In today's episode of the Dad Tired podcast, I'll talk about what it means to expand your influence as a dad.

But first, I want to thank my friends over at Make A Fort for sponsoring today's episode.

One of the key indicators to me as a dad that I've purchased a good Christmas gift for my kids is the fact that they're still playing with it weeks later.

Literally as I record this episode my kids are upstairs, a fort using the make a fort

kits from make a fort dot fun when Loele and I are searching for good gifts to

give our kids we have three things that we look for number one does the toy

require batteries? I hate

batteries. I hate replacing them. I hate all the noises that battery

operated toys create. I just don't want anything

with batteries in the house. I want my kids to

use toys that don't require them. Number two, does it require my children to use

their imagination? I want to get them toys that require them to think, not toys that do the thinking for them.

And number three, I know it's a good toy when it can capture their attention for hours on end.

This is why I love the forts that the Make A Fort Company provides. Their forts are made from durable cardboard. They can be used over and over again. They can be configured countless ways so your kids can create something new every time and it's easily cleaned up and

stored with their provided carrying case when not in use.

If you're wanting to get your kids off screens and allow them to be creative with their

imagination you must check out, make a fort dot fun right now for a very limited time you can get five dollars off your purchase by going to make a fort dot fun

forward slash dad tired again we'll put that link in the show notes but it's make a fort dot fun

forward slash dad tired and you'll get five dollars off your fort kit right now. This week I was teaching my kids how to properly shake someone's hand and it brought up a very vivid memory for me.

I had this like flashback, very vivid

flashback. I remember being around eight or nine years old and my mom had

taken me to church. I think she was just desperate for me to, she was a

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