[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

I'm a dad to a 3 year old and an infant, and I'm also an X-ennial.

My kids dominate my life right now. I'm essentially putting a lot of personal projects on hold - or at least at a steady boil - so I can have enough energy after 5pm to look after my kids.

For example, my job is starting to grow a bit stale (all jobs do, because the priorities shift in an organization, and what you were hired to do can often get relegated to the backburner), but it does pay well and has decent benefits. In before-kid times, I would have found a new job months ago, but I don't have the time or energy to go out and network, nor could I promise a prospective employer that I could put in the effort to really do a good job. With daycare schedules and a toddler that drags her feet, I can't really put in much more than a 9-5, and often it's more like 9:45 - 4:30. Also, once you become a father, job interest and satisfaction has to take somewhat of a backseat to job security, pay and benefits, so I'm sticking around even if, deep down, I find it unsatisfying.

The other thing that's been sacrificed is hobbies or interests that require deep, intensive periods of concentration. You have little bits of space - ten minutes here, fifteen minutes there, maybe an hour at the end of the night when you're exhausted - to do stuff, but that's not enough time to do stuff I really want, so I just end up scrolling around on my phone, and coming to places like here.

This could be a description of me. I'm also an X-ennial (right on the cusp between the two where I don't quite fit with Millennials or Gen Xers) I'll be 40 this year (Fuck that's scary to admit!). I have a 3 year old and a 4 mth old. The work schedule sounds similar, though mine is even more limited due to other needs / circumstances. It's a good thing I work for family (even though the strain is at a breaking point right now) as I couldn't do a regular job. There is literally not enough time in the day to get everything done. I'm up until midnight many nights catching up on housework. My son has a speech delay and has required extra help and attention. My wife has had multiple medical issues with pregnancy and post partum. Life right now feels like a combo of a meat grinder / marathon sprinkled with small moments of joy with the kids. Marital life is non existent. It's kids 24/7. Spent the entire Halloween weekend building a toddler bed as the baby and 3 year alternated screaming and my wife needed help with other things. I literally don't have enough hands or time to deal with all the fires that are simultaneously burning at any given point.