Fatherhood Factor

For all the "dealings" of dads...

Emily Joswiak

Car Features That Are Environmentally Friendly

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Cars and other vehicles are known for being harsh on the environment, but that’s slowly improving. Through the years, vehicles have developed and improved in a multitude of ways, which include becoming environmentally friendlier. If you’re curious about these advancements, read below for information that covers the different car features that are environmentally friendly. Do your part in helping the environment!

Emissions Sensors

Vehicles today include a variety of emissions sensors and controls. Manufacturers began designing these after the Environmental Protection Agency mandated that vehicles must limit their emissions to do their part in keeping our air clean and safe. These sensors and controls track emissions and allow your vehicle to be eco-friendlier.

Turbocharger Advancements

You wouldn’t think the element of the vehicle that produces speed would help the environment—and it didn’t at first. Today, however, turbochargers do have environmental benefits. They create an extra boost for vehicles, but they also control the harmful toxins that go into the air. Another plus is that they help with gas mileage as well.

Lighter Vehicles

Different vehicle manufacturers are doing their best to make their cars as light as possible. They do this by using lightweight metals. Why does this make a difference, though? When a vehicle weighs less, it’s more aerodynamic. The more aerodynamic a vehicle is, the better overall gas mileage it will receive—ultimately helping the environment. And let’s be real—who doesn’t want better gas mileage?

Cars are inevitable parts of society, so the least we can do is make sure they’re safe for the environment. These car features that are environmentally friendly really make all the difference. The best part is that the three we discussed above aren’t the only environmentally friendly elements in cars today. Make sure you’re doing your part to better the environment by simply driving a car that has these elements.

Simple Things Men Can Do To Look More Put Together

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When life becomes hectic, it’s easy to let some things fall by the wayside. A common casualty of life’s interventions is taking care of the way we look. Not looking like a slob is important for a lot of reasons, both internally and externally. To help you out, we’ve found a few simple things men can do to look more put together so that you can feel more put together as well.

Choose Proper Clothing

Not every guy is into shopping, especially for themselves. You should know, however, that your clothes play a big part in how you’re perceived. It doesn’t matter what size you are; every man benefits from wearing clothes that actually fit him. Consider these tips:

  • Don’t wear any overly-baggy shirts as this just adds more visible weight to you and can appear very sloppy.
  • Keep your jeans fitted to your legs. They don’t have to be skinny jeans, but they shouldn’t sag either.
  • Only wear workout clothes when you’re actually working out or lounging around.
  • Suits are an important part of a man’s wardrobe, so make sure the ones you have are tailored to your specific body type.

Keep Yourself Groomed

Clothes only go so far, after all. This applies to any visible hair on your body as well as your overall hygiene. Consider the following tips:

  • Keep your beard trimmed and clean. If a beard isn’t in the cards for you, stay clean shaven.
  • The hair on your head should be well managed. Don’t let your short hair get too long. If you have long hair, tie it up and don’t let it get out of control.
  • Stay away from strong smelling spray deodorant and cologne. Scents should be subtle and only for those that get very close to you.
  • Groom your body hair, including hair on your neck, back, chest, eyebrows, and in your nose.

Work on Your Posture

One of the simplest things men can do to look more put together is to straighten their posture. The way you carry yourself has a profound impact on the way others see you. Having a straight back with your shoulders down and head held high exudes a sense of confidence that others will be able to notice.

Take Care of Your Body

Even if you’ve heard it a million times before, nothing helps a man look and feel more confident than taking care of his body. Regular exercise is crucial not just to the physical health of your body, but it also affects your mental state as well. Exercise doesn’t have to be overwhelming or a nightmare to deal with. Start small and slow and work your way up to harder exercises when you feel ready.

Holiday Activities To Do as a Family This Year

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This holiday season will undoubtedly look different from others in the past. Yet, that doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun with little ones. You just need to get creative! Here is a list of holiday activities to do as a family this year if you’re struggling with how to make this season special.

Volunteer Together

People should volunteer year-round. Still, it’s especially important during the holiday season because everyone deserves to be happy this time of year. Talk to your kids about the ways they can give back to their communities. Perhaps you can visit a homeless shelter to serve meals to those who are less fortunate. Or your children may know a classmate who’s struggling this year because of the current economic climate. Consider donating some clothing or food to their family so that their season is just as enjoyable.

Bake Holiday Treats

Unfortunately, almost everyone will be staying inside this holiday season. Luckily, this is the perfect opportunity to put your baking skills to use. Why not go through the old recipe book and make a delicious treat with the kiddos? Not only will the results be scrumptious, but you will all have a blast doing stuff together in the kitchen. You can save some treats for yourself, but it may also be nice to donate some seasonal snacks to people working on the front lines.

Get Outside

Everyone’s tired of being stuck indoors this year. The weather may be chilly, but you can still take your children outside for a little holiday excursion in the yard. Here are some unique ideas you can try if you if you’re tired of being in the house:

  • Play in the snow! Think about building some snowmen like you did when you were little. You can even hold a contest to see who makes the best one.
  • Have a snowball fight! Be sure to bundle up the little ones so that no one gets too chilly.
  • If you have a large enough yard, why not make it into an ice rink? Of course, you want to make sure everything is safe. Still, how awesome would it be to see your kids learn to skate in your own yard?

These are the perfect holiday activities to do as a family this year. It’s even more important to spread the holiday spirit with all the craziness going on, so parents, it’s your responsibility to ensure this happens. Everyone can still have fun if they use their imaginations and believe in a little magic.

How To Guide Your Child Through a Divorce

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Divorce, as necessary as it may be, is difficult for both parties. When children are involved, however, they can struggle with the new reality even more than their parents do. The departure of a parent from the household represents a significant change to their everyday life, especially if that parent had been the primary caregiver. With that in mind, you and your partner both have a responsibility to help your child understand the situation and grow through it. Here are some suggestions for how to guide your child through a divorce.

