🛠️ Stuff Every Dad Should Know: Training Guide

Car Seat Stages

NHTSA says a child under age 1 should always ride rear-facing. Keep a child rear-facing as long as possible. It is the best way to protect a young child in a crash.

Keep children in the back seat at least through age 12. The back seat is safer for kids. NHTSA sorts children into four age groups: under 1, 1 to 3, 4 to 7, and 8 to 12.

When a child outgrows a harness seat, move to a booster seat. A booster raises and positions the child so the adult lap and shoulder belt fits properly.

For lower anchor installation, the total weight limit is 65 pounds. The limit includes the car seat itself. A 15 pound seat leaves a 50 pound child limit.

Seat Belt Fit and Teen Driving

A properly fitted lap belt lies snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. A belt across the soft belly can hurt a child in a sudden stop.

The shoulder belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest. It must not cross the neck or face. If it does, the child still needs a booster.

For teen drivers, graduated driver licensing can reduce crash risk by as much as 50 percent. It phases in privileges like night driving and teen passengers. Parents are the number one influence on a teen's driving safety.

Hot Cars and Quick Checks

A parked car can heat up about 20 degrees in as little as 10 minutes. Even a mild day can become dangerous.

Never leave a child alone in a car, even for a short errand. Check the back seat every time you park. Stop, Look, Lock helps build the habit.

If you see a child alone in a hot car, call 911 right away. Do not wait for the driver to return.

Tire Pressure, Tread, and Age

Find the recommended tire pressure on the driver's side door edge label or in the owner's manual. The number on the tire sidewall is a maximum, not the daily target.

Check tire pressure when tires are cold, after the car has not been driven for at least three hours. Check all tires, including the spare, at least once a month.

Use the penny test to check tread. Place a penny in a tread groove with Lincoln's head pointing down. If you can see the top of his head, replace the tires.

Tires are unsafe at 2/32 of an inch of tread. Use a gauge or the penny test. Worn tires grip wet roads poorly.

If the vehicle maker recommends it, rotate tires every 5,000 to 8,000 miles. Rotating helps tires wear evenly.

The tire pressure warning light only activates when a tire is significantly low. It is not a substitute for checking with a gauge.

The last four digits of the Tire Identification Number show the week and year the tire was made. Some makers recommend replacing tires 6 to 10 years after that date, regardless of tread.

Fluids and Recalls

To check oil, turn the engine off and wait about 5 minutes for oil to drain back to the pan. Park on level ground first.

If the dipstick shows oil near Low, add oil up to Full but do not overfill. Use only the specified engine oil.

Never open a radiator cap on a hot engine. Hot coolant can spray out and burn you. Wait until the engine is cool.

The 17 character VIN is usually visible on the lower left of the windshield. You need the VIN to check for recalls.

To fix a recalled part, contact a local dealership and do not pay. Recall repairs are free. The VIN may also be on your registration card and insurance card.

Emergency Supplies

Keep your gas tank full in case of evacuation or power outages. A full tank also helps keep the fuel line from freezing.

Ready.gov lists cat litter or sand in a car emergency kit for better tire traction. Sprinkle it under a stuck tire on ice or snow.

For a home emergency kit, store one gallon of water per person per day for several days for drinking and sanitation.

Jump Starting and Changing a Tire

When jump starting, make the final connection to a solid, stationary, metallic point away from the battery. Do not lean over the battery when making connections.

Do not attempt to jump start a car if the discharged battery is frozen or its electrolyte level is low. Call for roadside help instead.

Never put any part of your body under a vehicle that is only supported by a jack. Park on a level, firm surface, apply the parking brake, and turn the vehicle off.

Loosen the lug nuts about one turn each while the tire is on the ground, then raise the car. The ground keeps the wheel from spinning.

Block both sides of the wheel diagonally opposite the jack before jacking up the car. Blocking keeps the car from rolling.

After you change a wheel yourself, have a dealer tighten the lug nuts to proper torque. A roadside wrench cannot measure torque.

Smoke Alarms and Escape

Replace smoke alarm batteries twice a year unless you use 10-year lithium batteries. Many people do it when clocks change.

Replace the whole smoke alarm unit every 10 years or according to the maker's instructions. Sensors wear out over time.

Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement. Sleep with your bedroom door closed.

Practice your home fire escape plan twice each year. Escape plans help you get out of your home quickly.

A fire can become life-threatening in just two minutes. Working alarms and a practiced exit plan matter.

Fire Extinguishers

Keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen. Cooking is where many home fires start, so keep it where you can reach it.

