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Wednesday, July 10, 2013 – Daily News 3B FEATURES Daughter worries about Dad's new gal mind, please let him make Dear Annie: My parthese decisions on his own ents bought a house 15 — for better or worse. years ago. When Mom died Dear Annie: I was sitting seven years later, Dad in my car at the drugstore decided to refinance and when a couple came out of take Mom's name off the the building, and the man deed. The bank needed a started taking pictures of my co-signer, so my sister and car with his smartphone. I I agreed to be the co-borAnnie's put my hand up and asked rowers. him to stop photographing Dad is now 75. Four me. The woman started years ago, he married a 47year-old divorcee with a by Kathy Mitchell yelling, saying I was in a 22-year-old daughter. Since and Marcy Sugar parking lot and she could take pictures of whatever she then, they have been living on my dad's Social Security without wants. Why does everyone think that making any effort to get a job. Now he wants to sell the house and move just because their phones can snap to Mexico to be closer to her fami- pictures they can take a photo of anyone they want, whenever they ly. I asked Dad to give us what choose? — Annoyed Dear Annoyed: Because they would have been half of Mom's share to be split among his seven can. Unless they use the photo for children. He doesn't want to give us illegal purposes, they can take picanything. But without my signature, tures of your car and anything else. he can't sell the property. I'm con- If you see the photo posted online, cerned that this woman is taking you can ask that it be removed, but advantage of my father. What there are no guarantees they will cooperate. In fact, this particular should I do? — Not Fair Dear Not Fair: Unless your couple sounds excessively rude, mother put in her will that the prop- irritating and a bit immature. Unforerty should go to her children, tunately, there's not much you can please give it to Dad without do about it. Dear Annie: We read the letter strings. He has been living with this woman for four years. There does- from ''Pa and Ma,'' who were hurt n't seem to be any physical or emo- that the stepchildren spent more tional abuse, nor is she trying to time with the in-laws. They asked steal his money and leave him. If whether they should move across she's taking advantage of him, he the country to be closer to their son. We have two young children and doesn't object. We know you want to protect Dad, but if he is of sound love our parents. However, years Mailbox ago, we moved far away for better jobs. Both sets of grandparents are in their 60s and retired. They are fairly uninvolved in our lives and visit perhaps once every two or three years. They never offer to babysit and refuse if we ask. Our visits to see them are costly and unpleasant. We receive no financial help from them, nor do we expect it. They've also made it clear that they don't plan to leave us anything when they die. It makes us sad that our kids will never have a strong bond with their grandparents. ''Pa and Ma'' sound like they want to spend time with the grandkids, want to help out and want to be a big part of their lives. If they lived near us, we would ''adopt'' them as our kids' grandparents so they could spend time together. We have done this with seniors at our church, who let our kids call them ''Grandma and Grandpa.'' Please suggest to ''Pa and Ma'' that they look in their area for a family with young children who would love to have them in their lives. — Two Sides to Every Story in New England Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please email your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. Junior lifeguard program and training Whiskeytown is offering free Junior Lifeguard and Waterfront Lifeguard training programs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 15-19 at Brandy Creek Beach. Participants must be between the ages of 10 and 18 years old, willing to follow directions, in good physical condition and have the ability to swim 400 yards in 12 minutes or less. In addition, trainees must be willing to commit to the program, attend all ses- sions and bring their own water and lunch. Maximum class size will be 15 participants. The Junior Lifeguard Program at Whiskeytown is designed to instruct youth in water and beach safety and to gain skills in aquatics, along with instilling a sense of responsibility and accomplishment. The purpose of the Waterfront Lifeguarding course is to teach participants the knowledge and skills needed to pre- vent and respond to aquatic emergencies both in a pool and at a waterfront environment. The course content and activities prepare participants to recognize and respond quickly and effectively to emergencies and to prevent drowning and injuries. Participants completing the required hours of instruction and exams, may be certified in the following: Red Cross Standard First Aid; Red Cross Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation for those age 15 and over; Lifeguard Training for those age 15 and over. The course if free, however participants must pay for their certification cards. For additional information, please leave messages for lead lifeguard Leilani Jefcoat at (530) 241-5302 or at (530) 242-3413, or show up on Monday, July 15 at Brandy Creek Beach. Simpson University Business Luncheon REDDING — Laurie Beth Jones, an internationally recognized best-selling author, speaker, coach and trainer, will be the featured speaker at the 12th annual Simpson University Business Leadership Luncheon on Tuesday, Aug. 27. Recently named one of the top 30 leaders in the U.S. by an independent research firm, Jones has been featured in major media out- lets and conducted training for leaders and organizations worldwide. Her business books, which include "Jesus, CEO: Using Ancient Wisdom for Visionary Leadership" and "The Path: Creating Your Mission Statement for Work and for Life," are written from a spiritual perspective and noted for their time-proven principles. The Business Luncheon is noon to 1:30 p.m. in Simpson's Heritage Student Life Center, 2211 College View Drive. