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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
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•
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
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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