Terms starting with R

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

R

Radon testA measurement of the radon gas in a home's air, read in picocuries per liter (pCi/L). EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or more.

Rainy day activitiesThings for children to do indoors when bad weather cancels outdoor plans, ideally mixing active play with quieter projects.

Rainy day fundSavings for unplanned costs. Some banks mean a smaller cushion for minor surprises; the Federal Reserve's survey uses it as another name for emergency savings.

Range hood filterThe screen in a kitchen range hood that traps grease, and in ductless hoods a charcoal filter too. Grease filters get washed; charcoal filters get replaced.

Rapid loggingThe Bullet Journal's shorthand: short entries marked with a dot for tasks, a circle for events and a dash for notes, plus symbols for priority and status.

Reading aloudReading a book out loud with a child, from birth on. The AAP advises it because shared reading builds language, early literacy skills and the parent-child bond.

Reading logA simple record, often sent home by a teacher, where a child notes what they read, for how long or how many pages, sometimes with a parent's signature.

Real incomeIncome adjusted for inflation, so it measures what your pay can buy. The dollar amount before that adjustment is called nominal income.

RebateMoney paid back to you after you've paid full price, such as a mail-in rebate from a store or manufacturer; a return of part of a payment.

Receiving giftsOne of Gary Chapman's five love languages: feeling loved through thoughtful gifts, where the thought and effort behind the gift matter more than its price.

Recipe scalingChanging how much a recipe makes by multiplying every ingredient by one conversion factor: the yield you want divided by the yield it makes.

RecyclingCollecting used materials such as paper, cardboard, glass and some plastics so they can be processed and made into new products.

Reef-safe sunscreenA marketing label for sunscreen meant to signal it won't harm coral; no regulator defines the term, so the active ingredients list is what to check.

RefinancingReplacing a loan you already have with a new one, usually to get a lower rate, a different term or a different payment.

Reggio Emilia approachAn approach to early childhood education from the city of Reggio Emilia, Italy, shaped by Loris Malaguzzi, that sees children as capable researchers with a hundred languages.

Remote customer service payWhat customer service representatives earn when they work from home; BLS put the median for all customer service representatives at $21.53 an hour in May 2025.

Remote workDoing your job from somewhere other than your employer's workplace, most often from home, for some or all of the workweek.

Rent reportingHaving your rent payments added to your credit reports, through your landlord or a reporting service, so on-time rent can count toward some credit scores.

Rent-to-ownAn agreement to rent an item such as furniture or a TV for weekly or monthly payments, with the option to own it after paying for the full term.

Renters insuranceA policy for tenants that pays to repair or replace their belongings, covers liability for harm they cause others, and pays extra living costs after a covered loss.

Repair attemptAny word or gesture during an argument that tries to calm things down and keep it from escalating, like a joke, an apology or "can we take a break?"

Report card(1) The school's periodic report of a student's grades to parents; (2) the yearly public report on school and district results that ESSA requires states and districts to publish.

ResilienceThe capacity to adapt and keep developing well in the face of hardship. In children it's built above all through a stable, supportive relationship with an adult.

Resting meatLeaving cooked meat off the heat for a set time before cutting or eating it; USDA lists at least 3 minutes for whole cuts of red meat.

Restorative practicesA school approach that builds relationships and, when someone causes harm, brings the people affected together to talk it through and agree how to make it right.

ResumeA short document that sums up your work history, skills, education and results for an employer, usually sent with a job application.

Resume gapA stretch of months or years with no paid job on your work history, often from caregiving, health, study, a layoff or a long job search.

Return on ad spend (ROAS)The revenue, or other conversion value, that ads bring in divided by what the ads cost, shown as a ratio or a percentage.

Return on investment (ROI)A percentage comparing what an investment earned with what it cost: the gain minus the cost, divided by the cost, times 100.

Return to officeAn employer policy that calls staff who worked remotely back to the workplace for some or all of the week, often called an RTO mandate.

Returning to work after babyThe move back to a job after parental leave, which brings new childcare costs, a pumping plan for some parents, and federal rights worth knowing before day one.

ReturnshipA paid, short-term program, often 12 to 16 weeks, that helps an experienced professional return to work after a career break, sometimes called a re-entry internship.

Reverse budgetingA budget that moves savings out first on payday and lets bills and everyday spending share whatever is left, without a limit for each category.

Revolving creditCredit you can borrow, repay and borrow again up to a set limit, such as a credit card or a line of credit.

RIE parentingAn approach to caring for babies and toddlers, from Magda Gerber's Resources for Infant Educarers, built on respect, trust in the baby's abilities and unhurried care.

Right to disconnectA legal right for employees to ignore work contact outside working hours, or a rule that employers set limits on it, depending on the country.

Risky playThrilling play with a real chance of a small injury, like climbing high, going fast or rough-and-tumble games, where the child judges the risk for themselves.

Rituals of connectionSmall, predictable routines a family or couple repeats to stay close, like a bedtime chat or a Sunday walk. The term is the Gottman Institute's.

Robo-advisorAn online investment adviser that uses computer algorithms to build and manage a portfolio for you from your answers to a questionnaire.

Rollover budgetA budget where money left unspent in a category carries into the same category next month, instead of the category resetting to its usual amount.

Rollover IRAAn IRA opened to receive money moved out of a workplace retirement plan such as a 401(k), usually after leaving a job.

Roof inspectionA look over a roof and the attic beneath it for damaged shingles, wear and leaks. FEMA advises checking the roof surface at least once a year.

Room parentA parent volunteer who acts as the go-between for a class's teacher and its families, handling messages, sign-ups and class events as the teacher directs.

Room sharingHaving a baby sleep in the parents' room in their own crib, bassinet or play yard. The AAP advises it for at least the first 6 months, without bed-sharing.

Room temperature ingredientsIngredients such as butter and eggs warmed from fridge-cold before baking; King Arthur Baking puts room-temperature butter at about 68°F to 72°F.

Roth 401(k)The Roth option inside a 401(k): you contribute after tax, and qualified withdrawals, earnings included, come out tax-free.

Roth IRAAn individual retirement account funded with after-tax money, where qualified withdrawals, earnings included, come out tax-free.

Round-up savingsA banking or app feature that rounds each card purchase up to the next dollar and moves the spare change into savings or an investment account.

Routine chartA chart, often with pictures, listing the steps of one routine in order, such as getting ready for school or bed, that a child checks off as they go.

Rule of 72A shortcut for how many years money takes to double at a steady compound rate: divide 72 by the yearly rate, so 6% doubles in about 12 years.

Rupture and repairThe normal cycle of falling out of sync with a child (a rupture) and reconnecting afterward (a repair), studied in parent and infant research.