The PASS method starts with Pull the pin. The pin also breaks the tamper seal.

Aim low at the base of the fire, not the flames at the top. Squeeze the handle to release the extinguishing agent.

If you have any doubt about fighting a fire, evacuate immediately. Evacuate also if the extinguisher is empty and the fire is not out.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that kills without warning. A CO alarm is how you know it is there.

CO symptoms are often described as flu-like. If a whole household feels sick together, or symptoms ease when you leave, suspect CO.

Install battery operated or battery back up CO detectors near every sleeping area. Replace them following the maker's instructions or every 5 years.

Use generators only outside, more than 20 feet away from windows, doors, and vents. Never run one inside a home or garage, even with doors open.

Never run a car or truck inside a garage attached to a house, even with the garage door open. Have the exhaust system checked every year.

CPSC does not recommend installing CO alarms in kitchens or above fuel burning appliances. Brief spikes there can cause false alarms.

Gas Leaks and Appliance Hazards

Odorized natural gas smells like rotten eggs. Natural gas itself has no smell, so utilities add the odor so leaks are noticed.

If you smell gas, leave the area. Do not operate light switches or other electrical switches. Call 911 from a safe spot well away from the leak.

Clean the dryer lint filter before and after each cycle. Lint is flammable, and a clogged filter or vent traps heat.

Keep a space heater at least three feet from bedding, drapes, furniture, or other flammable materials. Never leave it on when you go to sleep.

Build campfires at least 25 feet away from tents, shrubs, and anything that can burn. Watch kids closely around the fire.

A tripped breaker handle rests about midway between ON and OFF. To reset it, push it fully to OFF first, then back to ON.

Refrigeration and Storage

Keep your refrigerator at 40 degrees F or below and your freezer at 0 degrees F or below. Use an appliance thermometer to be sure of the real temperature.

Never leave perishable food out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours. Above 90 degrees F, like a hot car or summer picnic, refrigerate within 1 hour.

Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Freeze extras on day one or two if you will not get to them.

Reheat leftovers until a food thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Looking steamy or smelling good is not proof.

Raw ground meat keeps 1 to 2 days in the fridge, raw steaks 3 to 5 days, and hard-cooked eggs about 1 week. Freezing extends storage time.

Thawing, Cooking, and Cross Contamination

Grilled ground beef hamburgers need an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Ground meat can carry bacteria all the way through.

All poultry, ground or whole pieces, needs 165 degrees F. Whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and veal need 145 degrees F plus a 3 minute rest.

Marinate raw meat and poultry in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Set aside some marinade first if you want a sauce, and boil any marinade that touched raw meat.

Never partly grill meat now and finish cooking it later. Partial cooking can leave bacteria alive. The one exception is precooking in a microwave, oven, or stove if the food goes straight onto the hot grill.

In a cooler, put raw meat and poultry on the bottom, well sealed. Raw juices can drip on ready to eat food and spread bacteria.

Scrub your hands with soap for 20 seconds before handling food. Wash again after touching raw meat. Wash cutting boards and counters with hot, soapy water after raw meat.

Kitchen Fire and Stove Safety

Never use water to put out a grease or oil fire. Water can make burning oil spread and send flames around the kitchen.

If a pan of grease catches fire, slide a lid or baking sheet over the pan. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on until the pan is cool.

Make a kid free and pet free zone at least 3 feet around a hot stove. A hot burner, pan handle, or splash of oil can burn a child fast. Turn the burner off if you leave the kitchen.

Choking

A baby under 1 who is choking and cannot breathe needs 5 back blows, then 5 chest thrusts. Repeat until the object comes out or the baby becomes unresponsive.

A choking child over age 1 who cannot cough or speak needs 5 back blows, then 5 abdominal thrusts. Repeat until the object comes out or the child stops responding.

Do not sweep a choking person's mouth with your finger unless you can see the object. A blind sweep may push the object farther in. If the person becomes unresponsive, lower them to a firm, flat surface and start CPR. Check the mouth for a visible object between CPR sets.

Burns, Nosebleeds, and Allergic Reactions

For a minor burn on a child, cool the area under clean, cool, running water for 5 to 20 minutes. If cool water is not available, lukewarm water works. Remove clothing or jewelry near the burn only if it is not stuck to the skin. A burned child should go to the hospital.

Do not use butter or other greasy substances on a burn. They do not ease pain or help healing. Avoid adhesive bandages. Burns on hands, feet, face, neck, or genitals need a hospital visit.

During a nosebleed, have the child sit up and lean slightly forward. Do not lie down or lean back. Do not stuff tissues into the nose.

