Family vacation hacks: Reduce your stress levels by following these tips

I’m Alpman Ilker, a professional contractor, muscle and classic car enthusiast, and full-time dad. I love going on long trips with my family. I’d rather do that than anything else. However, I have to admit, it can be very tiring and at times, stressful. Any parent who’s reading will know what I’m talking about.

Because of this, I’ve put together a few tips on how to reduce your stress levels if you’re going on a vacation with your children.

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Food, books, and handheld devices

On a trip, children can get pretty restless, and the constant “are-we-there-yet” can be incredibly irritating especially if you’ve driven for over four hours and you’re tired. However, if you bring along food, books, or handheld devices, these distractions can keep kids off your back, at least until you get to a rest spot, or your destination.

Stop-overs

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While stop-overs may extend your travel time, it beats the monotony of staying inside the car. All of you will have the chance to go down, stretch a little and snack up. Choose stop-over points that are scenic and spacious so kids can release their energy by running around. It lessens their boredom as well.

Car-aoke

When you sense your children are starting to get restless, pop in a CD in the car radio, one with songs that all of you can sing along to. This is good for about 30 to 40 minutes. Remember, it’s all about lowering their energy levels and lessening the boredom. A tried-and-tested Alpman Ilker strategy.

Hi there, my name is Alpman Ilker, and I am a family man from Denver, Colorado. I make sure that I get to spend time with my two children Sarah and Tom, and my loving wife, Susan. I prioritize my family more than my work or my hobby. For more on what I do, visit this page.

Family activities parents should never take for granted

My name is Alpman Ilker. I’m husband and a father. Even though I have a full-time job, my family still takes priority over everything. I find it sad whenever I see parents who overlook the little things that make life worth living such as activities families can do together. With technology and smartphones taking up all our time and attention, it’s very easy to take for granted things that can bring families closer together.

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Take for instance breakfast. I’ve often considered dinner to be the most important meal for a family because it’s where everyone gets to touch base after a long day – but breakfast is almost as important. It’s the time of day for families to share their plans for the day, and ask for assistance if they need any.

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Another great activity, albeit one that requires constant supervision, is reorganizing furniture. I do it all the time. Sometimes, the wife and I even have our kids come up with the look of the living room before we move stuff around. It’s a great way to share our creative visions of what we want out of a house.

However, the ol’ Alpman Ilker favorite is one of the simplest things – a weekly family movie. What we do in the Ilker household is have one of us choose the movie of the week. After watching, we talk about the things we liked and didn’t like about it and how we would change the movie. It’s loads of fun.

Alpman Ilker here. I’m a general contractor at a construction firm in Denver, Colorado. Aside from being a contractor, I am a doting father, husband, and pet parent. For more updates, visit this blog.

Materials needed for sustainable construction

I’m Alpman Ilker, family guy, classic car aficionado, and contractor. I’ve shared a lot of insights on being a dad and a car enthusiast. Today however, I’ll be discussing two things I think are very important: sustainable construction and the materials needed to complete green projects.

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Sustainable (or green construction) refers to the environment-friendly process of building a structure. From the project’s construction to its demolition, every step requires a greener approach. One of these steps is getting materials.

Here are some of the materials used for green construction.

Bamboo

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Bamboo is strong and reliable. Having it in homes allows for cleaner area. Using it in an even bigger area such as the urban landscape holds a lot of promise for the environment. Bamboo is easy to grow and harvest and makes for good building material.

Recycled plastic

From becoming a hazard to the environment to a part of a building, recyclable plastic plays a big role in green construction. Instead of allowing it to stay in the environment where it can do a lot of damage to plants and wildlife everywhere, engineers have found a way to incorporate this material in the building of houses and buildings.

Grasscrete

Grasscrete is relatively new technology. It is concrete flooring that allows grass to grow. Because of this, water is absorbed at a higher rate. This is great for places where flooding is the norm. And just like bamboo and other plant life, it makes the air cleaner and cooler.

Hi there! My name is Alpman Ilker. I work as a general contractor from Denver, CO, but my main responsibility is my family. My passion lies in classic cars. To know more about what I do, visit this page.

Planning ahead: Summer camp essentials

In just a few months, many parents I know will be sending their children to summer camp. This is an experience I, Alpman Ilker, cherish because I know how beneficial summer camp can be for my kids. They always come back from it different and better people, filled to the brim with knowledge and great memories.

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However, I noticed how many parents wait until the last minute to get stuff ready for their children. That’s probably fine if you’re an incredibly busy person, but you should also remember that rushing with the preparations is makes a person prone to forgetting some stuff.

Now, whether you’re a someone who plans ahead of time or if you’re the type to wait, I’m sharing with you this short checklist of all the stuff you need to prep for your kids before sending them off to camp. I hope this helps.

