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Author : Jim Corkern

Unfortunately, finding mold growing in our refrigerator is something that everyone has to deal with at some point or another, whether you are single, married, or especially if you have children People who tend to lead fully scheduled lives from day to day typically do not have time to keep a check on the items in their refrigerator to make sure mold does not start to grow, but time should be made at the very least twice a year to clean out the refrigerator of old inventory Those with more time to clean out their refrigerators should do so more often

Take an inventory of what is in your refrigerator and what the date is Anything that is sorely outdated, showing signs of mold contamination, or smelling foul should be thrown away These items will not take long to contaminate the food that is next to it, such as potatoes from the garden that are put in the same container One bad potato will spoil the rest fairly quickly if it is not removed and the potatoes touching it washed immediately afterward

Fruits and vegetables that are brought home from the grocery store should be removed from their plastic sacks that we use at the store to collect them with These bags will trap moisture inside and cause the fruit to begin to break down, inviting mold to start growing

Clean out your refrigerator as often as possible, especially if you tend to have a lot of spills in it If you thaw meat out in the refrigerator, you need to make sure it is thawed out in a pan of some kind to prevent the blood or other juices from getting all over your shelves Raw poultry is notorious for causing salmonella poisoning, so it is important that you get anything the poultry touched while it was thawing in the refrigerator cleaned after you take it out

Wash the insides of the refrigerator with antibacterial cleaners and bleach, if you must Bleach should not be mixed with other household chemicals, however, especially those that contain ammonia This can cause hazardous fumes to build up in your kitchen and can do you serious damage if you breathe enough in

While you have everything out of the fridge, take the time to go through the items in it again and toss out anything questionable Check any home-canned goods that you might have and make sure the seals are not broken on them Throw out anything the seal is broken on, unless you broke the seal yourself not long ago

Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality Mold Remediation and water damage restoration> companies across the united states.

Author : Terre Grable

Well, the flu season is definitely here In our house alone, we have experienced viruses and the flu back to back Ugh! As a parent, it can become overwhelming trying to finagle your day job, household responsibilities, and caring for sick family members Here are some tips to keep your sanity during the flu season with your teenager

1 Seek medical attention

If your teenager is exhibiting symptoms, then seek medical attention Only a medical professional can diagnose, and treat influenza from other infections, diseases, and viruses Your physician can also tell you what to expect for duration of symptoms and what symptoms are common in your locality In addition, early detection may prevent more severe symptoms for your teenager Your teenager may not want to see a physician However, when it comes to health and safety issues parental authority overrides adolescent desires

2 Recognize that it may not be your teenager talking

Remember what it felt like the last time you had the flu or got sick? It is frustrating when your body is working physically against your desire not to be sick So it can be with your teenager If your teenager is more moody than normal, try not to take it personally However, being sick is not an excuse for disrespect If your teenager becomes disrespectful to you, then remind him/her of the need for respecting one another, even during illnesses

3 Hang in there for the long haul

The flu can last for what seems like forever Some may experience their symptoms for a longer period than others Longer symptoms can lead to more frustration for both you and your teenager Extend some grace and empathy to yourself and your teenager

4 Attention or Isolation

Teenagers are comforted indifferent ways Some teenagers prefer more attention when they are sick They find comfort when others take care of them, and help them out Others prefer to just be left alone and suffer in their misery They can become annoyed if you bother them when they are sick Find out which way your teenager receives comfort Don't take it personal if your preference is more attention, and your teenager's is isolation

5 Take Care of Yourself

Influenza can be very contagious Do what you can to protect yourself Wash your hands, eat well, get plenty of rest, and follow all medical advice If you do end up getting the flu, do what you can to take care of yourself as well Parents will often forgo their own health to take care of their children However, you cannot help your children if you do not first take care of yourself

