Tag Archives: guest post

Going Healthy, Guest Post

5 Healthy Summer Habits for Kids

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I’m handing the Going Dad reigns over to another stay-at-home dad who’s also into nutrition, fitness, and raising a healthy family. Sean Morris has a wealth of information on healthy living to share, and today it’s all about habits to help our kids keep healthy and have fun during the summer months.

Summer is filled with fun, relaxation, and the joy of not having a rigorous school schedule to keep up with. But summer can also mean later nights, meals from the baseball field concession stand that aren’t exactly the healthiest choices, and other poor health habits sunscreen, safety, healthy living, that can impact both physical and emotional well-being over time. Here are a few healthy summer habits to instill in your kids that will cultivate healthier habits for life.

Always Wear Sunscreen

If your child loves to spend the whole day outside in the sun, wearing sunscreen is a habit you’ve probably already developed. But even if your kids tend to spend more time indoors on their smartphones or video games, teaching them about the risks of sun damage is a valuable nugget that will help them stay healthy and well throughout their lives. The sun can cause damage even on cloudy days, so daily sunscreen application is key for all children and adults.

Check for Ticks

Ticks carry Lyme disease, and in some parts of the U.S., tick populations are growing. It’s not always possible to avoid areas where ticks are common, but you can wear insect repellent and protective clothing (with long sleeves and long pants) when you know you’ll be in an area well-populated with ticks. You should also carefully check your child’s entire body for ticks after spending time in such areas. Remove ticks properly and know when it’s necessary to seek medical attention for a tick bite.

Get Adequate Sleep

One especially useful habit to foster in your kids is getting ample rest every night. Sleep is the time your body uses to rest and rejuvenate, yet, especially during the summer, many children and young adults happily sacrifice sleep to participate in fun, late-night activities, whether they’re simply watching TV past their bedtimes or hanging out with friends. Teaching your kids now that the time they spend awake is more productive and enjoyable when they’re well-rested will prepare them to make better choices about sleep as they get older.

Stay Hydrated

When kids are having fun outdoors, it’s easy to forget about drinking water to stay hydrated. Most kids won’t think about drinking unless their bodies are telling them they’re thirsty, but they may ignore such cues if they’re having too much fun. Have your kids carry a water bottle, and encourage them to drink pure, cold water rather than sugary sports drinks. If they do have a sweet tooth, adding a splash of citrus fruit or berries can enhance the flavor of plain water, making it more appealing to some kids. Make sure they know that it’s necessary to drink more water than usual on especially hot days or when they’re engaging in rigorous physical activity.

Stay Safe Around Fire and Fireworks

Camping, Fourth of July celebrations, and other activities bring with them camp fires and fireworks displays. Kids who understand fire safety and know how to stay safe around fireworks are less likely to suffer burns or injuries. Teach your kids about the dangers of fire and fireworks, how to use child-appropriate fireworks such as sparklers safely, and safe habits to practice around fires.

Teaching your children how to stay safe in the many different circumstances they’ll encounter throughout life is no simple process. As a parent, you want to protect your child from every possible danger. While you can’t be there to keep them safe every moment, you can begin to teach them safe and healthy habits that will help them lead a long and happy life.

Sean Morris became a stay-at-home dad after the birth of his son. Though he loved his career in social work, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get to spend more time with his kids. He enjoys sharing his experiences via LearnFit.org and hopes writing for the site will help him provide other parents with tips and advice on juggling life, career, and family.

Image via Pixabay by milli_lu

Meeting other health-minded dads like Sean is always a pleasure , and hopefully he’ll share more of his tips/advice on healthy living in the future. Thank you Sean, for taking the time to create this list of handy healthy summer habits for kids!

Guest Post

Six Gifts for the Active Dad this Father’s Day

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Father’s Day is on the way, and for all you moms and kids out there wondering just what to grab that special dad in your life, I know it can be tough to narrow down gift ideas. Whether you’re shopping for your dad or for the father of your children, if he’s an active guy, you can appeal to his health passions and take your Father’s Day gifts from ordinary to extraordinary. From sports tickets to family adventures, the latest in melbourne storm merchandise (or whoever their team is), to gym necessities, you’ll find something for your active dad on this list.

  1. Tickets to a Game

If your dad is an avid sports fan that knows his favorite player’s stats like he knows his own child’s birthday, then make sure he gets the chance to see his idol in action with tickets to a game. Check out Ticketmaster to see if there are any games coming to a city nearby in the near future, or plan ahead and buy accommodations out of town for a surprise trip that will blow his mind. If you find the tickets have already been sold out, just check out Craigslist or Stubhub to grab resale tickets.

  1. A Fitbit

If he’s all about staying in shape and pushing his body to be the best it can be, you can’t go wrong with a Fitbit. These awesome activity trackers will give him a plethora of important health information, helping him reach the recommended amount of steps each day, track his food, and keep his heart rate in check. There are various models out there at different prices, so you can find something that matches your budget and appeases your pop on Father’s Day.

