Fatherhood Factor

For all the "dealings" of dads...

Emily Joswiak

Hobbies That You Can Do With Your Kids

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If you’re looking for a way to spend quality time with your kids, picking up a hobby that you can all enjoy together is an effective strategy. You don’t need to settle on just one from the outset, either. Try out different activities to find ones that are both constructive and engaging. Along the way, you can introduce your kids to pastimes that they will continue to develop as they get older. These are some pleasant hobbies that you can do with your kids today.

Drawing

Drawing can get your kids’ imaginations running and help their hand-eye coordination, especially if they are younger. There are practically no limits to what a person can depict through pictures, so you can let your kids go free and draw whatever they want. They might create images of their favorite cartoon characters or make up completely new ones. You can also pick a theme and then compare your drawings once you’re all done for an amusing time. Should you find that your kids are deeply interested in this activity, you may also upgrade the types of pencils and other materials you use.

Cooking and Baking

Cooking and baking are universally practical hobbies that you can do with your kids. You can teach them how to make the dishes you’re already familiar with or have them help out with specific steps in the process. Older children might help you with your backyard grilling and learn your expert techniques, for instance. Trying out new recipes together that you find online can also be a lot of fun. Of course, when the holidays roll around each year, you’ll have opportunities to bond while making and decorating festive sweets as a family. Cooking and baking are such great activities to share with your kids because they’ll be better equipped to make their own meals as adults.

Making Electronics

For families that have a shared interest in mechanical devices and computers, making electronics can be highly entertaining. While coding and putting together parts to make working machines might seem overly complicated for the average child, there are plenty of resources out there that introduce kids to these concepts in a more simplified way. A good example is a Raspberry Pi. This is a small computer board that is designed to teach children how to code and which you can use to create all kinds of cool mechatronics projects. If your kids like videogames or robots, you can discover the inner workings of these things together with the projects you find online.

Ways To Teach Your Kids the Value of Hard Work

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When raising a child, there are numerous important life skills to help them learn along the way. One such important skill is hard work. In order to become successful and accomplish one’s goals, it is important to recognize the value of working hard. After all, natural talent can only take you so far at the end of the day. To help your kids develop this important life skill, take a look at these effective ways to teach your kids the value of hard work.

Enroll Them in a Sport

Enrolling your child in a sport is can teach them a variety of valuable life skills, including the importance of hard work. Sports teach children firsthand that, to improve your skills and achieve your goals, you need to be willing to work hard and put in the time to practice.

While many team sports aren’t currently practicing due to the pandemic, there are several sports that kids can still do while social distancing. For example, golfing, tennis, or cross country can all be done with little or no contact with others. Allowing your child to pick up one of these socially distanced sports can help teach them about the value of hard work in a safe and responsible manner.

Encourage Effort Rather Than Outcome

Another effective way to teach your kids the value of hard work is to put more of an emphasis on the effort they put into a task rather than its outcome. For example, if they win or lose a game, congratulate them on how hard they worked and what a great effort they put in rather than just focusing on the outcome itself. By praising their work ethic, your child will receive positive reinforcement and continue working hard whether they succeed at something right away or not—rather than just sticking to what comes easily to them.

Let Your Child Fail

If your child doesn’t know how to do something, it can be tempting to rush in and take over for them. For example, if they don’t make their bed properly, you may just want to do it yourself to save time. However, doing so sends the message that you don’t think your child is capable of making their bed on their own while simultaneously ridding them of a responsibility.

As a result, your child will probably be less likely to make their bed in the future because they know someone else will ultimately do it for them. As such, it is important to break the habit of always rushing in to save the day. Instead, give your child the opportunity to fail, practice, and improve—whether they are making their bed, doing their homework, or trying some other potentially challenging activity.

Top Car Skills Every Parent Should Teach Their Teen

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Preparing your teen for the open road goes far beyond just passing a driver’s test. Even if your teen has put in hours of practice time and passed their driver’s test, there are still skills that driving lessons don’t teach and many parents can forget to pass on until it’s too late. Here are a few of the top car skills every parent should teach their teen to prepare them for any scenario on the road.

