To Spank or Not to Spank?

Daddy Planet thought we would discuss a hot button topic with dads, spanking. Most surveys show that anywhere between 60-90% of parents spank their children on a regular basis as for misbehavior, depending on which survey.

However, there are still many critics out there who do not believe in any form of punishment for a child's misbehavior, except for a "time-out". A "time-out" is where a child is punished by sitting in their room or a corner without having any activities or playing with their toys. Does this work? Does this provide an education to the child that their misbehavior should not occur again?

Daddy Planet views spanking as a tool that is used as a last resort and to only educate the child when they are misbehaving, and/or misbehaving in a manner that could endanger themselves now or in the future. Spanking is an important educational tool in raising a child in our world today. Spanking is a tool to change a behavior or a mentality that is misguided and headed in the wrong direction. Spanking does work, and to see surveys with high numbers of parents who use spanking as a tool, suggests that parents do see that spanking works and works well.

Who is the disciplinarian in your household? Dad or Mom? Both? We would love to hear your feedback on spanking and other ideas of disciplining children when the behavior is in need of adjustment.

Orphan Movie Review

The "Orphan" movie came out this weekend and finished 4th in weekend sales. However, the "Orphan" might have been the best movie of the weekend. An exciting thriller that kept you on the end of your seat for over two hours.

A traditional family adopted a girl from an orphanage(their 3rd child), the orphan was supposedly a 9 year old girl from Russia who was polite, charming, and very articulate. The girl turned out to be anything but a well behaved 9 year old. In reality she was a terrorizing murderer who was 33 years old and had escaped from a mental institution. She literally put the family through hell and more.

The movie gave us insight into adoption, alcholism, marriage, and how a family connects with a new person coming into the family. Daddy Planet recommends this movie to anyone looking for an exciting, but scary movie that will keep you thinking. Let us know what you think of the movie.

Date night ideas for dads!

Dads are always thinking of a great date night with their significant other, the wife, or girlfriend. Daddy Planet strongly recommends having a date night once per week, usually a Friday or Saturday night. Call the grandparents or babysitter up and have them watch the kids. So you are thinking, dinner and a movie, ok, or wings and drinks, sure, but we have some other ideas that can spice up your date night.

Date Night Ideas:
1. The traditional-- Movie and Dinner.
2. Try a theme night--Mexican food and dancing
3. Live entertainment- maybe a local concert
4. Rent a movie, order take out, and cuddle on the couch.
5. Hit a karaoke bar, and sing with each other all night.
6. Head to a local park for a picnic, hiking, and sightseeing.
7. Pick a museum that you both enjoy.
8. Look for a local festival, carnival, or street fair.
9. Go shoot some pool.
10. Take a house tour.
11. Go swimming at a local pool or lake.
12. If it is October, find a haunted house and take a tour.
13. If it is Christmas, find a Christmas tour in a local town.
14. Go out to the airport and watch the planes overhead.
15. Visit a local pottery place and make a piece of pottery together.
16. Take a walk on the beach or canal.
17. Go for a late night boat ride.
18. Go to the mall for a night of shopping.
19. Head to the symphony for a performance.
20. Look for your local bowling alley.
21. Look for a local golf ball hitting range.
22. Riding bikes on a trail.
23. Ice Skating.
24. Go to a theater house where dinner and a production is live.
25. Visit an art gallery around the city.
26. Go to the horsetrack and bet on the ponies.
27. Head out to a local winery.
28. A night of dancing.
29. Go to an ice cream bar and try all the samples
30. A bubble bath with candles.

Ok, did we give you some great date night ideas or what? If this does not spice up your date night, I am not sure what will. Daddy Planet thinks you should give all 30 a try throughout the year with your significant other. Love to hear your ideas and comments.

Dads, Kids, & Sports!

Daddy Planet loves sports, and thinks it is great that Dads and their children join their local community sports programs. In today's world, kids need exercise, and so do us dads.

When is the best time to enroll your child in the local sports programs? Most local communities have sporting programs that begin at age 3. Dads can request to be a coach, assistant coach, or a helper. Most programs offer basketball, baseball, soccer, swimming, golf, and a few others at age 3. At age 5, tennis and football come into play as well as a few other sports.

Where to look for the sporting programs in your community? Look online for the local sports programs for youth, or contact your Boys and Girls club, YMCA, or another facility that focuses on youth and sports.

How much do they cost? It depends on each program and what they offer, and the length of the program. We have seen programs from $30-70.00 dollars, some last 4 weeks and others last 8 weeks. Some give out all the equipment needed for the sport, including a trophy and tshirt, others do not. Check out the details of each program, and ask questions.

Your child will love learning a new sport, meeting new friends, and the bonding experience with Dad. Daddy Planet knows Dad will enjoy it too!

The Jug Barbecue Sauce

Daddy Planet is always doing product reviews, and this product was delicious. If you are looking to grill out this summer or even just cooking inside and you want a barbecue sauce that is just perfect for steaks, hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, bratwurst, turkey, etc, this bbq sauce called The Jug, is excellent.

The Jug bbq sauce is sometimes hard to find at your local stores, so ask the manager to carry the product. The Jug has been a family favorite of mine for over 15 years, and seems to becoming increasingly popular with bbq enthusiasts. So dads out there, if you are looking for a bbq sauce that compliments all of your meats, check out The Jug.

Ways To Save Money!

Daddy Planet knows these are some tough times out here with the recession, families losing jobs, and slow growth. So we have come up with some ideas in which we all can save money. 1. We all hate having to find, clip, and carry coupons to the grocery store, but you know what, it saves us money! Find those weekly Sunday coupons in the paper and cut them out, look for coupons online, there are tons of coupon sites all over the internet, and they have some huge savings. You will be shocked by how much you can save on grocery items, appliances, every day needs, etc.

2.When going to work, make your lunch, put it in a brown bag or sack and take it to work. Saves you time and money, instead of having to go buy a fast food lunch somewhere.

3. Outline a budget for your household. Use an excel spreadsheet or even paper to manage your money, bills, and spending. Don't forget to budget for emergencies, whether it be school costs for your kids, a damaged car, or a house issue.

4. Take advantage of all of your credit card rewards programs. Look at each credit card that you have and make sure you are enrolled in the cash back rewards program. Some programs are up to 5% cash back, which will allow you retrieve gift cards or cash back to pay your monthly bill. It saves money.

5. If you have a house or apartment that is spacious and you are struggling to pay that monthly rent or mortgage, run an ad or ask a friend to share the extra space for half of the monthly cost.

6. Instead of using credit cards for every day purchases, switch to cash. You will be more likely to watch the spending when using cash and the interest rate meter will not be running.

7. Cook your meals at home. Eating out is expensive. Try cutting back to only one day a week eating out at a restaurant. You will be amazed by how much this saves.

8. If you use a cell phone and a home phone, cut the home phone out. Just use your cell phone, the rates are better today than ever and tons of minutes.

9. Look for items at garages sales, flea markets, craigslist, ebay, and all places that will save you money.

10. Have a big home project coming up? Can you do it yourself? If you can, then do it yourself, you will save a lot of money in comparison to hiring someone for the project.

11. Save those nickels, dimes, quarters, and even those pennies! Cash them in monthly. It all adds up.

12. Don't forget about carpooling, it will save you money.

13. Lastly, keep in mind when buying things if you really need them, I use the motto, if it collects dust don't but it. And if you have things that collect dust, sell them.

Daddy Planet would love to have your feedback and any other money saving ideas!

Ready to Grill Out? Coupon

Daddy Planet ran across another great deal and this one is for anyone who purchases a grill from Sears receives 20% off all grill accessories. Here is the printable coupon:http://blogs.mysears.com/coupon_grilling.html

Catch other great deals from Daddy Planet this week.

Another Great Deal

Borders Books Music & Cafe has a great deal on their website offering a printable 20% coupon. Daddy Planet is always looking to find great deals for our readers and this offer is definitely a great deal. The coupon is here: bordersmedia.com/visitborders

Stay tuned for more great deals.

"Bruno" Movie Review

So the movie "Bruno" finished the week in the #1 spot right above the Ice Age movie. The revenue numbers on Friday were strong, but the revenue numbers on Saturday and Sunday took a nosedive. I know why the movie revenue numbers took a nosedive, the word spread quickly that the "Bruno" movie just wasn't what we thought it would be.

