Educational | Fatherhood Factor

Change Your Own Oil

Approximately every 3,000 to 5,000 miles—depending on your vehicle and driving condition—your car requires an oil change. This might seem like a natural job for a mechanic but actually, every car owner can do it themselves. This fundamental repair might seem scary but handing motor oil is easy. All you need to do is remove the oil drain plug, unscrew and empty the oil filter, put them back, remove the oil filler hole cap, and pour in fresh oil. Research some articles or watching some DIY videos for reference.

Touch Up Your Own Paint

Buffing out scratches or touching up your car paint is another simple auto repair for newbies. Every vehicle is bound to get scratched so it’s important to know how to take care of the marks. Whether it got scratches from brushing against a bush or a person brushing against it, scratches pop up on cars all the time. Fortunately, many paint applicators exist to help buff out small scratches and make your car look good as new. These include aerosol spray cans, brushes, and pens for large, medium, and small details. Remember to find the right color that matches your vehicle.

Replace Your Own Head and Taillights

Finally, replace your own headlights or taillights to avoid a costly trip to the mechanic. More importantly, a broken headlight or taillight could lead to your vehicle getting pulled over. After you’ve bought a replacement light, simply remove the screws connecting the light frame to the bracket, disconnect the electrical connector, replace the old bulb with the new one, plug the connector back in, and replace the frame. Anyone can do these projects. However, you can visit your mechanic if you’re uncomfortable handling electrical components.

When rain or cold weather keep everyone inside, it can be hard to keep kids happy and entertained. Sometimes it seems like the only options are sitting the kids down in front of the TV all day or spending money on outings. But if you can’t think of any fun and productive ways to keep kids busy when they’re stuck inside, it’s not because there aren’t options — you’re just not thinking creatively enough! Here are a few ideas to get your wheels turning.

Introduce them to online math games

A lot of kids need extra help when it comes to mathematics, but assigning extra worksheets on top of their homework isn’t fun for anyone. When you line up a few interactive online math games instead, your kids will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize they’re learning. There are a lot of free math games available online, but for the biggest selection in one place, try Coolmath.

Use videos to teach about the natural world

Kids love flipping through YouTube videos, but as parents, we don’t always love everything that pops up on their feed. While there’s no foolproof way to control exactly what your kids see on YouTube, you can reduce the odds that they see something inappropriate by finding entire channels designed for kids.

As far as educational YouTube channels go, it’s hard to beat Nat Geo Kids. With playlists dedicated to different parts of the animal kingdom, including birds, insects, deep sea creatures, and more, your kids can easily spend hours engaged in learning about the natural world. And since the videos are embedded on National Geographic’s site, you don’t have to worry about something unsavory popping up in the sidebar.

Dig in to hands-on science experiments

The internet is a treasure trove of ideas for kid-friendly science experiments. When you arm yourself with a few craft supplies and a high tolerance for messes, your kids can make a glass of lava, create a cloud in a bottle, design the best paper airplane, or any number of other creative science projects. For more ideas, check out these fun science experiment ideas. Depending on your child’s age, the complexity of the experiment, and its mess potential, this activity might require parental supervision.

Design lesson plans around their interests

School curricula can be so rigid that kids don’t get much opportunity to explore their interests in a classroom setting. That means it’s up to you to foster your child’s emerging passions. Hobbies and after-school activities are one great way to do this, but another is by creating your own lesson plans. By devising lesson plans, rather than leaving children to their own devices, you can structure and sequence activities for maximum value.

Is your child mesmerized by the stars? Incorporate these activities from The Measured Mom for fun lessons about the stars, moon, and planets. Or if they’re crazy about pets, try some of these dog-themed lesson plans recommended by Rover. The possibilities are endless, but getting started will require some creativity and research on your end.

It might be hard to believe when they’re complaining about school and dragging their feet through homework assignments, but the truth is, kids love to learn. The trick to getting your children excited about learning is finding teaching methods that don’t feel like a chore. While these four ideas are an excellent place to start, they’re hardly the only options for educational rainy day activities. Stay informed about what your kids are learning in school and continue to think of fun ways to integrate classroom lessons into exciting at-home activities.

Simplest Auto Repairs for Newbies