Terms starting with F

Every Buhata Life Terms entry that starts with F, with its short definition.

F

FAA-approved car seatA child car seat labeled as certified for use in both motor vehicles and aircraft, so it can be used in a child's ticketed airplane seat.

FAFSAThe Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the U.S. Department of Education form a student files each year to apply for federal aid for college or career school.

Fair Play methodEve Rodsky's system, from her book Fair Play, for splitting household work: partners deal out task cards, and each owns a card fully, from planning to doing.

Fair share of choresThe portion of a household's chores each person takes on, judged against what everyone agrees is fair given their other work and commitments.

Family budget meetingA planned, regular sit-down where the people who share a household's money look at the budget together, make decisions and agree who does what next.

Family command centerOne central spot at home, often a wall by the entry or in the kitchen, where the family keeps its shared calendar, papers, lists and everyday items.

Family emergency planA written plan a household agrees on ahead of time for how it will reach each other, where it will meet and what it will do in a disaster or emergency.

Family media planA written set of family rules about screens and media, such as screen-free times and places, that each household makes to fit its own routines and values.

Family meetingA short, regular sit-down where everyone in the household shares news, looks ahead at the week and makes decisions together.

Family mission statementA short written statement, made together, of what a family values and how its members want to treat each other and spend their time.

Family movie nightA regular evening when the household watches a movie together, picked in turns, with phones put away and a chat about it afterward.

Family routinesThe regular, predictable ways a household handles the repeating parts of the day, such as mornings, meals, homework, chores and bedtime.

Family rulesA short list of clear, specific statements about the behavior a family expects, agreed on by the adults and applied the same way every time.

Family vacationA trip taken together by a parent or parents and their children, usually planned around school breaks, the children's ages and a shared budget.

Father's DayA U.S. holiday honoring fathers, held on the third Sunday in June, first celebrated in Spokane, Washington, in 1910 and made a national holiday in 1972.

Faucet aeratorThe small screened cap on the tip of a faucet spout that shapes the stream and limits how much water flows through.

Federal student loanA student loan made by the U.S. Department of Education, with a fixed rate set by law and federal repayment plans and protections.

Fee-only advisorAn advisor paid only by the client, through hourly, flat, retainer or asset-based fees, who takes no commissions on the products they recommend.

Feelings wheelA circle chart of emotion words, with a few core feelings in the middle and more precise words around them, used to find the right name for what you feel.

Ferber methodA sleep training method, also called graduated extinction, where parents check on a crying baby at timed intervals that lengthen over time.

FICO scoreA credit score made by the company FICO from your credit report; base FICO Scores, including the widely used FICO Score 8, run from 300 to 850.

FiduciaryA person or firm with a legal duty to act in someone else's best interest; investment advisers owe this duty to the clients they advise.

Filing statusThe category you file your federal return under, one of five the IRS sets, which decides your tax rates and standard deduction and depends on your marital status at year end.

Financial advisorA general job title for someone who helps with money and investment decisions; the title alone says nothing about their license, training or duty to you.

Financial anxietyOngoing worry or unease about money, your bills or how you handle your finances, sometimes with physical signs such as lost sleep.

Financial goalsSpecific targets for your money, such as an emergency fund, paying off a card or a down payment, each with an amount and a date.

Financial independenceHaving enough savings, investments or other income to cover your living costs without needing a paycheck from a job.

Financial infidelityKeeping money secrets from a partner you share finances with, such as hiding purchases, debt, income or a separate account.

Financial literacy for kidsThe money skills, habits and knowledge children build over time, from waiting for something they want to budgeting, saving and weighing choices.

Fine motor skillsSmall, precise movements of the wrists, hands and fingers, like picking up small bits of food, scribbling, stringing beads or doing buttons.

Finger foodsSmall, soft pieces of food a baby picks up and feeds to themselves, usually begun once they sit up and can bring food to their mouth.

Fire escape planA household's agreed way out in a fire: two exits from every room, an outside meeting place, and a drill practiced at least twice a year.

