GTPlanet Dads!

[Punknoodle]

Don't know if I qualify as a young dad - I'm 29 - just thought I'd step up and say hi because I've just found this thread.

My eldest son is 8, his mum and I aren't together any more, I have another son who is 4 (he isn't mine biologically but he lives with my fiancée and I full time, doesn't see his "donor" - her term - and knows me as Daddy) and I now have another beautiful little boy, born on Sunday

In a few years when they are older they will be the perfect pit crew when I go to Time Attack events!

Anyway, I can't really complain at all, I'm extremely happy with my life, everyone is healthy, I have a good job that manages to pay the bills - even if it is only just.

One thing that is proving quite difficult at the moment is the blended family thing. My 8 and 4 year olds just bicker, constantly, and it makes my partner and I really frustrated.

Riley (8) is with us half of the time, and I worry he feels like all of his brothers (his mum has another young child with her fiancée and another one on the way) have their own houses but he has to go between houses.

I really hope he feels wanted at both houses, and in a way blessed that he gets to have two families that love him, but I can't help the overwhelming sense of guilt at times that he doesn't just have one normal house.

I try to give him his own special time with me (obviously he used to have me all to himself!) but it gets difficult when he is going through a real 8 year old attitude problem at the moment. Don't get me wrong, he is a fantastic kid, a great helper, well mannered, but he has taken to talking back and disobeying and being quite rude at times.

I know it's typical, and probably accentuated by his brother Stan (4) being an absolute ball of energy who knows exactly how to annoy him and stir him up, and it just makes for stressful times at home.

Anyway, enough about that for now, I'll go in to it further later maybe, right now I better get to sleep so I can better deal with getting up multiple times in the night to help my fiancée with Bastien (our newie)..

Here's some pics of all of us boys and the baby

 

[photonrider]

@Punknoodle - Gosh, I've seen you many times across the Forums and would have never guessed. Thank you for such a great post - I've been through some of what you are going through, and can identify a lot. I have dozens of pictures of me in that same pose (last pic) leg up, baby in my lap, and a huge grin on my face - there is no feeling like it.

Will add your name to the growing list of used, abused, and confused , sometimes grumpy, and sometimes cheerful, but always tough-gets-it-going Dads.

 

[photonrider]

Typical 'Dad' scenario:



All I needed was is single rock for my scotch, and when I get to the ice tray I am suddenly looking at some radioactive sludge.
Another experiment by some teen mad-scientist. In my sacredly-clean spring-water filled ice tray. In my fridge. In my home. My home is a lab.
The perils of fatherhood.

 

[axletramp]

Try it in your scotch. Might be a moment of pure genius.

Or death.

 

[Ken]

A recent picture of the nerds.

The three older are the step kids. I put that out there because people always ask due my age, (33). Logan (15), Anya (13), Rinoa(11), and the little blonde is mine. Ke'ala (7).

 

[photonrider]

What an Oh!-so-beautiful family, Ken.
And they look very pleased with the photographer - was it you?

I did read your heads-up on how drastically Crohn's can impact a person; I was very sorry to hear about it - and not a lot I could say, except to offer my sympathies (not much help in that.) To have such a wonderful family around you, and one you can surely call your own, must be a great boon, though.
From some experience, too, I can guess that bunch of rioters fills up your life with many good moments.
Shall add your name to the list of soldiers presently . . . thanks for contributing, and glad to know yet another GTPlanet Dad.

 

[Pupik]

I loaned my daughter my camera for a few shots last year, and finally got around to looking at her work...she was quicker on the draw than I was:

I'm loving this headless-reverse-selfie.

 

[Ken]

What an Oh!-so-beautiful family, Ken.
And they look very pleased with the photographer - was it you?

I did read your heads-up on how drastically Crohn's can impact a person; I was very sorry to hear about it - and not a lot I could say, except to offer my sympathies (not much help in that.) To have such a wonderful family around you, and one you can surely call your own, must be a great boon, though.
From some experience, too, I can guess that bunch of rioters fills up your life with many good moments.
Shall add your name to the list of soldiers presently . . . thanks for contributing, and glad to know yet another GTPlanet Dad.

The photographer was the wife. They went out to eat,. I stayed at home because of Crohns. They understand why I don't go out to eat with them, though. But they are a great boon, as you said. When they feel like anyways. Two teenagers, enough said. Lol. It can be a rollercoaster of a ride. All in all, I would trade them in for anything. Loan them for a vacation sure. But trade them i.n, never. Thanks for the compliment and the sympathies. Both are greatly appricated, @photonrider.