Be Straightforward

Though you don’t need to allow for full transparency at all times, there will come a point where you will have to explain divorce to your child in plain terms. Explain that one parent will be leaving, and that while the living situation may change, both parents will still love their child with all their hearts. Clearly explain any joint custody agreement and make sure they understand they will still see both of their parents.

Establish Routines

Not having both parents in the home anymore is an extremely significant change to a child’s routine. To compensate for this, work hard to establish routines that will introduce more normality into the child’s life. Try to maintain existing schedules or introduce new, regularly scheduled activities that will bring more structure into the child’s life, such as sports or other extracurricular activities. Try to get both parents involved in supporting your child’s activities.

Manage the Change of Surroundings

One of the most jarring changes for a child is not only the absence of a parent, but the change to their surroundings as one parent takes his or her personal belongings from the home. This can mean electronics, artwork, furniture, kitchenware, and other personal effects that come to define what “home” is for the child. As impossible as some of these items may be to replace, don’t let the emptiness they left behind come to define the household. Redecorate rooms or replace items, with your child’s help, to fill the empty space.

Follow Up

Even after the divorce takes place, check in with your child to make sure he or she is handling the developments well. Encourage them to share their feelings and concerns, but make sure they understand they are not at fault. As time goes on, their feelings may shift from guilt to blame to resentment. Allow your child to work through these feelings. Learning how to guide your child through a divorce is not a one-time crash course, but an ongoing journey—for more insights and support as the journey continues, don’t be afraid to reach out to others yourself.

Common Mistakes to Avoid with a Diesel Engine

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Diesel engines are impressively sturdy, but that doesn’t mean they’re invincible. Without the proper care, the components of your diesel engine can wear down, break, and even fail.

Reading about these common mistakes to avoid with a diesel engine can help you lengthen your engine’s lifespan and make sure everything is in proper, working order.

Neglecting To Warm Them Up

It’s best to warm up your vehicle before you use it.

By heating up your engine, you’re helping its components function in tip-top shape. If you drive your engine before it’s warm, warping and other damage can occur over time.

As a good rule of thumb, three to five minutes of warning time is ideal. Anything more than that, and you’re needlessly wasting fuel!

Foregoing Routine Maintenance

Performing routine maintenance checks on your vehicle is essential. The engine needs to be cleaned of debris such as dirt, bugs, and stray autumn leaves, and have its parts inspected for minor damage.

By regularly maintaining your vehicle, you reduce the likelihood of problems going unchecked. Prevention is best, they say. The earlier you notice and address minor issues, the less damage they’ll cause.

You can take your vehicle to a certified diesel mechanic or deal with smaller maintenance issues yourself. If you need help, this handy guide can help you get started.

Forgetting to Replace the Fluids

Fluids are essential to keeping your engine lubricated, which protects them from premature wear.

You should replace your fluids—including the oil, transmission fluid, coolant, and power steering fluid—on a regular basis.

The oil should be changed every 3,000 miles if you’re using standard oil, and every 5,000 to 6,000 if you’re using synthetic.

Other fluids, such as coolant and transmission fluids, should be flushed and swapped out every 60,000 or so miles.

Towing Too Much

Another common mistake to avoid with a diesel engine is towing more than your engine can handle.

Strong, reliable diesel engines are built for towing, but remember—they have a limit.

If you haul above the recommended towing rating, you’re putting your engine under extreme strain. This can impact your stopping power, which means you’ll have a difficult time safely maneuvering the roads.

To avoid wearing out your engine, stay below the maximum weight your vehicle can tow.

Not Changing the Filters

Your engine has two main filters: the air filter and the fuel filter.

For your engine to perform well, it’s recommended you replace your fuel filters— both the primary and secondary—every 10,000 miles.

You should inspect your air filters around every 12,000 miles. Make sure there isn’t any debris, dirt, and moisture trapped in the system. If the filters are dirty, you should replace them, but if they look clean, you might be able to stretch their use a little longer.

Best Way To Grow Your Child’s Imagination

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Imagination is a crucial part of child growth. It’s important that, as a parent, you encourage and nurture imagination so your child will develop skills in ingenuity, creativity, and critical thinking skills. Furthermore, imagination is what captures a child’s attention and leads to their interests and hobbies. Here’s the best way to grow your child’s imagination as a father.

Creativity

It can be easy to forget what a mystery the world is to kids, and how the unknown can not only be scary, but fun. As kids encounter new things, their world view shifts, their imagination fills in the blanks of their understanding and motivates them to learn more. This is the reason kids seem to universally obsess over dinosaurs. They’re the closest we have to real-life mythical creatures, thanks to depictions of wild color schemes and alien-looking features uncommon in today’s wildlife. Better yet, not even adults have all the answers about dinosaurs. They’re mysterious creatures, we want to know more, and to a kid still grasping the world, they really want to know more. That said, making toys and art of dinosaurs a great way to fuel their desire to learn.

Critical Thinking

Another great way to encourage your child to learn is by allowing them to manipulate the world around them. Games and toys that allow kids to build and destroy make them use their imagination to create solutions to problems–how do I keep my blocks from falling over? What happens if I move this block? Trial and error is the best way to grow your child’s imagination because they will have to keep trying new things to figure out how the world works.

Hobbies

The best thing you can do as a father is to participate in your child’s interests and hobbies. Approval from their parents will always be encouraging because, to your child, you are infallible. If your child has taken an interest in dinosaurs, entertain conversations with them and ask them open-ended questions about dinosaurs that provoke them to think and draw their own hypothesis. Validation will always be important for nurturing your child’s imagination by giving them reassurance and confidence in their interests.