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Girl Time: Home Maintenance Lessons for Kids

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Filtrete. I am proud to work with 3M and will be sharing more home maintenance information from 3M Filtrete in future posts. I was given key messages to share, but all the words and thoughts are my own.  I have been compensated for my time and for this post.

Back before our now 7-year old Zack was even born, my husband told me he wanted to teach him how to use tools the right way as soon as he was able to handle them.  It was very important to Tom that Zack learn to be self-sufficient in all things DIY, like knowing how to wire electrical or change the oil in a car.  Obviously, Zack wasn’t going to learn to do all of those things as a toddler, but Tom thought starting him off with the learning was a good start.  Tom also told me he wanted to teach Zack how to jump off a roof the right way (there’s a right way?!?), but thankfully that hasn’t happened yet.

As Zack has gotten older, Tom has been teaching him more and more about home maintenance issues.  They used to call such tasks “Guy Stuff,” since it was their special time together.  Now that we have our two-year old daughter Emma, they no longer call it “Guy Stuff.”  Tom thinks it’s just as important that Emma learns to be self sufficient (changing the oil and all), so now they call it “Tool Stuff.”

One of the first tasks that “Guy Stuff” ever covered was changing the air filters in our home.  With the dry conditions, long allergy seasons and desperate need for our air conditioning to function properly here in Texas, we make it a point that we change all of our filters at least every three months.  We’ve recently started using these Filtrete filters from 3M that help keep our a/c system from getting too stressed and reducing the energy consumption needed to get our home down to the 70 degrees I require.

3M Filtrete Filter

Yes.  70 degrees.  I wilt if it’s anything above that.  Hate me.  There’s a reason why we’re so concerned with energy savings around here.  I can grab these filters at Target or Lowe’s when I am there (almost everyday) anyway, so it’s easy to stay on top of keeping them changed.

Anyway, when Tom and Zack started doing their “Guy Stuff,” Tom would open the ladder and help Zack climb up the ladder.  Tom would climb up behind him, and reach up on the ceiling to open the filter cover while holding on to our little tot for safety.  Zack’s job was to give Daddy the new filter and grab the old one from him.  It was so cute to see my little blonde boy up there helping his daddy with such an important job.

Emma has now reached the age that she’s able to help with the same task.  Tom has less time on his hands these days for small home maintenance jobs…because who has time for that when your wife is crazy Lindsay, right?  I have so much big stuff I’d rather have him do around here.  So, Emma and I have taken on the job of replacing our filters.

Actually, it’s now not so much a “job” to me, but instead a moment – and an important one at that.  I love teaching her how to do things around the house outside of the more traditional roles of cooking and cleaning.  “Girl Power” is a real thing around here.  And luckily for me, Emma loves helping, too.

If you normally rely on someone else to change the filters in your home, I encourage you to give it a try yourself.  It’s really as easy as opening the filter cover, removing the dirty filter, inserting the new filter and closing the cover.  It takes longer to get the ladder out of the garage than it does to actually perform this important home maintenance task.

Who changes the filters in your home?  Are you working to teach your kids simple home maintenance skills?  Let me know what you’ve taught them so far.

 Find Filtrete on:

Want to win $30,000 worth of home inspections, repairs and renovations?  Heck yeah, you do! One grand-prize winner will be selected by HGTV’s Mike Holmes, and four first-prize winners will win $5,000.  To enter (through June 30, 2013), visit Facebook.com/Filtrete and “like” the page to visit the contest page.  Then, explain in 1,000 words or less why YOUR home is deserving of a Healthier Home Remodel.  You can also submit up to two photos.  For more details, view the official rules.

About Lindsay Ballard

Lindsay Ballard is a former college mascot turned political geek turned roller derby playing, DIY fanatic.

Lindsay chronicles her projects, design ideas, and lifestyle tips here at Makely, where she shares tutorials and inspiration. Her DIY designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color.

Comments

  1. Danna Brown says

    I dont look quite as cute as the two of you when I’m changing my filters!!! Just changed mine this month.
    Danna

    Reply

  6. Beckie says

    That is so important to teach your kids the value of hard work and taking care of things in your own home. I am all for hiring out the big things but part of home ownership is being responsible for the house as well. That is awesome that you are instilling that in your little ones. Which reminds me…I need to grab another filter. Yikes! I haven’t tried the 3M one yet but i am going to Lowes tonight and will check it out.

    Reply

  7. Sandra says

    I’m so bad about changing my filters regularly. I should totally teach Madison how to do it and give her that chore. That would be easy for her to do.

    Reply

  8. Cindy says

    Um. Hold on. Do all of those vent covers have filters behind them? Because we only ever change the one that’s actually in our HVAC unit in the basement. Please educate me, Girl Power-style.

    Reply

    • Lindsay Ballard says

      Hey Cindy! So, there are two types of covers. The one in your rooms where the air blows out (mine are on my ceiling, but sometimes they are on the floors). Those don’t have filters. Then, there are the ones that suck up the air into the HVAC system – those DO have filters that need to be changed. Does that make sense?

      Reply

      • Cindy says

        That does make sense. Dear God, I didn’t even know those intake vents had filters. Oopsie. *choking on imaginary dust now that I know* Tell Filtrete that you have done a good deed for a reader. Another reason to meet and squeeze you at Haven. haha

        Reply

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