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DILBERT ScottAdams PEARLSBEFORESWINE StephanPastis PICKLES BrianCrane BABYBLUES JerryScott&RickKirkman THEDUPLEX GlennMcCoy ZITS JerryScott&JimBorgman SHERMAN'SLAGOON JimToomey ARGYLESWEATER ScottHilburn BIZARRO DanPiraro DEARAMY»Myhusband and I have two boys, ages 7 and 4. The 7-year-old is a great traveler, but the last time we flew on a plane, when he was 5, our older son completely freaked out. I think the sound of the engine and the motion of the takeoff and landing scared him. He was fine once we were in the air, but to this day he says that he never wants to fly on a plane. He also had a big fear of bounce houses, also because of the sound of the air being blown into them, but after a couple years of avoiding bounce houses he actually had a lot of fun on one. It was a small miracle. My question is about travel. We have been avoiding trips that would involve flying, but we would like to try to take a nice family vacation somewhere farther away. Do we just plan something and hope he won't freak out? Do we try to prepare him, or just don't mention anything ahead of time to avoid anxiety? I was thinking of buying noise-cancelling headphones. Please let me know what you would do. —ReadytoTravel Again DEAR READY TO TRAVEL » I am a former freak-out flier. And I cured myself using "controlled expo- sure," which is basically the commonsense experi- ence of tackling a fear in stages, while learning about the source of what was causing it. This could work for your son. My fear was triggered by noises (engines acceler- ating, flaps moving), as well as bumps. This is a common experience for less-seasoned fliers. On one particularly bumpy flight — panicked, I sought out a flight atten- dant. He described how the bumps on a plane are like driving down a bumpy road. The vehicle is made for it, and it is nothing to worry about. Reassurance! Your son might be par- ticularly sensitive to loud noises (it might be good to have him assessed for a mild sensory disorder), but his experience con- quering the bouncy house shows that he can bravely face discomfort. Now that he is older, you can show him how planes work, preparing him for some of the sen- sations of being onboard an aircraft. The actor and literacy advocate LeVar Burton has a wonder ful shor t film (available on You- Tube), where he takes a fearful boy about your son's age on an airplane flight ("A Child's First Time Flying Story"). Watch this with your son. There are also flight-sim- ulation games designed for children. The message to your son should be, "In order to go to fun and faraway places, we're going to fly in a plane. This was scary when you were younger and didn't understand how planes work. But we know you can do this, and we'll help you because we'll be with you." Noise-cancelling headphones, breathing techniques and a reassur- ing adult hand holding on to his will also help. Child's flying phobia keeps family from fun vacations You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@amydickinson. 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 Pisces(Feb.20-March20) — Take care of business. It will be difficult to please everyone, but as long as you don't leave anything unfinished, your con- science will be clear. Aries (March 21-April 19) — What you do for others doesn't need to be broadcast. Let your actions speak for you. Oppor- tunity will be yours if you do what's right. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Meddling on your part will turn out to be costly. Stay focused on what you can do to make things better instead of making matters worse. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Think big, but be reasonable. Your dreams will spark ideas that push you to make a differ- ence. Improve your efficiency. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Don't take on too much or trust someone to do things for you. The realization that your future depends on your actions will help you move forward. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — You can learn much from people of different back- grounds. Traveling and taking part in the pursuits of children and loved ones will be inspiring. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — You must realistically look at your life and how you live it. If you have taken on too much, you need to ask for help or cut back. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — Your true feelings should be expressed if you want to bring about the changes re- quired to ensure happiness and satisfaction in the future. Don't live a lie or put up with bullies. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) — Keep your emotions in check. If you are too revealing, some- one will take advantage of your vulnerability. Make perfection and precision your goal, and your style your signature. Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) — Stay on track. You'll be easily distracted by what others say or do. Choose to do your own thing and set goals that will help you get ahead. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Follow your instincts. Prob- lems when dealing with foreign- ers, institutions or authority figures will arise if you travel or get involved with unpredictable groups or people. Protect your reputation. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — If you reconnect with people you have worked with in the past, you will form a new alliance that will bring everyone involved greater opportunity. Horoscope By Eugenia Last THURSDAY, FEB. 23 | YOURDAILYBREAK | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017 4 B