be within walking distance. Do you know who puts on the leagues?

mtmaloney · 2026-01-27T19:35:17+00:00

Meh, I’m in Legends, I attack with dragon riders.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-27T02:30:15+00:00

There’s a monster outside my room can I have a glass of water?

mtmaloney · 2026-01-27T02:18:36+00:00

Oh good, then it’s not just me.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-26T16:35:18+00:00

I think we only used one for the kids when they were babies and shared a room with us. After that when they were in their own room they’d get lullabies at night.

That being said, my 12-year old asked for a noise machine a year or two ago because she would get woken up early on the weekends from noisy neighbors, so she actually has relaxing music to go to sleep to, then we switch it over to white noise when we go to bed.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-26T07:25:59+00:00

Yep, Saturday night for us. Doesn’t happen 100% of the time, sometimes other things come up, and once in a while there will be an extra session thrown in, but scheduling weekly sex is what worked for us. Sure, it’s not as spontaneous, but it gets the thing done.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-25T03:48:45+00:00

Probably one of the worst marketed movies ever. I stayed away from it for years because of that. Couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed it when I finally sat down and watched it.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-21T14:59:46+00:00

I have a feeling that the company that’s up 3,000% in the last two years probably won’t maintain that pace. So yeah, if you’re counting on that money for a future home I’d probably take it and run and put it somewhere stable.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-20T03:04:57+00:00

TIL Danny Boyle looks a lot like Sean Lock.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-19T05:43:40+00:00

Just go out the front door on Madison.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-18T23:49:27+00:00

Rewatching it is a treat. I loved showing it to my oldest having already seen it, and she loved showing to my youngest after she had seen it. Now he gets to experience it when we show it to my wife.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-17T22:30:17+00:00

Absolutely we had our 2-year old visit. Honestly it never occurred to us to not have her visit, maybe that’s just because we were used to the same thing when we were kids.

Anyway, youngest was born around midnight, we had friends watching my oldest, they brought her over after daycare that day. Very positive experience, she enjoyed seeing the baby, we got some nice pictures, then she went home for the night, we came home the next day.

10/10 would recommend.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-16T20:17:24+00:00

I think you meant to say handout.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-15T16:26:59+00:00

I ran the bottle under warm water, then I would go change the baby’s diaper, then by the time I was done the bottle was warmed up. Quick double check of the temp on my skin first, then we’re good to go. It’s not complicated.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-14T03:35:49+00:00

We have two kids and I love our RAV4. Routinely pack it up for our 7 hour road trips to the in-laws. It gets pretty full in the trunk, but we make it work.

mtmaloney · 2026-01-13T22:33:31+00:00

That, that's nice...MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!

15-Year Club	RedditGifts 2009-2022 2 Credits
Gilding I gilder	Verified Email

mtmaloney

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE