Tag Archives: tips

Hey Dad, Look After Yourself. You Owe It To Your Kids!

08/14/2018 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

We all remember our former selves. That disorganized, feckless and self indulgent boy in a man costume. We remember how selfish he could be sometimes. The needless risks he courted. The way he could be so inconsiderate and ignorant. But his heart was in the right place. He never set out to hurt anyone and he only ever had good intentions. Yet, he never realized just how incomplete he was until he held his child in his arms for the first time. Fatherhood has a way of reawakening something in us. A primal hunter gatherer instinct and an unyielding need to protect the tiny fragile life in your arms. Parenthood actually changes your brain’s composition. And although this change will inevitably lead you to make life choices that favor your kids’ well being over your own, it’s still important to look after yourself.

health, dad, fitness, aging, kids

Image by Pixabay

Warm up and cool down at the gym… It’s really important!

Despite the myriad time and logistical constraints of fatherhood you may well want to spend more time at the gym. You want to look good for your baby mama but you also want your child to grow up with a strong and capable father. And, if you’re honest with yourself, you want to be able to win any “my Dad could beat up your Dad” debates.

By all means pump that iron but exercise smart. Far too many people, especially men, don’t properly warm up and cool down before engaging in exercises like deadlifts and squats is just asking for a back injury. This in turn can lead to a spinal cord disability that could leave you with temporary or even permanent mobility issues. Warm up, cool down and remember the importance of proper technique over heavy weight.

It’s not okay to still be a veggiephobe well into your thirties

When you were younger and you did your food shopping you likely tried to incorporate all of your major food groups; alcohol, sugar, fat and meat. But if you’re to remain a good Dad for decades to come, you need to start taking better care of your diet. This means loading each and every plate of food you eat with plenty of veggies. These contain the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients for good health and a robust immune system, now and for decades to come.

Steer clear of beer for most of the year

Being a dad is hard. Emotionally, logistically and physically it takes its toll. As such we need to take opportunities to relax and unwind wherever we can find them. But of the only way you can do this is with a beer in your hand, you could find yourself facing health problems later in life. Try and find ways to relax that don’t involve drinking. Not only can a lifetime of drinking lead to fatal cirrhosis of the liver, it can slow your metabolism leaving you with a beer gut that’s virtually impossible to shift.

When all’s said and done, your health is the best gift you can give your kids. It will allow you to look after them and give them the love and support they need when they’re way older than you are now. Look after yourself, Dad. You owe it to your kids!

Life, Parenting

Dads, Here’s How To Grow Successful Adults

08/13/2018 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

dads, successful, kids, adults, teaching

Image source

As dads, one of the things we’re most worried about is our kids getting into trouble. It’s falling into the wrong crowd, not doing so great at school and not being happy. That’s right up their with the big dad-worries. But another major worry – and one we tend to admit less – is our kids not doing awesome things when they become adults.

Every dad wants his son or daughter to become a successful adult. It’s what drives us when we nurture them. The problem is: there is no blueprint, guidebook or recipe for raising successful children. It sucks but it’s the truth. The sucky-truth.

That said, there are certain things we can do as parents to help our kids grow into successful humans, and these are some of them:

Make Them Do Chores

The reason behind this is simple: if your kid isn’t doing their chores, it means someone else is doing it for them, and that doesn’t benefit anyone in the equation. That doesn’t just mean your child is absolved on doing their chores, it also means they miss out on the valuable lesson of why the work has to be done, how to best do the work and how contribution helps everyone.

Social Skills Are Everything

It is beyond us to think the education system is still geared toward a bygone time where people left school, got jobs in factories and were made to work like robots. That’s not how life works anymore. As the experts at ej4.com will attest, success in the workplace depends on outstanding teamwork. Life is about collaboration, it’s about helping others, it’s about communicating your way to success, understanding other people’s feelings and resolving issues as a team. All of this comes from good social skills.

Math Is A Must-Have

There is an argument to say algebra is nonsense and there is a little voice in the back of our mind that mocks the teachers that used to say, “you can’t use a calculator because in real-life you won’t always have one on you” (thank you Apple), but there is no denying that math is still an essential skill to develop. As a researcher by the name of Greg Duncan states, “The paramount importance of early math skills — of beginning school with a knowledge of numbers, number order, and other rudimentary math concepts — is one of the puzzles coming out of the study”. Another thing worse mentioning is that early math development is highly linked to reading abilities too.

Praise Effort, Don’t Fear Failure

There is an undeniable danger in being scared of failure, something that professional people call a fixed-mindset. Luckily, the growth-mindset challenges this by thriving on the challenge and seeing failure as part of the journey to success, as opposed to evidence of un-intelligence. This is what you need to be reinforcing in your children and the best way to do that is by praising their effort, something that will encourage them to keep growing and learning.

Going Healthy, Life

How You Can Make Sure That You’re Aging Gracefully

08/01/2018 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

aging, getting older, healthy living, tips, advice, family — Photo Source

A lot of the time, you find that it’s women that complain about aging the most. But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t affect men too. As you start to get older, you can definitely notice a change in your body and how you feel. But as men, we tend to just get on with it. When women are unhappy with the changes they are going through, they can be easily judged – so we tend to keep quiet. But aging can really have an impact on your self-esteem and your abilities in life too. So it’s so important that you can actually deal with it, not just brush it off. If you want to be able to age gracefully and actually feel incredible in yourself as you get older, then it’s time to make sure that you do.

1. Embrace It

First of all, you just have to embrace it. If you’re in denial, then you’re only ever going to harm yourself mental in the future. Instead, you need to just accept that you are getting older, and that you’re not as young as you were. But this really doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In fact, it can be positive. You’re really just entering a new phase of your life. And who says that it can’t be the best phase yet? So just go with it.

2. Look After Your Body

One thing you will find really helps you to not only work on the latter point, but just grow old gracefully in general, is to look after your body as much as possible. If you want to be health in your old age, then making sure that you’re sleeping enough, that you’re eating right, and that you’re not overdoing things like alcohol, it will all count. So make sure that you look after yourself, and it will pay off.

3. Speak To Your Doctor

From here, you’re then going to want to make sure that you’re bringing up and age-related health concerned with your doctor. It’s important to address any issues that you have to nip them in the bug. Whether that’s to inquire about the Urolift procedure or find out solutions for your declining hearing, you need to ask the question. It’s the best way to keep things under control as time goes by.

4. Enjoy Your Life

You also need to make sure that you enjoy your life as much as possible too. If you want to make the most of your time, then be happy, do what you love, and fully embrace the opportunities that come your way.

5. Keep Up The Exercise

It’s also going to help you to do as much exercise as possible. As you start to get older, you can often put this to the bottom of your to-do list. You have work and the kids to look after, and suddenly it’s not a priority. Then, when your kids are grown, you’re just out of the habit. However, it’s so important to the aging process that you keep moving. When you stop, you struggle to move. Old age isn’t a thing. It’s that you let your body decline. So if you continue to exercise and keep moving, you should find that it serves you well as you get older.