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DILBERT ScottAdams PEARLSBEFORESWINE StephanPastis PICKLES BrianCrane BABYBLUES JerryScott&RickKirkman PHOEBEANDHERUNICORN DanaSimpson ZITS JerryScott&JimBorgman SHERMAN'SLAGOON JimToomey ARGYLESWEATER ScottHilburn BIZARRO DanPiraro DEARAMY»My12-year- old son started at a new school, where he has become a target for verbal bullying by a few older guys. The school is doing its best to control the situation. But my son feels a need to re- spond with some funny quips. Do you or your readers have any suggestions? —Eloise DEAR ELOISE » Speaking as a quip- per and all-around smarty-pants, I'd like to applaud your son's desire to stand up to these bullies in his own way. I know that his spunky qualities will serve him well, certainly later in life. I turned to an expert on bullying to see if quip- ping is as effective against playground bullies as it can be against boardroom bullies. Dr. Sherryll Kraizer is head of the Coalition for Children in Denver and author of "The Safe Child Book: A Com- monsense Approach to Protecting Children and Teaching Children to Pro- tect Themselves" (1996, Touchstone). Kraizer says that shooting back banter can work well at this age, providing that your son knows how to do it effec- tively. Responding to bullying with a quip of his own might be a way for your son to feel confident and powerful, which is good bully- proofing behavior. He also needs to know when not to quip. Role-playing with your son can help him come up with more strategies, be ca us e as e ve ry st an d- up comic knows, you never open with your new stuff until you run it past your mom first. You should continue to work with the school about this — not just for your son's sake, but for the sake of the larger school community. Check: safechild.org for more in- formation. (March 2004) DEAR AMY » My husband has been estranged from his father for almost 25 years. Every five years or so, his dad attempts to contact him and it usually turns out badly. His father suffers from depression and perhaps other mental illnesses and tends to call when he is not well and hasn't been taking his medication. He usually says terrible, hurt- ful things. Our oldest daughter (age 4) has asked my husband about his father, but he j ust ch ange d the subject. We don't want our kids to grow up thinking that they have a grandparent who is a bad guy. How can we approach this? — Elizabeth DEAR ELIZABETH » You'd be surprised how accept- ing children are of the truth, if it's delivered in a straightforward and sensitive manner. If she asks why he doesn't see him, he can say simply, "He has a sickness that makes him say bad things to me, and I haven't seen him in a long time." Then he can tell your daughter that he feels so lucky to be her dad and that he'll always be there for her, in every way. (March 2004) Preteen boy wants to respond to bullies with comebacks You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@tribune.com and follow her on Twitter @askingamy. Amy Dickinson Ask Amy Sudoku Instructions:Theobjectistoplacethe numbers1to9intheemptysquaresso thateachrow,eachcolumnandeach 3x3boxcontainsthenumberonlyonce. AnswertoPreviousPuzzle CelebrityCipher ByLuisCampos Instructions:CelebrityCiphercryptogramsarecreatedfromquotationsbyfamouspeople, pastandpresent.Eachletterinthecipherstandsforanother. NEACrossword Aries(March21-April19) — Stop worrying over minor matters. It's idle time that will lead to anxiety for you. Get organized, stay busy and include physical activity in your routine. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Brighten up your living space and make personal changes you've been contemplating. Fol- low through with your plans. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Love is highlighted. The more you socialize, the better. Updat- ing or changing your look will increase your confidence and improve your attitude. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Keep your opinions to yourself. Blurting out the first thing that comes to mind will inadvertently offend someone and lead to a dispute. Be respectful. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — You will be the catalyst of any group you join. Be a leader and take control of any situation, with plans that include every- one. Your enthusiasm will be contagious. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Consider your health before you take on too much. Go over your personal files and look for practical ways to increase your earnings through investment, real estate or savings plans. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — An unsettling event will take place. Wait until you have all the facts before you react, or you will end up taking your frustrations out on the wrong person. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) — You'll be in need of some lively entertainment, but first concentrate on completing unfinished business. Having to recheck or redo your work will ruin your downtime. Be diligent. Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) — Liven up your sched- ule. Attend a reunion, or get together with your closest and dearest friends. If you pool your ideas, you will come up with a plan everyone will enjoy. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Disagreements are likely if you try to push others to do things your way. You will get more accomplished if you finish what needs to be done. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Don't hold back when it comes to love and romance. Your charisma will make you especially alluring, so get out and participate in activities and events geared toward meeting new people. Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20) — Partnerships and negotia- tions are favored. Share your vision with someone who has the contacts and resources that will help you get your idea off the ground. Horoscope By Eugenia Last SATURDAY, APRIL 18 SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2015 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM |YOURDAILYBREAK | 7 B