u/Even_Vacation_5941

"Helpful" grandparenting advice:

If the autistic child is having a meltdown, and you’ve tried cuddling her twelve times only for her to push you away every single time, maybe — just maybe — that’s a sign to leave her alone for a minute.

If the child with a significant speech delay is clearly trying to communicate something, could everyone please shut the fuck up for ten seconds? I do not currently care about the emotional trauma of a character from the book you’re reading.

And don’t even get me started on phones. Ever since boomers discovered speaker mode, they seem physically incapable of using a phone any other way.

Can you not see that she has her hands over her ears and is screaming at maximum volume?

And then the explanation is: “Oh, I didn’t realise she could hear it.”

Really?

Or: “What are your plans two months from now?”

Mate, I’m just trying to survive until the end of the week.

And no, now is probably not the ideal moment to brush her hair in the middle of a meltdown. The hair can wait.

The most frustrating part is that she genuinely wants to help.

I’m trying to improve the opening chapter of a military sci-fi story I’m writing, and I’m looking for recommendations.

What are some stories, novels, short stories, manga, films, or even games that you think best portray desperate battles and survival under extreme pressure?

I’m especially interested in stories where:

people are exhausted, wounded, or overwhelmed

victory feels uncertain or painfully costly

survival depends on teamwork, grit, improvisation, or sacrifice

the environment itself feels hostile

characters keep functioning even while terrified

The sort of atmosphere I mean is less “heroic power fantasy” and more “hanging on by your fingernails while everything falls apart.”

The opening chapter of my story involves a brutal boarding action during a sci-fi conflict, with heat, equipment failures, casualties, and a constant sense that the situation could collapse at any moment. I’m trying to study works that really capture that feeling well.

I’d love recommendations and also any thoughts on what makes this kind of story feel believable and emotionally effective.

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G’day all,

I’m 42 and the father of a 5-year-old autistic child. I’m trying to dress better, but I’ve discovered that my daily life still regularly involves running, jumping, climbing, and occasionally pursuing a tiny chaos goblin up a tree at short notice.

Seriously — I probably end up climbing a tree at least once a week.

What I’m trying to figure out is which brands make clothes that are both stylish and practical. I don’t want to dress like I’m about to summit Everest, but I also can’t wear delicate “stand still and look fashionable” clothing.

I’d appreciate any general advice for a man in his forties trying to learn about fashion and style while still remaining functional enough to parent aggressively.

Hi all,

I’m the father of a 5-year-old autistic girl, and I want to help her succeed as much as I can.

I barely knew my own father, and in the three or four times I met him, he was never sober. Because of that, I don’t really have a good example to fall back on when it comes to being a dad.

So I wanted to ask: what are some things your fathers did that genuinely helped you? What are some good examples worth following? What can I do to help my daughter become the best little human she can be?

I’m trying my best, but most of my mentoring experience comes from training paratroopers, and I have a feeling little autistic girls might require a somewhat different approach.