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Sleeping bags

Clothes (not so much that there’s no space left in the bag)
Shirts, shorts, swimwear (trunks and rash guards), underwear (pack a week’s more that needed), pajamas, a jacket (or a rain coat), and a sweater

Flip-flops
Hat or a cap
Sunglasses
Sunblock
Insect repellant (spray or lotion)
Water jug
Towel (at least two)
Toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, tissue paper
Hair brush
Laundry bag
Emergency cash

Hi there, my name is Alpman Ilker and I am a family man from Denver, Colorado. I make sure that I get to spend time with my two children Sarah and Tom, and my loving wife, Susan. I prioritize my family more than my work or my hobby. For more on what I do, visit this website.

Four reasons to teach kids about the importance of family

Support from the family is important regardless of one’s age. A family provides for the needs of one another, be it physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual. Without their parents or guardians to look after them, children will be unable to survive and become the best version themselves.

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Children must be taught the value of belonging in the family in ways they can understand. Parents should let them feel confident and unafraid to talk about their feelings and ideas, and they must never be shut down. Letting them know that they are important in building their confidence in their family. Alpman Ilker believes that kids must learn the value of family because family is everything. Through ups and downs, one’s family will always be there support and guide.

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The right kind of support and guidance come from being in a family. While parents are not perfect, they are parents for a reason. They know how to care for and unconditionally love their children. It . Having a sense of family growing up can help a child build relationships with friends that can stand the test of time and sometimes distance.

Alpman Ilker, a father of two, knows that teaching kids about the importance of family gives way to the development of important qualities such as loyalty, honesty, responsibility, and accountability. Children will know that they will be held accountable for their actions and that their loyalty and honesty would only strengthen the relationships they have with their family and friends.

Hi there! My name is Alpman Ilker, and I’m a family man from Denver, Colorado. I make sure that I get to spend time with my two children, Sarah and Tom, and my loving wife Susan. I prioritize my family more than my work or my hobby. Head over to this blog for more updates.

Reflections: Getting the most out of family time

I’m Alpman Ilker, and if there’s one thing I love more than my muscle cars, it’s my family. I’ve been reflecting about it these past weeks, ever since I met up with old friends. They told me that even if they worked from home and spent a lot of time with their families, it just didn’t seem enough, quality-wise.

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 That’s when I got to thinking that more time spent with family doesn’t necessarily equate to having more quality time. There are parents out there who do get to spend a lot of time with their kids but are often distracted by business calls or work they have to do. I realized that spending quality time with people means devoting all your attention to them.

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Take for instance family dinners. Today, family dinners are no longer the experience they were before technology took over everyone’s lives. Nowadays, everyone has their gadgets out at all times, even during meals. Getting the most out of family time means having to set aside these distractions and actually get to talk to family members about their day. It also means allowing everyone to take turns in sharing about their experiences and concerns.

By no means am I Alpman Ilker, Father of the Year, but I try to be. I try my best to teach my kids how to survive on their own by doing basic chores around the house. I also feel like it’s key to quality time to have these meaningful routines wherein all of you work together to keep the house intact.
Do you have any suggestions for quality family time? Feel free to share them with us in the comments section below.

Alpman Ilker is a true-blue family man from Denver, Colorado. He is also a general contractor for a construction company. More reads like this here.

Wheel talk: Advantages of owning a classic car

Not everyone appreciates and understands the value of owning a classic car. Some family members might think that it’s a waste of time to have a classic convertible Chevy in your garage which you bring out just a few times a year. Obviously, car enthusiasts would disagree. This is because owning a classic car has its own set of advantages. Here are a few examples of those advantages.

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Values just go up: Unless you’re treating your classic car like a rundown toaster you can’t seem to dispose of, the value of your classic car will keep appreciating over time. Since manufacturers no longer create certain models, the number of remaining models gets fewer and fewer. This is why collectors pay such a high price for rare cars. If you own a particularly rare classic car, potentially selling it for more than its worth is certainly a possibility.

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You can teach kids the value of responsibility: Taking care of a classic car is a good example for teaching kids how to be responsible. Of course, you won’t delegate the task to them. You lead by example. Teach your kids the intricacies of maintaining a classic car and the reasons why you do so. Besides responsibility, they can learn how to appreciate valuables better, the importance of looking ahead, and persistence.

They just ooze with style: They don’t make cars the way they used to. Bringing out your classic car for a spin will surely turn heads as youngsters, as well as car enthusiasts, would marvel at the sight of a classic.

Hi there, my name is Alpman Ilker and I am a family man from Denver, Colorado. I make sure that I get to spend time with my two children Sarah and Tom, and my loving wife, Susan. I prioritize my family more than my work or my hobby. For more on what I do, visit this website.