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Show The Emery County Review, Tuesday, April 29, 2008 The FAMILY PAGE Horoscope Focus On The Family Crossword B3 Figuratively Speaking FOCUS ON THE FAMILY Physicians Need to Respect Parent’s Authority Dr. James Dobson Q Our family physician wants to examine my 13-year-old son without my being in the room. That’s okay with me, but I expect him to tell me what my boy says and what his medical condition is. That’s where we disagree. He says he must keep their conversation confidential. Am I right to expect to be informed and involved? Teenagers are typically sensitive and modest about their bodies -- especially when their parents are around -- so I can understand the need for privacy during a physical exam. The larger issue here, however, is the physician’s accountability to you as the mother, and at this point, I agree entirely with the position you have taken. Other parents have expressed similar concerns to me. I’m reminded of a mother who told me that she took her 14-year-old daughter to their pediatrician for a routine physical exam. The mother was aware that her daughter was beginning to develop physically and might be sensitive to her being in the examining room with her. She offered A to remain in the waiting room, but the girl objected. “I don’t want to go in there by myself,” she said. “Please come with me.” After arguing with her daughter for a moment, the mother agreed to accompany her to the examining room. When the exam was over the doctor turned to the mother and criticized her for intruding. He said in front of the girl, “You know, you really had no business being in the examining room. It is time I related directly to your daughter. You should not even be aware of the care that I give her or the medication I prescribe. Nor should you know the things that are said between us. My care of your daughter should now be a private matter between her and me.” The girl had been going through a period of rebellion, and the mother felt her authority was weakened by the doctor’s comments. It was as though he were saying, “Your day of supervision of your daughter has now passed. She should now make her own decisions.” Fortunately, that mother was unwilling to do as she was told, and promptly found a new doctor. Good for her! I have discussed this conversation with several pediatricians, and they have each agreed with the doctor in this case. They emphasized the importance of a youngster having someone to talk with in private. Perhaps, but I object to the autonomy demanded by the physician. Fourteen-year-old boys and girls are not grown, and their parents are still the best people to care for them and oversee their development. It is appropriate for a physician to have some private moments with a young patient, but he or she should never forget to whom accountability is owed. Furthermore, if greater authority is to be granted to the doctor, the parent had better find out just what he or she believes about contraceptives for minors, premarital sex, spiritual matters, and the like. Be careful whom you choose to trust with the body Wanda Perry Copley News Service ARIES (March 21 - April 19): Good planning and preparation are the keys to establishing financial stability. Postpone spending by placing your money in an interest-earning savings plan. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Do not take your talents or abilities for granted. Make a vow to be the best that you can be and actively pursue dreams. GEMINI (May 21 - June 21): Garner several important lessons this week from the feedback of others. Work on developing your observation and listening skills. CANCER (June 22 - July 22): You can be very persuasive during a presentation to a club, group or organization. Do not hesitate to stand and express your point of view. LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): Enjoy spending time in the company of elders or mentors. Seek their advice or opinions when making plans to alter your business or career paths. VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22): Make up your mind to move forward with educational plans or legal actions. Make inquiries and stay informed of the latest opportunities or available counsel. LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 23): Expect the unexpected in the area of joint finances or investments. It could be necessary to draw from your reserves in order to cover a lastminute expense. SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 21): Practice patience with a partner or mate and allow him or her to resolve a problem alone. Offer your advice or support only if it is requested. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21): Pay attention to what you are doing. Make sure that you satisfy the terms of a contract or complete an assigned project before expecting full payment. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19): Avoid regret or disappointment. Take time to learn about a new sport or social interest before spending a large amount of time or money. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18): You are emotionally and mentally strong and can handle challenges with ease. Stay on your toes and flow through the week with a special calm. PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20): A sibling or friend will brighten your mood with great news. Figure out how you can give back and contribute, support or encourage them to succeed. If your birthday is this week, you should consider yourself mentally gifted or intellectually enlightened during the coming year. Extend your horizons beyond comfortable boundaries and reach out with global awareness. Resist idealistic or unrealistic meanderings and give structure, purpose and direction to your thoughts. Revisit old goals that still show potential for success and explore a business opportunity that will result in a substantial financial gain. Also born this week: Maxim Gorky, Cy Young, Norah Jones, Al Gore, Toshiro Mifune, Emmylou Harris and Washington Irving. (For more information go to WandaPerry. com) Q A FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING HOROSCOPE Week of April 28 to May 4 and the soul of your child. The pace of living is so frantic today that we have become dangerously willing to accept surrogate parenting from a variety of professionals who meander through our lives. Educators, youth ministers, athletic coaches, music instructors, psychologists, counselors, and physicians are there to assist parents in raising their kids -- but never to replace them. I really believe in giving children the freedom to do wrong as long as there isn’t any danger involved. For example, I let my kids curse and use swear words and don’t see any harm in it. Do you agree? No. I would hope that parents wouldn’t use that kind of language and certainly don’t believe they should permit their kids to do so. It is disrespectful, crude and unnecessary to talk like that. (Dr. Dobson is founder and chairman of the board of the nonprofit organization Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, CO 80995(www.family.org). Questions and answers are excerpted from “Solid Answers” and “Bringing Up Boys,” both published by Tyndale House. Copyright 2008 James Dobson Inc. Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate. John MacIntyre 78: Percentage of workers in the U.S. and Europe who report Sunday night sleep loss, according to a Monster. com poll that asked whether the thought of going to work on Monday affects their Sunday night sleep. 1: Rank of work as the most frequent source of stress, according to a poll conducted by the American Psychological Association. Source: Monster.com. 76: Percentage of Ameri- cans who prefer a dollar bill to a coin, according to a Harris poll. 24: Percentage who favor 1, 2, 3: Ranks of bankrupt- 1, 2: Ranks of manager (20 percent) and educator (11 percent) as the two most prevalent careers among the $1 million to $5 million group of millionaires, according to a report by Spectrem Group. 14: Percentage rise in the pay too little. Source: Gallup. 1, 2: Ranks of entrepre- neur/business owner (30 percent) and senior corporate executive (17 percent) as the most prevalent careers in the $25 million and higher category. Source: Spectrem Group. 75: Percentage of employ- abolishing the penny. Source: Harris Interactive. 52: Percentage of Ameri- cans who complain that they pay too much in federal income taxes, according to Gallup’s 2008 Economy and Personal Finance survey. 42: Percentage who say 2: Percentage who say they they pay the right amount. ees who are stressed due to financial concerns, according to a national survey of working adults commissioned by Workplace Options. 45: Percentage of respon- dents who report that their financial stress makes it harder for them to do their job. Source: Workplace Options. cy, litigation, and ethics and corporate governance as the areas of law that will experience the most growth in the next 12 months, according to a survey by Robert Half Legal. Source: Robert Half International. number of facelifts performed for patients age 40 and over from 2006 to 2007, according to American Society of Plastic Surgeons statistics. 116,200: Estimated number of procedures performed in 2007. 3.6 million: Number of Botox procedures performed in 2007. Source: ASPS. 80: Percentage of parents and teens who agree that kids are not as careful as they should be about information they give out online, according to a survey by McAfee. 70: Estimated percentage of 13- to 17-year-olds who have received messages online from someone they didn’t know. 55: Percentage of teens who use social networking sites. Source: McAfee Inc. 83: Percentage of Ameri- cans who say spending time outdoors makes them feel refreshed, healthy and excited, according to a Miracle-Gro Survey. 61: Percentage who admit they don’t take enough advantage of the restorative powers of nature. Source: Edelman. 41: Because of the impact of globalization, percentage of organizations that have already expanded the scope of their diversity and inclusion training programs, according to a survey of senior HR and training executives in the U.S. by Novations Group. 15: Percentage that had expanded their diversity and inclusion programming in 2005. Source: Novations Group Inc. Idle Thought See Page B6 for Puzzle Answers. “It is better to sleep on things beforehand than lie awake about them afterwards.” -- Baltasar Gracian, philosopher and writer (1601-1658) Copyright 2008 John MacIntyre Inc. Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate |