Being A Handy Dad – Protecting Your Home And Your Family with DIY
Fatherhood is incredibly rewarding. The responsibilities that come with fatherhood can be intimidating, and at times very challenging. Some of those responsibilities can give you a sense of pride and achievement such as, raising children and giving them a safe and stable home to flourish in.
Though your children will often be the focus of your fathering, it is important to remember to maintain your home and make sure it is a safe and secure environment for your children to live.
This will often mean making your own home improvements and fixing broken or damaged items around the home, like windows or plumbing. Sometimes this can be more intimidating than a child’s tantrum or parent teacher night at school, but by following some simple rules any father can do a good job repairing things at home or even making new home improvements for themselves and their children to enjoy.
In this quick guide we are going to look at some simple steps to take and things to think about if you are approaching a home repair or improvement, even if you have never put a tool belt on before.
Use the World’s Greatest Resource, The Internet
The internet has undoubtedly changed the world, bringing a wealth of knowledge to your fingertips and knowledge is power. There are a seemingly infinite number of websites that offer tips on doing jobs yourself, even going so far as to make plumbing and electrical work approachable to the amateur home improver.
One of the best resources on the internet for someone beginning to build home improvement skills is YouTube. Here you will find thousands if not millions of instructional videos made by qualified and experienced professional contractors from around the world.
They have taken the time to make videos to help a home improver learn and develop the skills they need to tackle even large-scale home improvements and repairs.
Get the Right Tools and Materials for The Job
One of the most important steps to take when approaching a home repair or home improvement is to get the right materials and tools for the job.
Here is where another knowledge resource becomes available to you, the staff at your local hardware store. Many of the workers at hardware stores and depots are experienced contractors themselves that can offer a lot of help and advice on your project and help you locate and identify the correct tools and materials for the job you need to complete.
Know Your Limits, Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
Once of the most important steps to take when approaching a new home improvement or repair job is to know your limits and not begin something you know you can’t finish.
Many fathers and homeowners have created more costs for themselves by biting off more than they can chew and starting a job they don’t have the skills, tools, or materials to finish. When you find yourself facing a home improvement or repair job that seems like it will be too much for you to complete you can use the internet once more. By simply searching for “handyman near me,” you can find a handyman to come and make the fix or improvement for you.
This is often the most cost-effective solution, as trying to make a fix or an improvement yourself that is beyond your capabilities will often lead to more problems to be fixed or a more costly repair. Don’t get over-confident or push yourself further than you feel you can go and seek out a professional to tackle the bigger or more complicated jobs.
This also provides a learning experience for your children, as you can show that sometimes asking for help is the best solution to your problems and that a little humility can lead to more effective problem solving.
Your children will give you many rewards from fatherhood. Their development and growth will be one of your life’s greatest achievements and you will receive an enormous sense of pride from their journey into adulthood.
Providing a safe, secure and attractive home for you and your family can also offer you these rewards, and give you the opportunity to learn new skills while adding desirability and value to your home to give you a return on one of your life’s other big investments; your home.
Hopefully this quick guide will help you tackle some of the little jobs around your home, and maybe even step up to some of the bigger home improvement jobs and add some value to your home for your retirement.