@Pupik that's some hellish timing. Good shot. 👍

 

[photonrider]

I loaned my daughter my camera for a few shots last year, and finally got around to looking at her work...she was quicker on the draw than I was:

I'm loving this headless-reverse-selfie.

I went through this thrice - it was hilarious and I have a lot of memories plus the most insane photographs (and video) ever. Every time I went through this with one of my kids, it was the same: First the lecture on how to be careful with the camera, how to use it, etc, etc.
Long speeches on aperture, shutter-speed, et al, are touched upon at length. (Meanwhile it's a point and shoot I'm handing them.)
At the point their eyeballs roll up into their foreheads and they start falling over in this sudden lifelessness that older kids are afflicted with during the course of a long talk, I shove the camera into their hands and leave them alone.
Results? Eye-opening to say the least.
WTH are they looking at all day? They view the world in sharp little bits and pieces, unconnected, sharp, colourful - and somewhere or other in their progress of fastening into blurred images the sharply focused world out there really is, they come to grips with the fact that photography is actually an art, and must be mastered if one is to give vent to the explosive creativity that humans inherit from birth.
Now they're all beyond the point of photography being a novelty, or even a science; the ubiquitous cellphone sure gives them a lot more freedom when it comes to snapping away, and taking photos is just a way of life. It's an everyday thing.

Try it in your scotch. Might be a moment of pure genius.

Or death.

I pondered fishing out a lug of that and trying it first in a separate glass; it looked like the Dew, and I felt like a bit of that on my tongue. In fact it looked differnt from the usual brown slop (with suspicious-looking debris in it) that I'd find in my ice-tray or in some other weirdly shaped container.
But the devillish inventiveness of my kids held me back - could have been worm-juice in there for all I knew. To go with the fried worms. Or as you say - death. Later, the excuse around my coffin would be - why didn't he ask?
Good thing I didn't throw it into my scotch, though, because upon later investigation it turned out that my youngest was experimenting with Powerade electrolytes.
I might have got charged.

 

[Punknoodle]

I uploaded this shot in another thread recently, but I'll post it here too - little Bastien and I doing some serious pondering

And I like this colourful shot of the kids too

 

[Pupik]

Loan them for a vacation, sure.

Weekend stay-cations is about all we get as a couple. Still, I enjoy some of the overall tourture and trouble of air travel. Giving them the experiences isn't easy, but it's worth it.

 

[photonrider]

@Punknoodle - you won't believe how much I laughed at the picture of the 'Twin Thinkers'. That guy is surely a chip off the old block. BTW - Are both of you right-handed or left-handed?

Weekend stay-cations is about all we get as a couple. Still, I enjoy some of the overall torture and trouble of air travel. Giving them the experiences isn't easy, but it's worth it.

As soon as we start having children our personal relationship with our partner gets blown to smithereens.
Organising get-aways is almost like engineering a bank robbery. But, this is important.
A good vacation, or some time off alone with the partner is of inestimable benefit.
The odd part? When you end up alone with the partner again, a thousand miles away from your kids and in some cabana on a beach it feels like you are with some stranger. Feels like the whole courtship is back to square one.
Almost like being with someone new again.

 

[photonrider]

Just yanked myself out of a fast getting-out-of-control bunch of dads and families - we're 'celebrating' at a nearby park - to fly by and wish all the GTPlanet Dads a very Happy Fathers Day!
Hope you are raking in some goodies - or at the very least - a hug from your kids.
Then again - a hug could be a big thing - so lots of hugs, too.


Harry.

 

[Ken]

Happy father's day to all the GTP dad's.

I just got back from a monster truck show. My 8 year old decided to take me out and buy my ticket. (Needless to say I spent more on the kids tickets.) They had a demo derby and stunt motorcyclists in addition.


Then a 🤬 cap to the day. As I am typing this, king42399 comes in and tells me that the 8 year old's bunny died. Great. A happy father's day funeral. 🤬

 

[m8h3r]

I've got a 6 month old daughter. Never seen this thread before though.

 

[photonrider]

Happy father's day to all the GTP dad's.

I just got back from a monster truck show. My 8 year old decided to take me out and buy my ticket. (Needless to say I spent more on the kids tickets.) They had a demo derby and stunt motorcyclists in addition.


Then a 🤬 cap to the day. As I am typing this, king42399 comes in and tells me that the 8 year old's bunny died. Great. A happy father's day funeral. 🤬

Don't you worry; I spanked myself hard for laughing my head off at that.
Yeah, Ken, Happy fathers day funeral, man, go do your duty

I've got a 6 month old daughter. Never seen this thread before though.

Congrats, m8h3r! Walking on a cloud, right? And probably not sleeping at all.

Added your name to the list in the OP. 👍
Yes, this thread surfaces on and off - depending on how busy we fathers are.

