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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 7, 1991)
•« > « « « ' I ■* A < ♦ • ♦ « • « V • •%*** * * * * * * ••» <%'»>>«*«* ♦ ,» » ♦ • » ,> » ♦ * » ♦ *rV<t ♦ SWWW«»**W« Page 6 ”'l he Portland Observer—August 7, 1991 COMMUNICATION Family Spotlight Family Meetings: Settling Things Together By Father Val Peter Bovs T ow n (NU) - T oday’s families have a lot going for them. In fact, some tim es they have too much going for them! Precious time together as a fam ily often gets squeezed out of the schedule and everyone suffers. Here at Roys Town we have a secret weapon for the busy family: family meetings. They are the best way we can think of to ensure com m unication with one another so that each one of us can contribute to fam ily decisions. By holding a family meeting, you can save time, because you can talk to everybody at once. And your chil dren are more likely to follow rides if they feel they had some input into setting those rules. Family meetings are a good time to discuss the rules o f our homes and to get input. Family meetings also help dem onstrate good decision-making skills; we debate together and then we settle things together. And they are an ex cellent time to really recognize the accom plishments that each member has made. With so little time to do that, it’s a special event in a child’s life. Family meetings do increase com m unication, but you’ve got to make them fun; they can’t be punishing. You’ve got to make such meetings a time when things really get done. Basic Rules You should have some basic rules for vour meetings. At ours, one rule is no interrupting. We also tell the kids that if they want to offer criti cism. that’s legitimate. But the criti cism has to be voiced in a positive, caring fashion. Try a family meeting or two in your house. Wait until you're all in a real good mood, and by all means, talk about important things. T hat’s our secret weapon a, Boys Town. W e’d like to share it with you and your family. To do that, we have prepared a booklet and a video, "Take Time to Be a Family.’’ If you would like more information on this or any of our other tips on parenting, write us at: "Videos for Parents,” Boys Town, Public Service Division, Boys Town, NF 68010. (Father Peter is executive direc tor of Boys Town, the famous home for troubled boys and girls in Boys Town, Neb., and in Florida, New York, Louisiana, Texas, Nevada, Rhode Island and California.) Health T ip From the Experts: Change Toothbrushes Often (NU) - Behind every great smile should be a good toothbrush — per haps even two. Most people, though, take their toothbrush for granted, replacing it infrequently and sometimes not car ing for it properly. The American Dental Association (A D A ) recom m ends that to o th brushes should be replaced every three to four months. However, a recent survey shows that only 8.6 percent of consumers currently com ply with the ADA’s replacement rec ommendation. “ In fact, most people replace their toothbrushes every nine m onths,” says Cilenn Archibald, president of Oral-B Laboratories, U.S. Division. Although toothbrush wear varies so m ew h at d e p e n d in g on an individual’s brushing habits, on av erage, a toothbrush will need to be replaced every three or four months. Dental experts also offer the fol lowing toothbrush tips: — Do not use hot water to rinse your toothbrush; it will shorten the life of your brush. — Store your toothbrush in an open area — not a tightly closed medicine cabinet. — R eplace c h ild re n ’s to o th brushes often, because they tend to chew on the bristles. Finally, to keep teeth — and smiles — in the best shape, remem ber to replace your toothbrush every three to four months. Add Safety Information To Back-to-School Supplies Your Child Needs You When School Opens News USA School Principals Give Tips to Parents (NU) - School bells will soon be ringing again and most children and parents are getting ready with note books and back-to-school clothes. But the National Crime Prevention Council says the best-prepared kids will also have know ledge about crime and prevention in their com munities. According to the National Crime S urvey c o n d u cted by the U.S. Deptartment of Justice, 9 percent of violent crimes in the United States occur on school property, as well as 12.9 percent of simple assaults, 6.2 percent of robberies and 1.6 percent of rapes. Add to that another gov ernment study show ing that in 1990 about half of high school seniors had tried some kind of illicit drug, and one thing becomes clear: kids ol all ages need to be armed with an array of preventive information. McGrufT a Teacher For more than a decade, the Council’s "Take a Bite Out of Crime” campaign, featuring McCuufl the Crime Dog, has been educating chil dren about crime and drug preven tion. Today, McGruff and his anti crime slogan are almost universally recognized by America’s kids. Many schools offer drug aware- nc ss and crime prevention programs, and McGruff’s Drug Prevention and Child Protection Program is in more than 80,000 elementary school class rooms. Where there is no prevention education program, the Council rec ommends one as an important addi tion to a school’s curriculum, along with teaching by police officers on a variety of topics. Because part of the school day includes getting to and from school grounds safely, the Council suggests "block parent" or McGruff House programs. McGruff Houses bear the famil iar McGruff likeness in a window, letting children know it is a safe place to go for adult help in emergencies. While each parent should lake re sponsibility for teaching children about preventing crime and refusing drugs, community awareness and action arc the most effective ways to protect all kids, even those who “forget.” For younger children, parents can band together to organize after- school child care options through the sc h o o l, re c re a tio n d e p a rtm e n t, church or civic organization. Volun teers can be “phone friends,” giving children home alone a place to call if they are scared or lonely. Also, many youth groups and civic organizations offer classes to youngsters on how to cope when they are home alone after school, teaching skills such as what to do in emergencies and how to deal with strangers. Teenagers can also benefit from community assistance during after school hours. If there ate no super vised places for teens to go in your neighborhood, work with local groups and facilities to create a “drop in" site w here teenagers can safely gather for fun or to study together. Better still, challenge teens to use after-school time to