Changing a Tire

Learning how to change a tire is a classic car maintenance and safety tip. A flat tire can happen at any moment due to balding or old tires, potholes, or punctures. Teaching your teen how to change their own tire and equipping them with the right tools can keep them from being stranded on the side of the road. Practice changing a tire from the safety of your home to get your teens comfortable with the process. 

Knowing When to Pull Over

Cars are equipped with all sorts of lights and indicators to let us know when there’s something wrong with it. A gas light may come on to let your teen know they are low on gas, or a check engine light may signal a more serious and urgent problem. Familiarize your teen with common indicators so that they’ll know when it is safe to keep driving and when they need to pull over for immediate assistance. 

How to Drive in All Conditions

Typically, a dry and sunny day is when parents may feel more apt to teach their teens how to drive. However, be sure your teen has some supervised experience driving in all weather conditions so that they’ll feel comfortable in every situation. Make sure they are familiar with how their vehicle may handle snow or rain differently than a dry road. 

Learning how to change a tire, knowing the signs of when you should pull over, and gaining driving experience in all conditions are some of the top car skills every parent should teach their teen. 

Important Factors to Consider When Divorcing With Children

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No one ever thinks they’ll get divorced. However, sometimes separation is what’s best for everyone. Still, the process becomes more complicated when kids are involved. Here are three important factors to consider when divorcing with children.

Scheduling

One of the hardest things about parents getting divorced is coming up with a new schedule. At the very beginning, both parents should sit down together to create a cohesive co-parenting plan. Discuss who the kids will live with the majority of the time and how visitation for the other parent will work. Each party should hire a lawyer to guide them through these discussions. An experienced family law attorney can help the parents figure out a schedule that works for everyone.

Child Support

Another factor to consider when divorcing with children is whether one party will pay child support. Child support is typically put into place so that the children have everything they need financially. The goal is to minimize the impact of the divorce on the kids as much as possible. Thus, the children should still receive all of the supplies they got when their parents were married. Again, lawyers should be present during discussions regarding child support agreements so that all parties are on an equal footing. Attorneys can help to put a legally binding plan in place that only the courts can refute.

Keep Things Private

People who are getting divorced should reach out to their loved ones for support. Ending a marriage is incredibly painful, so it’s important to have a support system in place. However, divorcing parents should also try their hardest to keep things private. Bad-mouthing exes is never a good strategy. Moreover, sharing negative posts on social media can impact a custody case, so err on the side of caution before posting anything regarding the divorce or its proceedings.

Parents must prioritize their children’s needs during a separation. Change is scary for little ones, so the most important thing is to assure them that they’re loved. The more open that parents are with their children, the better.

Best Roadside Assistance Plans

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Before family road trips, you want to be prepared for any roadside emergencies that may come your way. The best thing you can do is have a roadside assistance plan in place that can get you the help you need whenever you need it. Keep reading to learn about the best roadside assistance plans.

AAA

AAA is arguably the most well-known auto club that offers plenty of roadside assistance for drivers. The price of AAA services can vary from region to region, but a basic package typically costs around $50 per year, which includes the following:

  • Seven miles of towing
  • $50 of locksmith services
  • Free tire changes
  • Jump-starts
  • Fuel delivery services
  • Travel store discounts
  • Identity theft monitoring
  • Trip interruption benefits

AARP

If you are over the age of 50, another auto club you can go with is AARP. This roadside assistance plan is something you also get alongside your regular auto insurance and costs around $60 a year and offers towing, lockout services, and other emergency roadside services with various plans to choose from.

Allstate

Allstate also provides a few different services that you can take advantage of. Allstate has three plans that can give you access to 24/7 roadside assistance service:

  • Pay-Per-Use Program: starts at $119 for towing
  • Towing and Labor Coverage: $25 a year per vehicle
  • Annual Membership Plan: Available to anyone and starts at $79 a year.