 

[Ken]

Don't you worry; I spanked myself hard for laughing my head off at that.
Yeah, Ken, Happy fathers day funeral, man, go do your duty

I think I would've laughed at the situation if it wasn't mine, so don't worry.

To make the whole thing worse, she had lost her turtle at her mother's house just three days before.

EDIT: How come I don't see my name in the op? I mean, hell, I've got 4 kids. Two of whom are members here.

 

[photonrider]

I think I would've laughed at the situation if it wasn't mine, so don't worry.
To make the whole thing worse, she had lost her turtle at her mother's house just three days before.

Since this is a duscussion on all aspects of Fatherhood we did go into the 'hidden' work that Dads have to do - that no one else seems to take responsibility for - and introducing a child to the concept of death seems to be our lot.
I'll never forget the almost uncontrollable sobbing of my daughter when she took her goldfish for a walk on the carpet and it died. Well, of course.
Another sad day was when my son buried his pet hamster while I kept him company, watching - he was stoic, but I could see the dam would burst if I handled it wrong.
That's what makes us tough - and when the going gets tough . . .

EDIT: How come I don't see my name in the op? I mean, hell, I've got 4 kids. Two of whom are members here.

I did go into the OP to do it (even made sure I had the spelling correct) and then forgot. Blame m8h3R - after struggling with his name I went blank. Pleasure and honour to have you in here - and shall be duly added to OP.

 

[m8h3r]

Since this is a duscussion on all aspects of Fatherhood we did go into the 'hidden' work that Dads have to do - that no one else seems to take responsibility for - and introducing a child to the concept of death seems to be our lot.
I'll never forget the almost uncontrollable sobbing of my daughter when she took her goldfish for a walk on the carpet and it died. Well, of course.
Another sad day was when my son buried his pet hamster while I kept him company, watching - he was stoic, but I could see the dam would burst if I handled it wrong.
That's what makes us tough - and when the going gets tough . . .



I did go into the OP to do it (even made sure I had the spelling correct) and then forgot. Blame m8h3R - after struggling with his name I went blank. Pleasure and honour to have you in here - and shall be duly added to OP.

You forgot the name of Cap Slow?

 

[Ken]

Since this is a duscussion on all aspects of Fatherhood we did go into the 'hidden' work that Dads have to do - that no one else seems to take responsibility for - and introducing a child to the concept of death seems to be our lot.
I'll never forget the almost uncontrollable sobbing of my daughter when she took her goldfish for a walk on the carpet and it died. Well, of course.
Another sad day was when my son buried his pet hamster while I kept him company, watching - he was stoic, but I could see the dam would burst if I handled it wrong.
That's what makes us tough - and when the going gets tough . . .

.......the tough buy replacement pets?

In all seriousness, introducing a child to that concept is very tough indeed. Made harder when you're a single parent, like I am now. But, if it's our duty as men and fathers, then I gladly accept it.

 

[photonrider]

m8h3R - Names elude me, faces are something else. Who thinks of names at a time like that?

.......the tough buy replacement pets?

In all seriousness, introducing a child to that concept is very tough indeed. Made harder when you're a single parent, like I am now. But, if it's our duty as men and fathers, then I gladly accept it.

A single dad? Wow. I would have never guessed. Great job, man - single dads are on the increase, but it still is a tremendous responsibility providing both psyches to the kids.
You have my admiration now - 👍

 

[Ken]

A single dad? Wow. I would have never guessed. Great job, man - single dads are on the increase, but it still is a tremendous responsibility providing both psyches to the kids.
You have my admiration now - 👍

A single dad to four, three of whom are adopted. I have a 16,14, 12 and an 8 year old. The youngest is my only biological. It's a tough going, let me tell you. But it's worth it.

 

[photonrider]

There's a story in there.

 

[MTM79]

Walking on a cloud, right? And probably not sleeping at all.

I'm pretty sure I'll never sleep again for over 5 hours at a time.. Cheers to all Dads! Just found my way here. I have two beautiful daughters, a three year old and a 9 months old.

Fatherhood vs. Gaming.. I'm not at all bothered by sounds of GT6 since I've played for about 9 months after midnight and with speakers on mute.

 

[photonrider]

I'm pretty sure I'll never sleep again for over 5 hours at a time.. Cheers to all Dads! Just found my way here. I have two beautiful daughters, a three year old and a 9 months old.

Fatherhood vs. Gaming.. I'm not at all bothered by sounds of GT6 since I've played for about 9 months after midnight and with speakers on mute.

