Home & Garage

Fix it, build it, maintain it. The house is the biggest thing you own — act like it.

The BRO Code. What to do, what not to do, and a few laughs on the way.

Your kid just repeated something from school. Keep your face still.

The first five seconds after your child says "my teacher said" decide whether you'll hear the next thing, and the thing after that.

GuideMomsNina CastellanOct 12, 20265 min

Build a parents' group the principal returns calls for

Two hundred signatures on a petition get a polite email. Six organized moms with a one-page ask get a meeting. Here's how to be the six.

Ask BRO

Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

Ask it

GuideSkillsSam OrtizOct 13, 20265 min

Teach your family SOS before they ever need it

Three short, three long, three short. It takes ten minutes to learn, and a whistle and a flashlight are all the gear it needs.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

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Dads5 min read

Your buddy said it at the grill. Your kid heard you not answer.

A friend repeats an old lie about the Jews and everyone studies their drinks. What to say in the moment, the next day, and in the truck on the way home.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

StoryNewsJosh HalloranOct 12, 20265 min

What the FBI's hate crime numbers say about antisemitism

Jews are about 2 percent of the country and the target in roughly two-thirds of religion-based hate crimes. Here's what the official count does and doesn't show.

GuideSkillsDean ShawOct 13, 20266 min

Bow saw, folding saw: cutting firewood and poles without bleeding

A hand saw won't take your leg off like a chainsaw. It'll still open your thumb, and almost always the hand that's holding the wood.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

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GuideSchool & LearningMarcus ValeOct 12, 20265 min

Ask to see the curriculum, and ask the right way

You have more right to see what your kid is taught than most schools let on. Here's what to ask for, who to ask, and how to keep the door open.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideStyleTobias ReedOct 12, 20265 min

Tall and thin men have a length problem, not a size problem

Sleeves that ride up, shirts that escape the belt, pants that stop at the ankle. The fixes are cheap, and none of them involve looking bigger.

GuideSkillsWes DunbarOct 13, 20265 min

A needle, heavy thread and a few feet of tape will get you home

A torn pack, a split seam or a dead tent pole doesn't have to end the trip. Here's the repair kit that weighs almost nothing, and the order to use it in.

Ask BRO

Pressure-test my business idea

Ask it

BRO TakeFamilyNina CastellanOct 12, 20265 min

Taking drag story hour to the library board, the right way

Parents objecting have real reasons. Three minutes at a microphone is where you make them count, and most people waste it.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

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GuideMomsNina CastellanOct 12, 20266 min

Opting Out Without Starting a War

You have more say over what your child sits through at school than most parents realize. Use it with a short letter and a steady tone.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideSkillsSam OrtizOct 12, 20266 min

Put a knife in your kid's hands, and teach the rules first

A sharp knife, a stick of basswood, and a circle drawn in the dirt. The first carving lesson, in the order it's actually done.

GuideDadsMarcus ValeOct 12, 20265 min

Three minutes at the microphone won't change anything by itself

The speech is the last step, not the first. Here's the order that gets a school board to act, and what to do the morning after.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

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StoryNewsJosh HalloranOct 12, 20265 min

Parents and library boards are fighting in court, not just at meetings

The argument over children's books and programs has moved to federal courts and statehouses. Here's what's been decided, what hasn't, and where parents still have leverage.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.