The Impact of Fathers on Children's Well-Being

father talking to young son.American families have changed dramatically over the last century. Currently, about half the children in the United States will live apart from their fathers some time during their childhood because their parents have separated and the proportion of births to unmarried women has risen from 5 percent in 1960 to 41 percent in 2011. But a father who is absent from the household may not necessarily be absent from his child’s life. This 5-page fact sheet provides a brief summary of the history of fatherhood in America and discusses the importance of involved fathers, and how mothers, other family members, and adult role models can make a positive impact in a child’s life. Written by Sarah M. Ellis, Yasmin S. Khan, Victor W. Harris, Ricki McWilliams, and Diana Converse, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, October 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1451

Five Steps to Seasonal Savings

Figure 2. Developing a holiday spending plan can make the holidays less stressful for you. When the holiday season is over you may find yourself saying: “Why did I spend all of that money? Why did I wait until the last minute to shop? I don’t even want to think about how long it will take to pay off the credit cards. I hope I didn’t take too much money out of the ATM. Did I buy my mom the same gift twice? I should have had a plan.” By following a few simple steps, you can end this post-holiday hangover. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Ricki McWilliams, Julie Pigott-Dillard, and Michael Gutter, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, January 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1405

Safe Dishwashing Without an Automatic Dishwasher for Home, Community Events, and Outdoor Activities

washing a plate in a basinMost of us are accustomed to the ease and convenience of washing our dishes in an automatic dishwasher. At times, however, no dishwasher is available. This 4-page fact sheet teaches ways to safely wash or clean your dishes by hand, which may be necessary when your dishwasher is broken, you are outdoors, or you are working in a facility without a dishwasher. Written by Morgan Denhard, Amy Simonne, and Ricki McWilliams, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, December 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1403