Well, way-belated congrats MTM, and woah, a new ninth-month old to play with and a three year old who probably dotes on her little sister. Nice going. 👍

Well, my youngest is fifteen now - but it seems like only yesterday 5 hours of sleep would've been a luxury.
I don't miss the midnight pharmacy runs, though, or leaping out of bed like a scalded cat in the middle of the night because the baby suddenly decided that wailing was a great way to get some attention.

Name added to OP. Keep us informed of the shenanigans.

 

[photonrider]

HAPPY NEW YEAR, GTPLANET DADS!!​

TB
Neal
Solid Lifters
spunwicked
GilesGuthrie
Pupik
axletramp
Pako
TJisA1337NOOB
Syntax error
Gravitron
Punknoodle
Ken Koios
m8hrR
MTM79


Hope you had a good year, and here's to the next one - kids all become a year older, changes, changes, scary stuff, frustrating stuff, moments of breathless unfathomable joy, life goes on.
Wallet gets depleted.
But finally my youngest is actually showing some maturity (hitting sixteen soon) and it's a blast when I can go one on one with him in a more adult fashion.
Quite fascinating when he gets serious and discusses stuff from global economics to origami.

Meanwhile my eldest, last year in Uni, has his own apartment, a girlfiend, and a cat. Good start I think.

First inclinations that this year is going to free me up a lot more from actually having to watch over my kids.
Time for me to act the kid now.

 

[Pupik]

Awkwardly hilarious moment during the holidays; family visits and we go to the Olive Garden, because it's one of the few places there everyone can find something they like. It's also good to get the kids away from places which only serve food in wax wrapping paper or cardboard boxes. Then again, counter service and the molded plastic benches provide safety nets...

Waitress comes, and our daughter is confident enough to order her own food. She says: "I'll have the ravioli with marijuana sauce".

I'm not so sure the elementary school's anti-drug campaigns are working.

 

[photonrider]

Olive Garden marinara sauce - made with a fresher basil.

Those are the sort of moments that are 'lifetime' moments - they come and go in a flash, almost impossible to capture candidly for posterity. But the memories, when recalled, always bring a smile to our creasey faces. Priceless.

Now that I'm at the stage where most of the common chores of babysitting and rearing that go with younger children are melting away, I cannot believe how many odd moments of free time come my way.
As well - the major stresses of childhood illnesses, falls, wanton destruction of VCR machines and accidental ingestion of hard objects that are not digestible are now history - so I actually found myself with an odd moment over the weekend that had me taking some fresh canvas out, sniffing paint and twirling brushes.

Seems like all those young man dreams - famous painter mentioned in Tatler, sexy author featured in Playgirl, world-famous musician on the cover of Rolling stone - which I put aside a quarter century ago to raise a family, have come back to haunt me.

I could settle for a nice verandah, though.

 

[Gravitron]

Waitress comes, and our daughter is confident enough to order her own food. She says: "I'll have the ravioli with marijuana sauce"

We passed a billboard today nearing Missoula, MT on I90, for an Italian restaurant. Had a nice picture of a dish with the the words "Legalize Marinara". My lil bro and I had a laugh.

Will write more about the Dad side of things when I get out of this black hole where I begrudgingly spent my teen years, but I'm having the exponentially increasing free time where the kids run off on their own, similar to Harry.

 

[photonrider]

We passed a billboard today nearing Missoula, MT on I90, for an Italian restaurant. Had a nice picture of a dish with the the words "Legalize Marinara". My lil bro and I had a laugh.

Great copywriting. I'm amazed at the stuff contemporary copywriters come up with. I would eat there just to legally rebel.

Will write more about the Dad side of things when I get out of this black hole where I begrudgingly spent my teen years, but I'm having the exponentially increasing free time where the kids run off on their own, similar to Harry.

Good to hear, Lucas! 👍
Guess that is one of the up-sides of starting out young; if one does the job right suddenly the mission is over and you got several decades of 'yourself' to get to know and enjoy and with some energy actually left in you.
Getting the job done right is the thing.
There is a lot about fatherhood that remains a secret until we actually experience it - both highs and lows.
Maybe it's just my luck - but I've never met a father whose eyes didn't glaze over in happiness occasionally when talking about his children.

The empty-nesters amongst us, and the soon-to-be empty nesters, though, are on a new venture. We are getting our lives back - but these lives are now filled with wonderful new personalities we gave to the world in the shape of our children - and these individuals, our children, regard us in a special way that comes from them experiencing us as fathers throughout their lives.

I know some members who are not fathers also jumped in here - to talk about missing fathers, or fathers who didn't measure up. Yes, this happens, too. This is why good fathers and children who benefit from that strength are grateful for their lot. And why those who have had bad experiences of fatherhood should then take up the challenge of being good fathers themselves - for in that I believe may be some healing.