6 Keep a sense of humor

Try to find the humor in the situation Even the flu can have humorous moments Were there any funny moments that happened today? Did you come across laughable moment with your teenager? Often the difference between a bad incident and a funny situation is a person's perspective Give yourself permission to laugh at your mistake, and not take yourself too seriously

7 Avoid becoming stir crazy

Being cooped up on the house can make anyone go stir crazy, especially if it has been for a long period of time There are only so many books you can read, movies you can watch, music you can listen to Do what you are able to get a change of scenery and perspective Get out if you can even if it is for a few minutes Sit outside Call some friends Tackle your to do list that you have been wanting to accomplish

8 Use this time to reconnect with your teenager

Life is busy, and often parents wish they had more time with their children One benefit of the flu is that you will have time together, especially if you are both home together Use this time to catch up with what is going on in their world Perhaps watch a movie together, or just spend some time talking in between naps

9 Keep a healthy perspective

Remember that the flu does not last forever Having the flu is inconvenient, but it will come to an end You will get through this, and survive it Keep your perspective if you start to feel overwhelmed

Parenting teenagers can be challenging at times. I invite you to log onto http://www.parentingyourteenager.com/ wehre you will find more information on how parents and teens can become friends when they feel like enemies.

Author : Mike Shery

Perhaps you have discovered that one of your children or adolescents use alcohol and other drugs It is important to know that some kids do develop serious problems in this area which require professional help Such programs include inpatient treatment, office counseling, twelve step programs, and inpatient units for individuals who have both emotional and substance abuse problems

There are a variety of substance abuse treatment programs available The decision to get treatment for your child or adolescent can be difficult, and because of this, your first step should be to seek consultation from a psychologist when making these decisions

Other psychiatric problems can often coexist with your teens substance abuse problem Therefore, get a complete assessment before starting treatment

When substance abuse treatment is recommended, you can obtain the information you need by asking the following questions:

1 Why do you believe this program will help my child? How do its features and services compare to other local programs or services?

2 What are the credentials of members of the treatment team? Will the team include a clinical psychologist who will due in depth counseling and testing or will it be oriented exclusively with the psychiatric model by emphasizing the use of medications?

3 What treatment approaches does this program use? For example, which of the following are included: detoxification; abstinence training; individual, family, and group therapy; use of medications; a twelve-step program; support groups; relapse prevention Is there aftercare or a continuing recovery process available?

4 Does my child have other psychiatric problems in addition to substance abuse? If so, will these be addressed in the treatment process? How?

5 How will the family be involved in our child's substance abuse treatment -- including the decision for discharge and after-care?

6 What will treatment cost? Are the costs covered by my insurance or health plan?

7 How will my child continue his education while in treatment?

8 Is your facility approved by the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)? Is this substance abuse program a separate unit accredited for youngsters of our childs age?

9 How will the issue of confidentiality and privacy be handled during and after treatment?

10 How long will the treatment process continue? Will we reach our insurance limit before treatment is completed?

11 When my child is discharged, how will it be decided what types of aftercare will be necessary, how often, and for how long? Will my insurance cover it?

12 Does this program provide less intensive/step-down treatment services as my child improves? Do not forget that severe substance abuse and chemical dependency in adolescence is often a chronic relapsing disorder Always ask what treatment services are available for continued or future treatment

If questions or doubts persist about either admission to a substance abuse treatment program or about a denial of treatment, a second opinion may be helpful

Dr Shery is in Cary, IL, near Algonquin, Crystal Lake, Marengo and Lake-in-the-Hills. He's an expert psychologist. Call 1 847 516 0899 and make an appt orlearn more about counseling at: http://www.carypsychology.com

Author : keishon martin

It is obvious that the MySpace website is really great for making new friends connecting with old friends no matter whats you age and also promoting oneself whether you are a recording artist graphic designer, model or actor But there are several very dangerous drawbacks in letting your children to surf freely online within the MySpace network of millions of users worldwide Which heightens the risk of being approached by predators