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $17.50 each or $175 for a table of 10. Register online at simpsonu.edu/buslunch. Seating is limited, so early registration is encouraged. For more information, email Beth at bspencer@simpsonu.edu or call (530) 226-4602. Sleep medications best used short term of the drug to DEAR DOCobtain the same TOR K: I can't effect. sleep. Behavioral — Nonbenzochanges haven't diazepines act on helped. Can you sleep receptors in tell me about preyour brain. They scription medicahelp you fall tions for insomasleep more nia? quickly, but they DEAR READDr. K may not lengthen ER: I typically by Anthony L. prescribe sleep Komaroff, M.D. your total sleep time. These drugs medications only for short-term sleep prob- vary in how quickly they lems. For example, I act and how long their might prescribe them for a effects last. Earlier this year, the patient who is traveling across time zones or cop- FDA warned that people take zolpidem ing with a death in the who family. Even then, I pre- (Ambien) can wake up the scribe them at the lowest next morning with drug dose and for the shortest levels high enough to possible time. Behavioral impair their ability to changes — such as going drive and do other activito bed and getting up at ties safely — even if they the same time each day, feel wide awake. — Antidepressants can not reading or watching TV in bed, etc. — usually reduce the time it takes to work if you keep at them. fall asleep and decrease Several categories of nighttime awakenings. medications, which I dis- The tricyclic antideprescuss below, are used to sants are particularly good treat insomnia. (I've put a for increasing the time in table listing specific med- deep, restorative sleep. ications in each category And they achieve this on my website, AskDoc- effect at very low doses — torK.com.) After taking — well below the doses any sleeping pill, allow for used to treat depression. a full eight hours of sleep. Antidepressants are safer — Benzodiazepines for long-term use than calm brain activity. They benzodiazepines. Their are useful for patients with effect on sleep quality insomnia that results from varies. The tricyclics anxiety. Different benzo- should be used with caudiazepines vary in how tion in people over age 50, quickly they act and how however, as they can conlong they remain active in tribute to heart rhythm the body. That's important problems. — Melatonin-receptor because people have different types of sleeping agonist. Ramelteon (Rozproblems. Some people erem) is the only drug in have trouble falling this category. It mimics asleep: They need a fast- the body's naturally proacting medicine. Others duced melatonin, a horfall asleep easily but find mone that promotes sleep. Before you try a prethemselves waking in the middle of the night: They scription sleep medicaneed a longer-acting med- tion, give behavioral changes another chance. icine. These drugs can cause They are often just as next-day drowsiness and effective as medication sedation. They can also and may have longer-lastreduce how much deep ing benefits. This time, sleep you get — and you work with a sleep specialneed deep, restorative ist trained in behavioral sleep. So benzodiazepines medicine. can help you sleep, but Dr. Komaroff is a they don't increase what I think of as the most physician and professor Harvard Medical important kind of sleep. at To send Another problem with School. questions, go to benzodiazepines is that or they start to lose their AskDoctorK.com, effect over time. As a write: Ask Doctor K, 10 result, many people find Shattuck St., Second they need more and more Floor, Boston, MA 02115. Now is the time to start kindergarten readiness By Denise Snider Executive Director, First 5 Tehama School may be out, but for kids starting kindergarten this fall, now is the time to get ready for the classroom, both physically and emotionally. By helping your child master a few practical key skills, you can give your children the confidence they need to succeed on their first day of school – and every day after. Kindergarten readiness includes both practical skills that children will need to succeed, as well as social emotional skills that will help them successfully function in a classroom of peers. And parents play a key role in preparing them for that first day from establishing a routine and easing their fears to holding a pencil and listening to directions. Helping them develop these skills is the most important job a parent can have. First 5 Tehama wants every child to enter school healthy and ready to learn. And now is the time to work with them before the big day arrives. Talk with Me It's crucial for children to have the confidence and ability to use their words. • Parents can help develop language skills by having frequent conversations with their children and encouraging them to use words to express their feelings and reactions to the world around them. • Read to your child for 20 minutes every day and talk about the story, the characters and what happened first, next and last. • Sing songs and read stories or poems with rhyming words to expose them to different sounds as they build their vocabulary. Your Turn, My Turn Preschoolers are just beginning to understand the concept of sharing • Parents can make sharing fun by teaching cooperative play, like completing puzzles or building a block tower together. • As you're building the block tower, walk through the concept of sharing by saying, RUNNINGS ROOFING All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened Members Welcome 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check $ starting at 95 $ 25 + 8 certificate 25 (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. Sheet Metal Roofing Residential Commercial • Composition • Shingle • Single Ply Membrane "No Job Too Steep" " No Job Too Flat" Serving Tehama County No Money 530-527-5789 530-209-5367 CA. LIC#829089 Down! FREE ESTIMATES Owner is on site on every job "Now it's your turn to add a block and then it will be my turn." • Use positive reinforcement to encourage sharing. When you see your child sharing with someone else, point out how she made the other person happy and give her a hug. 1,2,3 – Count With Me Children entering Kindergarten can typically count to 10 on the first day of class. • Teach your child to count by using everyday objects like blocks, buttons, soup cans, even your child's fingers and toes! • Parents can make counting part of your daily routine by asking your child to count the number of plates needed for dinner or the number of steps you're climbing together. Or tell your child to pick out "two" books to read before bedtime. My Name is… Children are expected to be able to print their first name. • Start by teaching children how to spell their name when they're toddlers. Start by pointing out the first letter of their name whenever you see it. You can also play word games by saying, "Your name starts with 'T' like tiger. What else starts with that letter? • Your child can practice writing their name with their finger to get the feel of the letters. Try spreading shaving cream or pudding on a cookie sheet for fun practice. • You can also work with your child on the correct pencil grip by encouraging your child to use their thumb and index finger to pick up small objects like O-shaped cereal with their fingers. This will make your child practice the proper pincer grip. • Playing with play dough can also help develop muscles in the hand that are needed for writing or cutting. Listen Well to Learn Better Kids learn best when they're taught to actively listen when the teacher's speaking to them. • Improve your child's listening skills by encouraging them to repeat directions back to you. This will force them to repeat instructions in their mind and then act on them. If you're tired of potholes and dusty roads HOW ABOUT CHIP SEAL! 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