Pinch the soft part of the child's nose firmly for 10 full minutes. If it is still bleeding, repeat for another 10 minutes. If nosebleeds often last longer than 8 to 10 minutes, a pediatrician may test for a clotting problem.

For a severe allergic reaction, use epinephrine if prescribed, then call 911 even if symptoms improve. Help the person lie flat on their back with legs raised, if breathing allows.

Fever, Poisons, and Honey

A baby under 3 months with a temperature of 100.4 degrees F or higher needs a call to the doctor right away. For any age, call if a fever keeps rising above 104 degrees F.

If you are not sure what is wrong but think your child is in danger, call 911. Do not move an injured child unless they are in immediate danger, such as from a fire.

For any possible poisoning, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. Keep the number in your phone and have the container in hand when you call.

Do not make a poisoning victim vomit. Call Poison Help and follow directions. Call 911 if the person collapses or cannot breathe. Do not keep ipecac in your home.

If a chemical splashes in a child's eye, rinse the eye with room temperature water for 15 to 20 minutes, encouraging blinking. Then call Poison Help. For poison on skin, remove contaminated clothes first, then rinse for at least 15 minutes.

Do not give honey to a baby before 12 months. Honey may cause botulism, a severe food poisoning. Do not add honey to food, water, formula, or a pacifier.

Sun and Water Safety

Use a broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF of at least 15, up to SPF 50. Keep babies under 6 months out of direct sunlight.

Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours and right after swimming, sweating, or drying off with a towel. A hat with an all around 3 inch brim shades the face, ears, and neck.

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4. Supervise closely and constantly when kids are in or near water. Swim lessons help but are not a substitute for watching. Life jackets reduce the risk of drowning while boating at any age.

A home pool needs a four-sided fence that fully encloses the pool and is at least 4 feet high. Supervise kids closely and constantly near any water, including bathtubs.

Saving and Investing

Compound interest is interest you earn on interest. Your earnings are added to your balance and then earn interest too. The longer you leave money alone, the faster it grows.

If you put 100 dollars in an account earning 5 percent a year and add nothing, year one gives 105 dollars. In year two you earn 5 percent on 105 dollars, so the balance becomes 110.25 dollars. Simple interest would give only 110 dollars.

A 529 plan is a tax advantaged way to save for school. Earnings used for qualified education costs are not subject to federal income tax and often state income tax.

If 529 money is withdrawn for non education spending, the earnings part is taxed as income and hit with an extra 10 percent federal penalty. Some exceptions exist, such as rolling leftover 529 money into a Roth IRA for the same beneficiary.

Credit Freezes and Emergency Fund

A credit freeze is free. It does not hurt your credit score. Place it with each of the three bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You can lift it temporarily when you apply for credit.

A parent or guardian can request a credit freeze for a child under 16. Minors age 16 or 17 can request it themselves. A warning sign is a call about an overdue bill on a child's account you never opened.

Keep an emergency fund safe, easy to reach, and not tempting to spend. The CFPB says a bank or credit union account is generally one of the safest places for it.

Scams and Digital Safety

A family emergency scam pressures you to pay right away with gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps, or crypto. Scammers may tell you to keep it secret.

If a caller says a relative is in trouble and needs money, hang up and call that person on a number you know. Ask a question only the real person would know. Report scams to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

If your child gets a text from a number they do not know, do not reply and block the number. Check which apps really need location access.

Avoid TV and apps for children under 18 months, except video chat with family. Babies learn best from face to face time with people. Early screen time is linked to later language and sleep problems.

Home Repair Basics

In an emergency, shut off water by turning the water meter valve clockwise with a crescent wrench or meter valve key. The valve is commonly in the basement, garage, or outdoors by the foundation.

A toilet shutoff with a lever handle is off when the handle points across the pipe at a right angle. It should stop at a quarter turn.

The RIDGID EZ Spin hand drain snake cleans sink, tub, and shower drain blockages in pipes up to 2 inches. A snake breaks up or pulls out the clog mechanically, so you do not need harsh chemicals.

Routinely replacing or cleaning air conditioner filters can lower its energy use by about 5 to 15 percent. The Department of Energy calls this the quickest way to save energy on home cooling.

An electronic stud finder measures changes in wall density. The density over a stud is greater than the area away from it. Nail or drill into the center of the stud, and watch for the edges if your finder only shows edges.

Place a Zircon stud finder flat on the wall before pressing the power button. If you press it in the air, it calibrates to thin air, not your wall. A continuous blink and beep means a calibration error, so try again from a different starting spot.