Doing favors for people generally would be met with some sort of reciprocation or thanks, and you would generally expect to be compensated for any of your own resources you might spend helping them. Say, something like paying someone for gas when they've given you a ride or picked you up from the airport. It's not an equal transaction because you're not compensating them for their time or for the service they've provided you, but you're at least saving them from bearing the most direct financia…

Let's face it: a lot of us were miserable about stuff when we were kids and teenagers that we would later go on to regret. Even if you have the most positive home environment, it's a confusing and difficult time in your development. Even still, I know there were times when I caused a stink about something only to go on to have the best day, leaving me with lifelong regret for making it difficult for my parents in the first place. But, when you're a teen , there's a high likelihood that you're g…

Enforcing “no children” policies at weddings can be treacherous territory, on one hand you want to manifest the ideal you've bee

Doing chores and contributing to the household is just a part of being a member of the household, especially as you get older. The harsh reality is that when you're a teenager, soon the gloves are going to come off, and you're going to be faced with the harsh reality that surviving day to day as an adult requires 10x as much effort just to maintain functional normality as you anticipate when you're a kid at home. Plus, your parents are doing these things daily just to keep the family (what ofte…

There's a whole lot going on in this post that's really difficult to un- pack (hah, get it) and that I really just can't quite wrap my head around. So, let's start here: Why on earth does a 13-year-old need FIFTY backpacks? With a single bag alone costing $500. And why in the heck does a 13-year-old have their own influencer account?.. And where in the heck are they storing all of these backpacks? At the risk of sounding very “old man yelling at clouds here,”… what in the heck is going on with…

Everyone likes to think that they're the exception to a rule, usually because they're so certain that they're so much better and smarter than everybody. The reality of the situation couldn't be further from the truth, and the truth is this: If you think you're the exception, the rule exists for you. This couldn't be truer than when it comes to parents who think that their kids should be an exception to “child-free” events, either bringing them anyway without saying anything or making some drama…

Family is difficult, perhaps even one of the most difficult things. Even when the relationships are fairly "traditional" and straightforward, let's be honest: what is straightforward? Is there even really a straightforward when it comes to family? The reality is that there hardly ever is, and the families that try and act like things are straightforward are the most likely to be hiding something. When families are more complex, mixed, or “blended” things get even further from simple. And who is…

Scam calls are nothing new, but in recent years, scammers have been getting more creative with their tactics... and creepier. One scam that's been on the rise involves someone pretending to be a family member in trouble, often a child or grandchild, needing urgent financial help. With AI now able to mimic voices, it's become even more unsettling. But for this childless man, who's been receiving the same scam call twice a year for the past seven years, it's less of a scare and more of a chance t…

Finders keepers! It's a rule that can be the best or the worst, depending on if you're the finder or the person who lost something valuable. Finding a $20 bill on the ground is amazing, because there's no way of proving who really lost it. But being the person who went to do laundry and suddenly realized that $20 bill had flown out of their pocket makes you really dislike the “finders keepers” rule. This 8-year-old found themselves on both sides of the rule, starting with a standoff with their…

Family dynamics are always tough, even in the best of circumstances… Parenting teenagers is difficult enough when they're your own flesh and blood or they're otherwise your sole charge and are obligated to follow your direction. It gets infinitely more difficult when you have another adult who is influential in your life—especially one of their parents who is undermining you and just generally poisoning the well and encouraging them to be toxic towards you at every possible chance. You'd think…

When we're young, we assume that our parents and other adults in authority are infallible, generally taking them at their word and assuming that all adults conduct themselves in mature, non-biased, morally upright, and ethical ways. You come to find, as you age, that even the paragons of your youth are, in fact, fallible, imperfect people. This realization will often first cause you to feel resentment before you eventually come to accept as you age further that they were nothing more than peopl…

Things got weird fast when a man generously allowed his Karen neighbor and her kids to use his pool. At first, it was no big deal—she would ask, and he didn’t mind. But things took a turn when she started showing up unannounced, even using the pool when he wasn’t home. The final straw came when he returned from work one day to find Karen throwing a full-blown pool party with her friends, complete with floaties, snacks, and loud music. He confronted her, explaining that she couldn’t just use his…

This sounds harsh, but it's one of those lessons where the sooner you learn it in life, the better off you'll be. Success takes effort—and sustained effort at that. At a certain point, a certain amount of sustained effort is going to be an essential factor and determinant of whether you have an income that can support your continued existence and survival. That's not to say that it's the only thing that matters, but for most of us, it's an important starting point. Thus, this lesson holds value…

When you've been entrusted with the care of children, it's a little difficult to do your job without telling them what to do. Adult input to keep things moving in the right direction is essential to their safety and happiness, and it's kind of impossible to get anything done without it. With that considered, you'd be foolish, as the parent employing said child-carer, to tell that child-carer that they were unable to give your children instruction and “parent” them. As if—what? You just expect t…

"Children and toddlers run the roads here, and the parents encourage it."

“It was time to hatch our Dad-inspired plan,” this teenager explained as they outlined the hilarious prank they pulled on him. The best pranks are the ones that are harmless and leave the person being pranked feeling good. My personal favorite as of late is this guy who hands men flowers to surprise their dates! A stranger comes up behind the couple sitting together, and surreptitiously places a bouquet in the guy's hand. The surprised fellow then gets to hand the beautiful flowers to his girl,…