Dan Marshall - Dad Hacks: Helpful Hints to Make Life Easier

Now that you have acquired a wealth of Dad Hack knowledge, you can consider yourself a better person andmore importantlya significantly superior dad. Youre the king of can-doeven if that amounts to you being more efficient at drinking beer and devouring burgers while cracking walnuts with one hand. The wonders of Life Hacks never cease!

A dads duties around the house can be challenging. Efficient snacking, for instance, is a serious businessand whats a guy to do when his novelty shirt collection has grown too large for the closet? Not to mention solving the age-old problem of keeping track of the TV remote. This chapter will help with all of these issues and more.

Dads have their own unique sense of stylemaybe youve rocked the socks-and-sandals combo or sported the occasional Hawaiian shirt yourself? If so, you need help. Even those of you who think you know a thing or two about style will find something here to raise your game. Just dont spoil it by breaking into your goofiest dad dance at the next wedding party. No amount of sharp tailoring can cover up that embarrassment.

To finish off, heres a selection of random hackssome of them are out-there, some of them might just be crazy enough to be useful. You never knowa day might come when you really do have to commit the ultimate dadly sin and set fire to your beloved nacho chips.

Is there anything more important than food? Drink, perhaps, especially, the cool, crisp, beery kind. Combine food and drink and you have what the French like to call a raison dtreand what many dads call lunch. The perfect beer/burger combo is something that has been coveted by dads since dads were dadsthe Holy Grail of meat-based barbeque foods and complementary beverages. It too can be yours....

Doing it yourself is, for many dads, a staple. If youre not so hot with a power drill, youre cheating yourselfnot least because nowadays it costs an arm and a leg to get some stranger to fix what your grandaddy could have done with a monkey wrench, some sticky tape, and a lick of Brylcreem. On second thought, that may well have been the cause of, rather than the solution to, many of your household woesso best get the hacks to fix that stuff yourself!

Dads and gadgets go together like peanut butter and jellyits a sweet, sweet combo. Who wouldnt get excited about Airzookas, automatic tabletop twin disco balls, and a golf glove that has a digital readout showing the pressure of your grip? Sane people, of course, but were talking about needless technology here! However, if youre a fan of the concept but not of the price tag, the hacks in this chapter are for you.

Staying in shape and in good health is important, especially if youre overusing the . But it can also be hard, expensive workgym memberships cost more than car payments these days, and the bewildering array of health products at the pharmacy can be a nightmare (just how many different kinds of foot powder does the world need?!). Give yourself a break, and approach things the Life Hacks way. Dadsyoure worth it.

Leaving the comfort of your armchair is something a dad just has to get used to. Its hard, especially when youve got your butt-groove molded to perfection, but whether its for business or pleasure, traveling will be in the cards at some point. This chapter is full of hacks to help you on your way.

Dads have been obsessing over the wheel and its practical applications for centuries. Modern man is blessed with power steering, parking sensors, and cruise control, but half the time thats just something else that can break or go wrong. If you get around on two wheels rather than four, you have half a chance of fixing a problem yourselfbut you never know when the next visit from the puncture fairy will be. So get wise, and keep rolling with these car and bike hacks.

Caring for your kids is what makes a good dad (at least thats what they said last time I saw the Jerry Springer Show), so mastering the art is essential. Yes, it can be hardbut it can also be fun, and its the perfect excuse to act like a big kid (some more). Just dont blame me if you get a bruised butt because you couldnt resist trying out the stairway slide. Use these hacks wisely and safely.

If youre lucky enough to have a backyard with grass and trees for your kids to enjoy, youre going to have to put some effort into keeping it clean and tidyno matter how many burners your BBQ has, if your garden is full of weeds, your friends will notice. And if you want your kid to be the next Bear Grylls, you need to brave the wild outdoors (drinking your own pee is optional).