c/dad-jokes-deep-talks

My neighbor's 8-year-old roasted my joke and I'm grateful

I told my go-to pun about stairs at the block party and her kid just stared at me, then said 'that joke is older than my dad's van.' She was right. How do you handle it when a kid points out your humor is stuck in 2009?

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anthonyhunt•6d ago

I finally got my 6 year old to laugh at the same joke twice

He's been my toughest crowd for years, but last night the 'why did the tomato blush' punchline landed a second time after I added a silly voice, has anyone else found a trick that turns a one-time laugh into a repeat?

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the_susan•9d ago

Sat in my son's classroom for story time and got schooled on asking questions

Last Tuesday my kid begged me to come read for his class. I brought a picture book, simple stuff. But the teacher, Ms. Rivera, she stopped me halfway and asked the kids "what do you think happens next?" instead of just reading on. That got me thinking. I always give advice to my buddies, fix their problems before they even finish talking. But she let them sit with the question. So now I try that with my wife and coworkers. Just ask, then shut up. Harder than it sounds. Anyone else try this "ask don't tell" thing and get weird looks at home?

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fiona330•9d ago

The 6th grader who asked me why I still chop wood

Last fall at my cousin's place outside Boise, her kid watched me split logs for an hour and finally asked, why don't you just buy a gas splitter? I told him it's about the sound of the crack and the quiet, and he just nodded like he got it. What moment made you realize a simple habit meant more than the shortcut?

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uma_baker88•11d ago

The 5-minute kitchen timer trick that fixed my bedtime chaos

My kids were fighting bedtime every night for like a week straight, dragging it out with 'one more drink' and 'I forgot to tell you something.' I tried the usual stuff, counting down, threats, all of it. Then I set a cheap kitchen timer for 5 minutes and told them when it dings, we do our secret handshake and I leave the room. It worked way better than I expected, the sound made it feel like a game instead of a power struggle. Anyone else found a dumb little object that just clicks with their kids where words never did?

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lily230•11d ago

The cheese grater confession, 14 years of shredded knuckles in Cleveland

Last Tuesday I read the box side of a new grater at my sister's house and saw a tiny line about using the flat side on a cutting board. I've been holding it at an angle over the bowl my whole adult life, which is why my fingers looked like a crime scene every time I made tacos. My sister watched me do it and just said "why are you attacking the cheese like that?" That one question made me realize I never once checked if I was using a basic tool right. Anyone else have a kitchen habit they only fixed after someone watched them do it weird?

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sullivan.abby•13d ago

My dad's 'fix it with a hammer' advice lasted 20 minutes before I called a pro

Last month my basement sump pump started screaming at 3am, and after an hour of whacking it like my old man suggested, I realized I'm 34 and should just pay the $250 plumber fee, has anyone else hit that point where you finally stop trying to be your dad?

c/dad-jokes-deep-talks

My neighbor's 8-year-old roasted my joke and I'm grateful

I finally got my 6 year old to laugh at the same joke twice

Sat in my son's classroom for story time and got schooled on asking questions

The 6th grader who asked me why I still chop wood

The 5-minute kitchen timer trick that fixed my bedtime chaos

The cheese grater confession, 14 years of shredded knuckles in Cleveland

My dad's 'fix it with a hammer' advice lasted 20 minutes before I called a pro

The library receipt that made me question my whole reading habit

Walked into a diner in Akron and every single booth had someone on their phone, not talking

The grocery store cashier who remembered my dad's coffee order

Comparing my grandpa's handshake advice to a firm handshake in a job interview

Doubted the buddy's golf tip for 2 years, finally tried it last Sunday

Yoga was total nonsense to me until a knee injury at 34 changed my mind

My 9-year-old daughter called out my stress habit last Thursday

Fixing a leaky faucet took me 4 trips to the hardware store

Seven bucks for mystery meat at 2AM, or drive 40 minutes to the only open diner

The $9 meditation app I laughed at, now I use it every morning

My so-called emergency kit failed during a real kitchen fire in Tulsa

My uncle's advice about apologizing to kids was dead wrong until it was right

Hot take: family game night got better when I stopped trying to make everyone happy

Something off at the Grand Canyon visitor center last Tuesday

Rant: I chose the 3am flight over the cheap hotel, and it cost me a day

That mechanic in Tulsa told me to ignore the dash light, big mistake

Caught my kid repeating something I said and it stung

Had to choose between a stable desk job or chasing carpentry work. Picked the wood.