  1. Quality Earphones

If he’s a runner or gym rat, he’s likely got a playlist of pump-up jams that get him in the mood to pump iron and pound the pavement. If that’s the case, make sure he gets to listen to his sweet tunes with the best audio possible and buy him a pair of high-quality earphones. Check out the JayBird X2 wireless earbuds. They’re a bit of an investment, but the quality is more than worth the price tag, especially if you know your dad will get great use from them. He can get rid of those pesky wires and answer any emergency calls while he’s at the gym getting a great workout in.

  1. A New Gym Bag

If he’s always out the door and on the way to the gym to follow his daily workout regimen, make sure he can get all his essentials to and from with stylish ease. A new duffel will help him go from home to office to gym in one fell swoop and keep all of his gym necessities contained, whether it’s shower essentials after a sweaty session or his work clothes to go from gym to desk in the morning.

  1. An All-Out Adventure

Your active dad is likely an adventure-happy fellow, and if he spends a lot of his time chasing adrenaline pumping activities, then an experience gift is probably right up his alley. Websites like Excitations.com offer a variety of exciting events to take part in. If your dad loves fast cars, take him for a spin in an exotic speedster for the day. If he’s a water sports enthusiast, a white water rafting trip will be the present he never knew he needed. All you have to do is enter your zip code and the website will pull up all the nearby activities that you can purchase for him. This is sure to be a one of a kind present that will make this Father’s Day more than memorable.

  1. Sports Gear

If your dad is an active member of intramural sports teams, then you can’t go wrong with new sports gear. Baseball bats can be a great gift if he’s part of a league as they are constantly evolving, with companies consistently coming out with cool new designs and functionality. In a similar vein to golf clubs, remember that just because he already has them, doesn’t mean he won’t want the latest and greatest.

Show Dad how much you appreciate all he does for your family with the perfect active gifts sure to give nod to his athletic passions and make this a Father’s Day to remember.

Earn Income, Guest Post

How to Avoid the Most Common Rental Scams

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More and more Americans are choosing to rent instead of own, and this competitive rental market can mean skyrocketing prices, but it also translates into higher rates of identity theft and rental scams. Use reputable sites like https://www.rent.com/california/san-francisco-apartments/1-bedroom to make sure your search is safe and secure. If you’re on the hunt for a new apartment or house rental for you and your family, be sure you don’t fall into the trap of common cons by following these tips.

Look for Comparable Rates

Before signing your name on any lease or even checking out an apartment, be sure to research the rent rates in the specified neighborhood. Use a site like Zilpy.com to make better housing decisions.  If the apartment in question is listed for a price much lower than comparable homes in the area, there’s a high likelihood the rental could be a scam. At the reverse end of the spectrum; opportunistic landlords that charge an arm and a leg for an apartment could be attempting to swindle you out of your money. You can always consult with a property management company prior to checking out places on your own, as they can usually navigate the process with ease.

An Overly Enthusiastic Landlord

If the landlord seems too eager to place you in their home, take caution. With the competition being as it is, landlords have no reason to “court” individuals to live in their home; too much eagerness is suspicious behavior. If they don’t ask for references, don’t desire to run a credit check, and are more than willing to place you in the home sooner rather than later, trust that it’s a too good to be true situation. In this case, it might be a good idea to use Trusted Person Tracing Services with Bond Rees to ensure you are working with honest people.

Never Wire Money

Absolutely, under no circumstances, should a landlord ever need you to wire money to them, whether they’re asking for a security deposit, first month’s rent, or even a small application fee. This is most common way rental con artists make money off of their unsuspecting victims, so take caution. The moment you wire money away, there’s no way of getting it back, so take preventative measures instead of feeling regret after the fact.

Always See the Apartment First

It’s understandable that a degree of desperation accompanies the rental search, especially in highly saturated markets where there’s 20 people vying for a single home on any given day. However, don’t let this desperation force you to make a rash decision and find yourself on the bum side of a con artist’s deal. Never offer to send money without having seen the apartment and landlord first. The listing might seem legitimate, but it could be completely fake. Worse, it could be a real listing stolen from another website that a scam artist took on as their own; the apartment is real and available, but sending your money to the wrong person will see you out of a home and out a month of rent.

Identity Theft Issues

Protecting your money is one thing, but safeguarding your identity is an entirely different process. During the rental process, you’ll be asked to provide a bevy of personal and sensitive pieces of information, and it’s to be expected—after all, how can the landlord determine if you are who you say you are without it? While this is usually unavoidable (and you should be wary if a potential landlord doesn’t ask for your social security number or partial bank records), there are still ways to keep yourself safe while providing the requested information. Instead of handing your SSN over immediately, ask the prospective landlord if they use a certified service. If they respond positively, you’re probably in the clear. Companies that offer rental screenings, like Transunion Smartmove services, are designed to protect both landlord and tenant. They provide all the necessary information like credit checks, criminal histories, and past evictions for landlords, while the tenant can rest assured that their sensitive information remains out of the hands of potential scammers.

If you’re pounding the pavement in search of a new rental home, be sure you do your research on every listing that comes your way. Protect yourself by following these guidelines and look out for suspicious behavior that might indicate a scam.