Heloise

Today’s Sound Off is about engaging children in family activities:

Dear Heloise: For over 20 years, I’ve taught in a large and busy high school. I’ve observed how students react, heard them talk about their lives and read their school essays. In that time I’ve come to realize that the students who do the best work in school usually have parents who are active in their child’s life, demand good behavior, refuse to accept poor grades from their child and work with teachers to help improve their child’s academic performance.

My best students generally don’t have cellphones or don’t use them in class. Most do not come from wealthy families, but they come from families that do activities with their children such as teaching them to cook, keep house, do laundry, go grocery shopping, and take an active interest in their child’s sports activities or hobbies. They vacation together as a family, and if there is a problem they know they can’t handle, they seek help immediately. They know who their child’s friends are and where they go when they leave the house.

I urge parents to remember one thing: You will never leave behind anything of greater importance than your child. You are their parent, NOT their best friend. — MJR, teacher in St. Paul, Minnesota

FAST FACTS

Bookmark substitutes:

— Old, used gift card

— Ribbon

— Photograph

— Sticky note

— Postcard

SMOKY SMELL

Dear Heloise: HELP! How do I get the smell of smoke out of an upholstered chair? I tried baking soda and a foam cleaner, but it isn’t much better. — Deanna C., Mifflintown, Pennsylvania

Deanna, a lot will depend on the fabric, how long the chair was exposed to the smoke and whether or not the chair’s padding absorbed the smoky smell.

There are commercial cleaners on the market, but you might have to call in a professional cleaner, especially if it’s cigarette smoke to which you refer. You also can try fabric fresheners that come in a spray to help mask the smoky smell. You might try taking the chair outside for a few hours to see if fresh air helps at all.

If you tried baking soda, did you sprinkle on a generous amount, then completely cover the chair in plastic, making sure to tape off any openings?

I know firsthand how difficult it is to get rid of a smoky smell. — Heloise

GET ORGANIZED

Dear Heloise: I lost my husband, and I was in the dark about where all the important papers were kept.

Now I’ve decided to make it easier for my family to find those papers. I got several assorted color file folders with pockets. On the outside of each folder I wrote (with a black felt-tip marker) what was inside of each folder. I keep several extra folders for future use. Now I feel organized and maybe this will make things easier for my family someday. — Linda C., Oxford, Ohio

Linda, that’s a great idea. It’s always a good idea to get important documents sorted out and easy to find when we need them. — Heloise