First of all you need to understand that all MySpace profiles are public despite being able to make profiles private and block certain users, your children are susceptible to view others pages and in return letting their guard down As other members, and anybody in the outside world can read anything that is posted on a public profile can get to a MySpace profile

As some children with out the proper supervision often disclose too much personal information about them selves (i e name and addresses, school names, classmates, teachers, birthdates, favorite hobbies) on these profiles, which attract will attract hordes of child predators that are lurking on the website for hours on end These predators will seize upon details left in blogs, comments, and personal profiles to take advantage of these kids when parents are not home, or when kids are at school, even to the point of showing up in these places

Second of all, please understand that teens do love to gossip As the same problems that torment kids at school are multiplied ten times on the MySpace website Where you have gossip, vicious rumors, bullying, racial slurs and all possible derogatory comments are posted on a public display to an audience of millions This can seriously lead to huge problems in your childs future where there is a possibility that a college denies admission or an employer looks else where when hiring, just from googling for that persons MySpace page Where saying anything now, possibly can hurt later on

Thirdly, please remember that people are not who they say they are on there, even some will go as far as posting up fake pictures of another person to have think that was them Where a valid e-mail is the only requirement for membership on MySpace and any other identifying information can be faked As there are no controls in place within the MySpace security system to actively check the validity of current members The only time somebody is caught is when some one is reported or MySpace catches someone violating its policies of use Where these child predators can pretend to be teens, gain their trust, and use it to their advantage

The lack of parental controls and the relatively easy access to inappropriate materials have prompted some parents and schools to entirely remove access to the site from home and school computers But understanding the present dangers of the website is actually the first step in prevention of such dangers

Keishon Martin is the founder of KeyWorldWide Inc. which owns and operates www.SpacedOutCodes.comwww.GetRichinMusic.com www.BabyGoodNames.com www.GetMoneyMoney.comwww.Down2Diet.comvisit their websites

Author : Larry Waldman

Mrs Sampson comes home from work As she pulls into the driveway, she notices that the garbage can is still out and the newspapers are not in She enters the house through an unlocked door

The kitchen is a mess due to her son fixing himself a snack She can tell what Todd has eaten, as every item, including bread, salami, cheese, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup and pickles, remains on the counter

She hears loud rock music blaring from a bedroom She goes there and looks in Todd is on the phone She motions for him to turn down the deafening rock crescendo

She rolls her eyes The room looks like the aftermath of a tornado The bathroom is even worse, but Mrs Sampson has not seen that yet She forces herself not to remark again that Todd has hair that is too long and that his clothes are strange

She knows that Todd has not begun his homework; his books are still in his book bag even though he has been home for about two hours

Mrs Sampson can hold her words no longer and begins yelling at Todd about his irresponsible behaviors She lists all her concerns: his lack of understanding for the family, his self-centeredness, his poor school performance, his hair, his clothes, his music, his friends, his curfew problem last weekend, and his attitude in general

Todd, hearing this lecture for the umpteenth time, screams back at his mother and orders her out of the room

Mrs Sampson gets in a few more words As she turns to walk out of the room, she informs Todd that he is grounded for two weeks!

Todd slams the door behind his mother and resumes his phone conservation with his friend who was listening in on the line during this confrontation

Mrs Sampson grumbles to herself

Todd complains to his friend how they are not appreciated or understood

I cannot begin to tell you how many parents of teens have related such episodes to me during my 30-plus years of counseling Parents have even told me that it is as if some alien being has taken over the body that once belonged to their sweet little son or daughter

The truth is that many times the methods that worked in raising young children just do not work well in dealing with teens While you can shape the behavior of young children it is often a case of learning how to cope with teenage sons and daughters

You can change things and make life at home smoother for your family But you have to find the right methods and learn how to consistently use those methods

Larry Waldman, Ph.D., psychologist and author, is one of the leading parenting and relationship authorities in the United States. To find out how to improve your family relationships, visit his web site at: http://www.the-relationship-doctor.com.