I was my son's primary caregiver for several months while my wife recovered from surgery (for 1 month she was unable to provide any care, even 'babysitting'). H

I was my son's primary caregiver for several months while my wife recovered from surgery (for 1 month she was unable to provide any care, even 'babysitting'). He was around 9-12 months. It was far more exhausting than anything else I've ever done. I went to the grocery store while he slept, laundry in the mornings. I wrote code at night or nap time, or sometimes during the day when he was content to play with toys. You very quickly learn to drop the stuff that doesn't matter; I'm a more productive developer today because of it. I was forced to develop a critical eye and abandon designs that didn't work immediately. I also lost my taste for TV shows, movies, and most podcasts; now I'd rather build something than consume content. Good for Julia; I have a lot of sympathy. Frankly I have a lot of sympathy for single parents as well... I used to have harsh uninformed opinions on the subject (that I see often repeated around HN and tech in general, especially by privileged young guys like myself). Then I had to live it for reasons entirely outside my control.