u/douggold11

When we had kids we talked a lot about if having kids made you happier, and a common response we got from parents is "the highs are higher and the lows are lower." I'm in the middle of a low low, and I think we should be more open about how hurtful this part of it is. This sums up what I mean:

When my son was 4-ish, it was raining one day (we live where there isn't much rain) so I took him out of school and put him in a raincoat and booties and we spent the day splashing in puddles at the park with hot chocolate after. He giggled and smiled and loved it. The light on his face could have powered the planet. I'd never been more content or happier. I'd discovered the meaning of life.

My son is now 15. Conversations with him are short. When he gets home from school he often doesn't even bother to say hello, he just goes to sit with the TV. Sometimes we do stuff together, but I can't remember the last time he was happy to see me. Maybe I'm soft, but now when I think of those fun days when he was little I'm fighting back tears. This is awful.

I was warned that this is what teenage years are like, that they don't really appreciate you again until after college. But this is more upsetting than I'd expected. This is normal for teenagers I'm sure but what is normal for parents going through it? Am I pathetic? Is anyone else crushed by this part?

My wife and I are in our early 50s, she has her own business (does well) and I'm a writer (lol take a guess). We have two kids who are going to college in 4 and 7 years. I've always done the family finances. 529s, IRAs, budgets, index funds, wills, working with accountants, and so on. Recently I put together a retirement plan showing how we'll deal with paying for college and retirement and so on. My wife says she'd be more comfortable hiring a financial planner who is an expert to make such a plan. I pushed back, because with google and my love of making spreadsheets I feel I've got a solid handle on it. So I suggested to my wife, instead of paying a financial planner what if I used free college courses online, or even paid for in person classes, and trained myself to be a planner. I don't care about getting certified and starting a business (unless it turns out I really love it), I just would rather educate myself than pay someone else.
Is this stupid? Do you read this and say 'heres another ding-a-ling who doesn't realize how hard this is" or not? And if not, do you have any suggestions for me?

I've got a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica and I'm looking for recommendations for a mechanic that specializes in a car's electrical systems. One of my headlights is out, but not just the headlight but also all the little lights around the headlight. So I'd guess I don't need to replace the bulb, or the whole assembly, but perhaps there a power wire has come undone or something. This make you guys think of anyone?

Or are companies building for future growth?

It seems inevitable that we’re about to see oil shortages in the USA. What can a person do now to mitigate the impact on their finances? What products are about to go up in price that we should purchase now?