20 Productive Ways to Use Your Free Time; Dad the Quitter

I wrote two more articles that are out elsewhere. I hope you enjoy them!

Lifehack: 20 Productive Ways to Use Your Free Time

ParentWonder: Dad the Quitter

Let me know what you think!

How to Become a Patient Parent

Every Tuesday is Finance & Family Day at Zen Habits.

I don’t claim to be the world’s most patient parent — but it’s a goal of mine for this year, and it’s something I’m dedicated to becoming. Every parent loses his or her patience — it’s a fact of life. There are no perfect angels when it comes to moms and dads — we all get frustrated or angry and lose it from time to time.

But patience can be developed over time — it’s a habit, and like any other habit, it just takes some focus.

Here’s a list of 10 great tips and methods I’m trying out and experimenting with to help me become a more patient parent:

The Coolest, Cheapest Mother’s Day Gift Ever

Want to show your mom that you love her, but don’t have a lot of cash? Here’s the cheapest gift you can give:

Write her a blog post.

This one’s for you, mom. And for my wife, Eva, who is another great mom. I love you both! You are both amazing moms.

About my mom: She’s the most positive, caring, generous person I know. She was an incredible mom throughout my childhood, getting us through tough times and making them not tough at all. She’s always supportive, always helpful, and a wonderful grandma!

About Eva: She’s my soulmate, and an awesome mother to our kids. She made the sacrifice to stop teaching for a few years to stay home with our two youngest babies, and they are so much better off for it. She is extremely loving and supportive, and I could not do anything without her.

Happy Mother’s Day!

How to be a Great Dad - 12 Awesome Tips

Every Tuesday is Finance & Family Day at Zen Habits.

I’m often asked about raising six kids, and being productive and achieving goals and changing habits in the midst of raising so many kids. But here’s the thing: I do all the other stuff, the productivity stuff, because of my kids.

They, and my wife, are my reason for being.

It is my lifelong goal to be the best dad possible, and while there are many ways I can still improve, I think I’m a pretty great dad already, when I sit back and think about it. I know there are some readers who are just starting out in their careers as dads, and this post is for you.

How can you be a great dad? As always, my list of tips:

Organize Your Family with a Family Binder

Every Tuesday is Finance & Family Day at Zen Habits.

I’ve had a lot of questions and comments about raising six kids, which I have to admit is a bit of a challenge (and one that I thoroughly enjoy!). Most questions arise around the finances of a large family (which I’ve addressed before) and how to stay organized. I’ll address one of my favorite hacks for the latter question - our Family Binder.

Basically, there’s a lot of different information your family needs on a regular basis that often ends up being scattered around the house. The Family Binder makes it easy to keep everything together, in one reference book.

Putting one together is easy: Just get any kind of three-ring binder, and a bunch of plastic sheet protectors. Then just print out a bunch of forms (you can make your own, as I usually do, or find them on the internet) that you can fill in as needed.

What goes in the family binder? Anything you need. Here are some ideas (including some that I use) — but you should feel free to customize it as needed: