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Show B2 The Emery County Review, Tuesday, September 9, 2008 The FAMILY PAGE Horoscope Focus On The Family Crossword Figuratively Speaking FOCUS ON THE FAMILY Good Students Have Self-Discipline to Succeed Dr. James Dobson Q The greatest power struggle in our home is over school assignments. Our fifth grader simply will not do them! When we try to force him to study, he sits and stares, doodles -- gets up for water and just kills time. Furthermore, we never know for sure what he’s supposed to be doing. Why is he like that? Let me offer a short discourse on school achievement, based on years of interaction with parents. I served as a teacher, a high school counselor and a school psychologist. As such, I became very well-acquainted with children’s learning patterns. The kind of self-discipline necessary to succeed in school appears to be distributed on a continuum from one extreme to the other. Students at the positive end of the scale (I’ll call them Type I) are by nature rather organized individuals who care about details. They take the educational process very seriously and assume full responsibility for assignments given. They also worry about grades, or at least, they recognize their importance. To do poorly on A a test would depress them for several days. They also like the challenge offered in the classroom. Parents of these children do not have to monitor their progress to keep them working. It is their way of life -- and it is consistent with their temperaments. At the other end of the continuum are the boys and girls who do not fit in well with the structure of the classroom (Type II). If their Type I siblings emerge from school cum laude, these kids graduate “Thank You, Laude!” They are sloppy, disorganized and flighty. They have a natural aversion to work and love to play. They can’t wait for success and they hurry on without it. Like bacteria that gradually become immune to antibiotics, the classic underachievers become impervious to adult pressure. They withstand a storm of parental protest every few weeks and then, when no one is looking, they slip back into apathy. They don’t even hear the assignments being given in school and seem not to be embarrassed when they fail to complete them. And, you can be sure they drive their parents to distraction. For many, if not most, of these kids, their “battles” over schoolwork and homework represent a conflict between their basic temperament and the frustration experienced and transmitted to them by their parents. A strict, but not punitive approach in which accountability for schoolwork and homework is transferred back from the parents to the child will effectively motivate them to assume responsibility for their work for many of them. An excellent, practical description of this approach is provided by psychologist John Rosemond’s “Ending the Homework Hassle” (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 1990). In unusually difficult cases, or when the previous approach has failed, the child may have a neurologically based learning disability or the complex of behaviors known as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). The cause of ADHD is currently unknown, but may include neurological or biological factors in some cases. Stimulant medication has been found to be effective for relieving the attention and impulsivity features of ADHD behaviors, although this beneficial effect of these medications is not specific or limited to individuals with ADHD. Preliminary research has indicated success for ADHD management with a potentially promising behavioral approach outlined by Dr. David Stein in his recent book “Ritalin is Not the Answer” (JosseyBass Publishers, 1999). Other authorities, including Dr. Edward Hallowell and Dr. John Ratey, writing in “Driven to Distraction” (Simon & Schuster, 1995), recommend the use of Ritalin or other medication for children with a confirmed diagnosis of ADHD. Your pediatrician will help you decide which approach to take. (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.) HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY Holiday Mathis Jupiter reminds us this week that luck isn’t a token or a wish. It’s a formula, and one that can be learned. As this planet of expansion and opportunity turns around this week, you may find that your luck turns around, too. You’re compelled to do things -- and, perhaps more importantly, think of things -- differently. Take advantage of opportunity by expecting the positive, reaching beyond the obvious answer and pulling on your faith. ARIES (March 21-April 19). You’re moving into a favorable cycle for your love life. Even if it’s been steady, it’s about to get more interesting. Some relationships deepen, and heavy ones get light. So it all works well for you and requires very little effort. The most challenging part will be not to interfere with what’s working. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You are ultra-responsible for the people around you, making sure that they not only get their basic needs met, but that they are also able to pursue what makes them happy. Do the same for yourself. When you dedicate time to your pet project, you’re being altruistic, as it helps keep you emotionally strong. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Your tasks are laid out for you. By Thursday you’ll feel that you’ve delivered the hard work, but there’s still a mountain more of it to do. Before you continue to hammer away at it, take a breather. There’s nothing so pressing that it can’t be put off while you attend to what’s really important -- having some fun. CANCER (June 22-July 22). You sometimes work like a reliable machine, but that doesn’t mean you are one. You need breaks just like everyone else. And more than that, you need to be invested in what you’re working toward. Where there is no incentive, except for a paycheck, ask for one. You deserve more and you’ll get it. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’ll be entering new arenas, and they are tricky indeed. The interpersonal dynamics are intricate and complicated. You’re not shy, but you know when it behooves you to be a silent observer, offering information on a need-to-know basis. Ultimately you’ll garner a great deal of amusement out of this situation. THIS WEEK’S BIRTHDAYS: Happiness is a matter of taking care of business this year. You’re like a duti- ful partner to the universe. You’re given your weekend list of chores and you fix what needs fixing. VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22). There will be a breakthrough in regards to a relationship struggle. It turns out, the other person doesn’t need to change at all in order for you to be happy. You decide to be happy with things as they are, and the change you’ve wanted will come along in its own time - and more quickly than you thought. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Details, details … what should you do? If you watch them too closely, your mind gets tight and uncreative. Ignore them, and things are not beautifully specific as they could be, or they just plain fall apart. Luckily, the universe gifts you with perfect balance. You instinctively know the correct degree FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING John MacIntyre $20 billion: Calculated annual cost to taxpayers of tax and accounting loopholes that encourage excessive executive pay, according to the 15th annual Executive Excess report from the Institute for Policy Studies and United for a Fair Economy. 0.6: Expected percentage base pay increases in 2009 for the weakest performers (7 percent of the workforce). Source: Mercer. $6 billion: Estimated annual value of books in the religious products market, according to a study by Packaged Facts. 21: Percentage increase in the overall religious prod- ucts market between 2004 and 2008. to magnify your focus. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). It seems like lately there’s always someone who thinks he or she knows better than you do about what you should do next. It’s unlikely, though not impossible, that this person will give you advice you can actually act on to win the prize. Listen only to the super-informed and your inner guidance system. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You will definitely be affected by the unspoken rules of your community, as well as the actual written laws and policies governing your part of the world. None of this should be taken personally or given obsessive focus. The thing that has the most impact is your self-talk, which you have complete control over. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You’re unraveling puzzles just to see how they were put together. You might make a mess doing this -- the kind that’s not so easy to put back together. And if the puzzle in question is a human being, you can never take back your prodding questions. So be mindful and sensitive in your quest for knowledge. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 18). You still have some trepidation about a new relationship, but there’s no need to worry. Everything that’s happening will be helpful to your development as a human, and some of it will be fun, to boot. Friday brings the ideal moment to open up that big heart of yours and let someone in to a greater degree. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’re learning when to say “yes.” You just have a feeling that it’s right, and so you do it. Early in the week, helping others only takes a few minutes. But by Friday there’s a whole production involved with your generosity. Doing what you think you should be doing isn’t half as productive as doing what you want to do. (Copyright 2008 Creators Syndicate Inc.) $1 billion: Amount this percentage increase represents. Source: Packaged Facts. $10 billion: Amount ac- counted for by stock-option accounting double standard. $5.2 billion: Amount accounted for by unlimited deductibility of executive compensation. $2.6 billion: Amount of the $20 billion accounted for by preferential capital-gains treatment of carried interest. Source: United for a Fair Economy. 96: Percentage of parents who say that parent involvement was a key factor in student achievement, according to the results of an independent, nationwide survey by Pearson. 95: Percentage of parents who felt achievement would improve with better communication between school and home. Source: Pearson Education/ Pearson Scott Foresman. 3.7: Average percentage pay increase planned by U.S. employers in 2009, according to the “2008/2009 U.S. Compensation Planning Survey” from Mercer. 5.6: Expected percentage base-pay increases in 2009 for the highest-performing employees (14 percent of the workforce). Puzzle Answers on Page B3. |
