Tips and Tricks – My Offroad Family

Kids and the Clean Up Expectations

We don’t assign “chores” in our house. Or at least that is not the phrase we use. Our kids (ages 9, 7, and almost 4) are expected to help maintain and clean up after themselves. They know whatever toys they get out they will be the ones to clean it up. They are responsible forContinue reading “Kids and the Clean Up Expectations”

Let Them Take Risks

Parents don’t want to see their kids get hurt (at least not the decent ones). But it is an important part of growing up to experience splinters or scraped-up knees. The important part isn’t the injury itself but the “risky” play the kids were doing that created it. Learning how to assess and manage riskContinue reading “Let Them Take Risks”

How to Clean a Motorcycle or ATV Helmet

We require our kids to wear their helmets whenever they are riding their ATVs. Unless it’s the short distance from the barn to where we get everything set to start riding so about 25m. Our kids are still learning and growing in their riding skills and with most of our trails being lined with treesContinue reading “How to Clean a Motorcycle or ATV Helmet”

Safety (and Convenience): ATV/ORV Flags

Depending on where you ride, an ATV/ORV flag may be a required piece of safety equipment. Generally, these are needed on public dunes to help riders spot others earlier when they may be on the other side of a dune and must be mounted before entering the park. Our kids are not old enough toContinue reading “Safety (and Convenience): ATV/ORV Flags”

Tip – Know Your State and Local ATV/ORV Laws

It is important to learn and know any restrictions or requirements you and your family members will have to abide by based on wherever you plan on riding. Laws vary from state to state. Heck, laws vary from community to community within the same state about ATVs/ORVs being allowed to ride on paved and publicContinue reading “Tip – Know Your State and Local ATV/ORV Laws”

Tip – Warm Up Laps

Last fall when the boys got their own ATVs the hubs and I agreed that they will always have to do two (maybe three) warm up laps. They are 8 and 6 so half the time they remember all of the rules and think they’re invincible. Then the other half they seemed to forget everythingContinue reading “Tip – Warm Up Laps”

Tip – Blizzard Conditions

Welp parts of the Midwest experienced blizzard-like conditions in the last 48 hours. In addition to making the routine trip to the store to pick up some essentials (coffee for me and snacks for the boys), it also meant we needed to break out the Polaris snowplow we have for the Sportsman 500. Most ofContinue reading “Tip – Blizzard Conditions”