tackle a community improve ment project. They have a lot to con tribute, and many seek a positive stake in the community. The Council’s McGruff educa tion campaign is largely funded by the U.S. D epartm ent of Justice and works in cooperation with the Ad vertising Council. For additional free information on crime and drug pre vention, write to N C PC at 1700 K S t., N.W ., Second Floor, W ash in g to n , DC 2 0 0 0 6 , A ttn. NUSA. Creed of the black Press T h e Black Press believes that America can best lead the world away from social and national antagonisms when it accords to every person, regardless of race, color, or creed, full human and leagal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person, the Black Press strives to gelp every person in the firm belief that all are gurt as long as anyone is held back. A HOME Begin School Day Schedule — Start now to ease out of your carefree summer schedule and into a school-year routine of regular meals (especially breakfast and lunch) and earlier bedtimes. Also, little by little, cut down the time your child can watch TV. (I know it’s not easy. But please try.) — Make sure you and your child know how to get to and from school. Walk on the same streets and path ways your child will use every day. Has anything changed from last year— new construction, for e x ample, or a new fence? If your child (Dr. Samuel G. Sava is executive director of the National Association of Elementary School Principals.) (NU) - Some people feel there should be warning labels stuck on all television screens. They might read: Warning: Excessive viewing and TV violence can be harmful to children. There is pretty strong evidence to show that watching TV violence has clear negative effects on kids. They can become less sensitive to pain and the sufferings of others through heavy doses of TV violence. As a result, they may become more fear ful. Or they may develop a tendency toward aggression themselves, ac cording to officials at Boys Town, in Boys Town, Neb. There's a big difference between kids who are light viewers (one hour or less a day) and heavy viewers (four or more hours a day). Heavy viewers usually put in a lot less ef fort on school work, have poorer reading skills and have fewer hob bies and activities. For information about videos on parenting, write for a free brochure: Boys Town Public Service Division, Boys Town, NE 68010. i - • -1 • A HOMEPARTNERS HOME LOAN 2% HOW DO YOU GET YOUR DOWN PAYMENT? Must be from your Can be a gift from a relative own savings NECESSARY REPAIRS Must be done before All repairs (except those required for health or safety loan is given reasons) can be done after loan is given ADDITIONAL CLOSING COSTS All costs must be Most costs can be paid up front financed TOTAL CASH REQUIRED AT CLOSING FOR A HOUSE WITH A SALES PRICE OF $30,000 (For down payment, up front closing costs, estimated taxes and insurance) $3,652 $2,160 DO YOU QUALIFY? % OF MONTHLY INCOME ALLOWED FOR HOUSE PAYMENT 28% Up to 33% CREDIT HISTORY Previous loan W ithout prior loan experience, landlord references or a experience on cars, good record o f paying utility credit cards, etc. bills can be used to establish credit history. GET ONE. The U.S. Bank HomePartners Program can help you purchase a house in Portland fo r up to $49,000. You are eligible to apply i f yo u r annual household income does not exceed the fo llo w in g income guidelines: 1 person — $24,000, 2 people — $28,500, 3 or more people — $31,700. HomePartners is offered through U.S. Bancorp M ortgage Company. that a lot o f people w ho thought they'd never be able to get a home loan, will get one. So, before you give up on the idea of owning your own home, take a look at w hat U.S. Bank's HomePartners loan has to offer. It could save you from a lifetime o f rent. even the usual federally insured home loan requires. And most closing costs, for things like title insurance and other fees, don’t have to be paid up front —they can be borrowed with the rest o f the money. Not only does this home loan cost less, it’s easier to qualify for. A steady income and a good history o f paying your bills might be all you need. Note, ive aren't exactly giving away these loans to everyone who walks in the door. But, we guarantee BANK 6) C 1991 United States National Bank o f Oregon > t • * A* *.* * ».fi* ** « j ’ y*’ j -V-5 . ■ Read and Read — Finally: Read. I hope you’ve been reading to your youngster throughout the summer. If not, do it now. It’s never too late. Check a few books and magazines out of the li brary and read them aloud to your child. Ask your child to read to you, too: the comics in the newspaper, descriptions in mail-order catalogues, and anything else that’s handy. Spend 15 to 30 minutes a day reading together. It could be your child’s best preparation for a school year’s worth of concentration and homework. And I’ll add my own fifth sug gestion: Don’t change when school opens. If you show your child you truly care about school and educa tion, your child will care, too. DOWN PAYMENT THINK THEY CAN’T t • takes a bus, visit the bus stop to gether. Talk about bus safely. Em phasize good behavior on the bus. — Avoid the confusion of open ing day. If your child is new to school, call the principal and ask for an infor mal tour for you and your child a few days or a week before school starts. Walk around the playground. Visit the cafeteria and library. Note the lo cation of the bathrooms. Excessive TV Viewing Can Harm Kids 5% LOAN PEOPLE W H O 0 (NU) - It’s that back-to-school time again, when every store in town has a special sale on clothes, lunch boxes, notebooks and other school- related items. For storekeepers, all this upbeat advertising usually pays off. But w hat your child needs on the first day of school can’t be bought in any store. Your child needs you to be just as upbeat and just as excited about the opening day of school as any storekeeper. Even more so. What does it take? Here arc four simple suggestions from the princi pals of Am erica’s elementary and middle schools. If you follow them, the first day of school — and every day th ereafter — will go more smoothly for you and your child: J A CONVENTIONAL HOME LOAN /o r Not everyone has the money it takes to take out a home loan from a bank. lint right note, a lot of people in Portland who think they can't qualify for a home loan, can. With a HomePartners loan from U.S. Bank. It gives you the money you need to buy a house without costing an arm and a leg. O r even a foot. Here’s how it works. 117th a HomePartners loan, the amount o f money you need for a down payment is one third less than By Samuel G. Sava I