"Bruno" was marketed as a funny comedy that would have us laughing to no end, however, the movie was not funny at all, it was extremely graphic, anti-family, anti-dad, and anti-anything good. This movie ranks in my top 3 worst movies ever made, and I predict the sales will continue to take a nosedive.

I would recommend spending your hard earned money on another movie besides Bruno. It is a waste of your time, money, and mind. I would love to hear your comments, let me know what you think of the movie "Bruno".

Dads Love Deals!

Dads Love Deals, and Daddy Planet will have coupon codes on the website every week. Daddy Planet has 7 coupon codes that are sure to save you money this Summer. Some of these coupons have exclusions that do apply.
Petco.com has the coupon code of Report10 for 10% off any item. Expires December 31st.
Kmart has the coupon code of Kmart5OFF50 for $5.00 off $50.00 dollars.
Office Depot has the coupon code of 23387270 for 10% off an order. Expires July 17th.
Kohls has 10% off any order with the coupon code of New2054
BabiesRUs has the coupon code 929329 for $5 off $25.00 or more. Expires July 21st.
Gander Mountain has the coupon code LCSUM for $5 off $50.00. Expires September 30.
The last deal is for a FREE BBQ Bacon Cheddar Roastburger at Arby's with purchase of any soft drink. The coupon expires July 12th and is available to print off at arbys.com/coupon

Let us know if you have ran across any great coupon deals and we will post them on DaddyPlanet.

Dads and their coffee

Dads love coffee! Ok, most dads love coffee. I am one of those dads who simply can't wait for morning to come so I can have another large cup of steaming hot coffee. I could drink coffee all day if the caffeine wouldn't keep me up all night. I go to the same place everyday for my coffee, Burger King. Yes it is not Starbucks or some glamorous other coffee place, it is just BK. You know what though, I love the Burger King coffee. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the green teas and lattes from Starbucks too, but I am hooked on the BK coffee. Dunkin Donuts has good coffee too, but it seems like you take two sips and it is gone or that it is somewhat like a dessert. McDonald's coffee seems to have a burnt taste to it and I always get a headache afterward. Ok, so I am opinonated on my coffees.

The truth is that Dads love their caffeine(coffee) each morning and it is addictive. Coffee is the drink that keeps us going every day, the drink that we take pride in every morning, and the drink that we can tell our colleagues and family, yes I had my coffee today, did you have yours?
So from one dad to another, did you have your coffee today? Tell me what your favorite coffee is and why? Love to hear your comments.

Ideas for a great July 4th weekend

So where are you headed this July 4th weekend? Big plans or just staying at home? Daddy Planet has a whole host of ideas for you to have a great 4th of July weekend. When I think of the 4th of July, usually fireworks, family, friends, and maybe some bbq all come into the equation. Can you get any better than that?

Well here are some ideas that can make your July 4th even better. Let's start out with activities. Think about the family and what they would most like to do, maybe swimming in the pool, a local waterpark, or a day on the lake. Remember the water guns, water balloons, and the snacks. You can't forget the snacks. Other activities could include friends and family playing cornhole, the new bean bag game if you will. It is a lot of fun and can get everyone involved quickly into the party. If you like cards or board games, go for that too. Sports are also a great option, whether it be volleyball, basketball, baseball, or any other sport that you enjoy.

If you are into the outdoors, think of a nice state park to go camping, fishing, or hiking. You might even bring along the bicycles for the entire family to enjoy. Cook out on the grill, a bbq is always a good idea. Have a picnic with the wife and kids and enjoy the outdoors. Take in a nature trail or go for a jog throughout the park.

If you are staying close to home, you also can visit any of the local museums, parks, events, festivals, movie theaters, malls or concerts, and take your family or friends. Don't forget that most local towns and cities all across the country will have 4th of July parade, so don't miss out on that, kids love parades.

Check the local times for your firework celebration and enjoy the greatest outdoor night time spectacle, the 4th of July. The 4th of July is meant to be spent with family and friends and keep in mind the meaning of the 4th of July and our soldiers that have and are fighting for our country. God Bless America!