Good Sam

Good Sam is one of the best options for towing out there. Most roadside services have a distance limit on how far you can get your vehicle towed. With Good Sam, you get unlimited towing in addition to:

  • Flat tire repairs
  • Jump-starts
  • Fuel delivery services
  • Locksmith services

A standard Gold Sam plan starts at $6 a month or $80 a year, with a platinum plan also available that costs $115 a year and comes with discounts for rental cars and hotels.

Progressive

Progressive also has one of the best roadside assistance plans out there for several reasons. With Progressive’s Emergency Roadside Assistance that you can add to your auto policy, you get all the services you could possibly need:

  • Towing
  • Fuel delivery service
  • Jump-start
  • Flat tire change
  • Lockout assistance

DIY Home Improvement Projects to Avoid Doing

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In an attempt to increase the value of their home while saving some money, many ambitious homeowners will try to take on home improvement projects all on their own. While there are several home improvement projects that the average homeowner can complete successfully without professional help, others are best to leave to the pros. To avoid damaging your home and potentially injuring yourself in the process, here are some DIY home improvement projects to avoid doing.

Installing Certain Types of Insulation

If you’re interested in installing a few batts of fiberglass insulation in your attic, go right on ahead. Many homeowners are perfectly capable of safely and effectively installing such insulation in their homes. However, if you want to install a more advanced type of insulation, you should always contact a professional insulation contractor.

Installing advanced insulation materials in your home, such as spray foam insulation, requires specialized equipment and expertise. The incorrect installation of such insulation could result in harmful chemical off-gassing or home damage from blocked vents. Plus, poorly installed insulation simply won’t be effective, which eliminates the purpose of purchasing and installing it in the first place. As such, it is best to leave installing most types of insulation to the pros.

Repairing or Redoing Plumbing

Another DIY home improvement projects to avoid doing is repairing or redoing your plumbing. Altering your home’s plumbing system in any way is a high-risk situation. While you may save a little money by making the repairs on your own, you could also potentially flood your home and end up with a mold issue that costs thousands of dollars to take care of.

In cases where your home’s plumbing and electric components are situated close together—as is often the case in bathrooms—the risk of taking on a plumbing project doesn’t just involve your home. It may also involve your life. To stay safe and protect your property, call up a professional to handle your plumbing project.

Removing a Wall

Taking a sledgehammer to the wall to expand a room or create an open concept floorplan is perhaps one of the most fun home improvement projects. However, it is important to be 150 percent sure that the wall you are taking down isn’t loadbearing.

If you realize too late that the wall you’re hammering away at is essential to your home’s foundation, you could seriously hurt yourself as your roof or ceiling comes tumbling down. To play it safe, make sure to hire a professional contractor to at least confirm that the wall isn’t loadbearing before you start your demolition project.

4 Signs You Need to Replace Your Home’s Air Filter

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Your home’s air filter for your HVAC unit is responsible for far more than you realize. It might also be responsible for some issues you are having around your home. Here are some signs you need to replace your home’s air filter.  

Your Allergies Are Bad 

The first indication that you might need to change your home’s air filter is if your allergies have worsened. Air filters are the key to ensuring allergens don’t get into your home’s air. However, a filter will fill up with all the particles that might be trying to get through, which can result in you having worse symptoms with your allergies than what you are used to.  

Electricity Bill Costs More 

When you don’t change your filter, it can also be costly. That is because having an old air filter will cause your entire HVAC system to work harder to function. Therefore, an air filter that needs to be replaced can drive up your electricity bill’s cost.  

Dust and Dirt Around Your Vents 

Another sign you need to replace your home’s air filter is if you start to notice more dirt and dust than usual. Again, when your air filter is older, it cannot catch all the small particles from getting in the air, so you will notice more of them around your home, especially on vents.  

Airflow Isn’t Cold Enough 

Because it’s summertime, you are going to want to make sure that your HVAC system is fully operational. If you notice that the airflow in your home isn’t as cool as you think it should be, the problem may lie with your home’s air filter.  

How to Check 

To check if your air filter needs to be replaced, all you need to do is pull it out and see if any light passes through it. If you can see light pass through it, then you are okay for a while. If you don’t, then it’s time for a new air filter. To get the correct air filter for your home, keep MERV ratings and the size you need in mind.