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To My Wife of 16 Years, Here’s the Secret I Wish I Knew Before Our Divorce Papers…

"After losing a woman that I loved, and a marriage of almost 16 years, here’s the advice I wish I would have had…"

Daughter Texts Mom “I’ll Be Home Soon” from Burger King Bathroom—20 Minutes Later, Her Worst Nightmare Comes True

"She's my only daughter, my best friend. She was supposed to start her new job today, now she's on life support.”

To the Stranger Who Gave My 3-Year-Old a Bracelet in the McDonald’s Bathroom

"You heard me tell her we had a long drive home and she needed to use the potty. You heard her tell me she was scared the toilet would flush while she was sitting on it."

10 Before & After Images That Capture the Struggles of Parenting in the Summer

We’re nearing the end of summer break and that means the shine of summer fun is starting to wear off, just a little, for parents everywhere.

For many moms and dads, summer starts off with all the expectations of a lavished three-month vacation with your kids, but at the end it feels more like an episode of Survivor.

So here’s my ode to summer–the before and after.

1. The chore chart you put together at the beginning of summer.

chore

Your chore chart at the end of summer.

get-along

 

2. Spending quality time with the kids at the beginning of summer.

fam-fun

Quality time at the end of summer.

fail

 

3. Waking up at the beginning of summer.

morning1

Waking up at the end of summer.

morn2

 

4. Planned activities with the kids at the beginning of summer.

fam-activities

Family activities at the end of summer.

ipad

 

5. Intellectual stimulation at the beginning of summer.

reading

Intellectual stimulation at the end of summer.

reading2

 

6. Going to the pool at the beginning of summer.

pool2

Going to the pool at the end of summer.

slide

 

7. When the kids are hungry at the beginning of summer.

snack2

When the kids are hungry at the end of summer.

run3

 

8. Spending money at the beginning of summer.

money

Spending money at the end of summer. Where’d it go?

broke

 

9. Your attitude at the beginning of summer.

risky

Your attitude at the end of summer.

mad

 

10. How you think summer will actually go.

think-fam

How summer actually goes.

fall

But, hey, that’s OK, because we’re all in this together, right?

To My Wife of 16 Years, Here’s the Secret I Wish I Knew Before Our Divorce Papers…

"After losing a woman that I loved, and a marriage of almost 16 years, here’s the advice I wish I would have had…"

Daughter Texts Mom “I’ll Be Home Soon” from Burger King Bathroom—20 Minutes Later, Her Worst Nightmare Comes True

"She's my only daughter, my best friend. She was supposed to start her new job today, now she's on life support.”

To the Stranger Who Gave My 3-Year-Old a Bracelet in the McDonald’s Bathroom

"You heard me tell her we had a long drive home and she needed to use the potty. You heard her tell me she was scared the toilet would flush while she was sitting on it."