Fire extinguisherA handheld tank that sprays an agent to put out a small fire, labeled with the classes of fire (such as A, B and C) it is approved for.

FIRE movementA personal finance approach, short for financial independence, retire early, built on saving a large share of income so that work becomes optional early.

First wordsThe first real words a baby says on purpose; CDC's checklists expect most children to try one or two words besides mama or dada by 15 months.

First-then boardA two-part picture board showing a child the task to do now (first) and the activity that follows (then), often something they enjoy.

Fixed expensesCosts that stay about the same every month, such as rent, a car payment or an insurance premium, usually due on a set date.

Fixed interest rateAn interest rate that's set when you borrow and stays the same for the life of the loan, so the monthly payment doesn't change.

Fixed mindsetThe belief that abilities like intelligence and talent are fixed and can't change much, a term from psychologist Carol Dweck's research.

Flexible spending accountAn account through your employer that lets you set aside pretax pay for eligible medical costs; for 2026 you can put in up to $3,400, mostly spent within the plan year.

FlextimeA work schedule that lets employees pick their start and finish times within limits, as long as they work the required hours and are there for core hours.

Flying with a babyAir travel with a child under 2, which starts with one choice: a lap infant on an adult's lap, or a ticketed seat with an FAA-approved car seat.

FMLAThe Family and Medical Leave Act, a federal law giving eligible employees up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave a year for family and medical reasons.

Food neophobiaA child's reluctance or fear of trying unfamiliar foods, a normal stage that researchers say peaks around ages 2 to 6.

ForbearanceA temporary pause or reduction in loan payments that a lender or servicer allows, while interest usually keeps building on the balance.

Foreign transaction feeA fee a card provider charges, usually a percentage of the transaction, when you use the card in another country or pay in a foreign currency.

Formative assessmentQuick, frequent checks a teacher uses during lessons to see what students understand and adjust teaching while learning is still under way.

Formula feedingFeeding a baby commercial infant formula, made exactly as its label says, instead of or alongside breast milk.

Four-day workweekA schedule with four working days a week, either 40 hours packed into four longer days or fewer total hours at the same pay.

Fourth trimesterThe weeks after a baby is born, treated by ACOG as a stage of care in its own right, with provider contact in 3 weeks and a full visit by 12 weeks.

Fraud alertA note on your credit report asking lenders to verify your identity before opening credit; you place it at one bureau, which must tell the other two.

Free and reduced lunchFederal school meals at no cost or a reduced price for children whose household income is at or under 130 or 185 percent of the poverty guidelines, or who qualify another way.

Free-range parentingA parenting approach, named by Lenore Skenazy, that gives children age-appropriate freedom to do things alone, like walking to school or playing outside unwatched.

Freelance ratesWhat a freelancer charges clients, usually by the hour or project, set high enough to cover their own costs and taxes as well as their pay.

FreelancingWorking for yourself, selling your skills to different clients by the project or the hour instead of holding a long-term job with one employer.

Freezer stashA supply of expressed breast milk frozen ahead of time, often built before a parent goes back to work or has to be away from the baby.

Fridge deep cleanA full clean of the refrigerator with the food and shelves out, the parts washed, and the inside cleaned and sanitized, beyond wiping up spills.

Fridge water filterThe replaceable cartridge that filters water for a refrigerator's dispenser and ice maker, usually changed about every six months.

Friendship maintenanceThe everyday effort that keeps a friendship going, which researchers group into four behaviors: positivity, supportiveness, openness and spending time together.

Friendship skillsThe abilities that help a child make and keep friends, such as sharing, taking turns, joining in, handling disagreements and caring how a friend feels.

Frozen pipesWater pipes in which the water has turned to ice, blocking the flow and building pressure that can split the pipe and flood the house once it thaws.

Frugal livingA way of living that spends carefully and avoids waste, so more of your money goes to the things you value most.

Furnace maintenanceThe routine care a furnace needs: a monthly filter check, a yearly professional cleaning and inspection before heating season, and a working carbon monoxide alarm.