Making Peace with Your Parents

    As a teen, you are going through big changes physically and mentally. Your interests are expanding（增加；扩大） {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Here is the challenge: Kids need to explore the world in new ways, and parents need to protect them from the dangers that are all out in that world. These conflicts（冲突）can easily set off fireworks in otherwise calm house. Sometimes conflicts can't be avoided. But by paying attention to the building blocks of successful relationships, you can work towards making home a happy and healthy place for you and your parents.

For instance, try to find a time to talk when your parents are not angry, tired, distracted , or hungry. A good time to talk is when you are all relaxed. Timing is everything. If the conversation begins to turn into an argument, you'd better calmly and coolly ask to stop the conversation—for now. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Listen to what your parents are saying, and repeat it back to them. This shows them that you're listening. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Respect is the building block of good communication. People who respect each other and care about each other's feelings can disagree without getting things ugly.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}How do you build trust? Trust comes by actually doing what you say you're going to do. Some teens find that doing fun activities with their parents can improve their relationships. Sometimes we forget that parents are more than rule-makers—they're interesting people who like to watch movies and go shopping—just like their teenagers!

    What do you do if you are trying your best, but your relationship with your parents continues to be rocky（难以维持的；不稳定的）? {#blank#}5{#/blank#}You can find supportive adults, such as a teacher or a coach, who can lead an ear.

    Remember you can only change your own behavior. Your parents are the only ones who can change theirs.

A. It also gives them a chance to clear things up if you're not on the same page.

B. You can pick it up again when everyone's more relaxed.

C. And then you will be able to accept what your parents say.

D. Faced with the challenge, children don't know what to do.

E. You are more likely to get along with your parents and have more independence if your parents believe in you.

F. And your desire to take control of your own life is growing.

G. You may consider seeking outside help.

Primary Source Holiday Shopping Night at Ten Thousand Villages

● Shop for your holiday gifts and give back to Primary Source at Ten Thousand Villages on Friday, December 4! 15% of all sales from 3:00 p. m．—7:00 p. m. that day will be donated to Primary Source. Join us for light refreshments and enjoy beautiful handmade gifts from artisans around the world. All are welcome!

Primary Source's Holiday Shopping Night

Friday, December 4, 2014

3:00 p. m．—7:00 p. m.

Ten Thousand Villages

226 Harvard Street, Brookline, Massachusetts (Coolidge Corner)

Download our flyer and tell your friends!

    Ten Thousand Villages provides vital, fair income for the people from developing countries by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America. Learn more and preview toys, home decor, jewelry, and other gifts online.

● Can't join us on Dec. 4? At GoodShop, 30% of your spending will be given to Primary Source. The next time you're ready to make an online purchase(购物), visit www. goodshop. com and enter “Primary Source” in the space provided. Click “verify” and choose from more than seven hundred popular stores and sites, from Apple to Zappos. GoodShop is free and easy to use, and each purchase you make will help Primary Source provide global education materials for schools all over New England.

    If your child is being bullied(欺负), there are ways to help him or her deal with it on a day-to-day basis and lessen its lasting effect.

    If your child tells you about a bully, focus on offering comfort and support, no matter how upset you are. Kids are not willing to tell adults about bullying because they feel embarrassed and ashamed.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Sometimes kids feel like it's their own fault.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Some kids are afraid that if the bully finds out that they have told others, it will get worse. Others are worried that their parents won't believe them or do anything about it.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Remind your child that he or she isn't alone. Emphasize that it's the bully who is behaving badly — not your child. Comfort your child and say that you will find out what to do about it together.

    Take it seriously if you hear that the bullying will get worse if the bully finds out that your child has told someone.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} But in most cases, teachers are the best ones to contact first. If you've tried that and still want to speak to the bullying child's parents, it's best to do so in a context where a school official, such as a teacher, can mediate.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Find out about the laws in your community. In certain cases, if you have serious concerns about your child's safety, you may need to contact legal authorities.

A. Praise your child for being brave enough to talk about it.

B. They also worry that their parents will be disappointed.

C. Many kids don't tell anyone because they feel ashamed.

D. They think that if they acted differently it wouldn't be happening.

E. A bully can turn something into a serious thing for kids.

F. Many countries have bullying laws and pocilies.

G. Sometimes it's useful to find the bully's parents.

    Have you ever tried to write a poem? It's easier than you might think. Poems are a lot like song lyrics(歌词). A good poem conveys an honest feeling about something. Follow these steps to write a poem.

First, pay attention to the world around you—--little things, big things, people, animals, buildings, events, etc.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}You can do just about anything in a poem. That's why poetry writing is so wild and free: there are no rules.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}What would you like your poem to be about? Your poem will be more powerful if you choose a topic you feel strongly about.

    Now free-write for 5 minutes about your topic. Then go back and read it.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Circle these to use in your poem.

    Write your poem. Remember, a poem doesn't have to rhyme. It doesn't have to use sentences.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}  And it should sound nice to you.

    Have a friend read your poem aloud to you. Do you like the way it sounds?{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    I believe that poetry is the most exquisite(优美的) form of writing. And anyone can write a poem if they want to.

A. Then, choose your topic.

B. Explore different types of poems.

C. Do any words or phrases stand out?

D. What do you see, hear, taste, smell, and feel?

E. But it should show your feelings about the topic.

F. If not, go back and rewrite the parts you don't like.

G. Choose a paragraph from a favorite book and turn it into a poem

    Does your older brother think he's cleverer than you? Well, he's probably right. According to a new research published in the journal Intelligence, the oldest children in families are likely to have the highest IQs and the youngest the lowest.

    A number of studies have suggested that IQ scores decline with birth order. In the most recent study, at Vrije University, Amsterdam, researchers looked at men and women whose IQ had been tested at the ages of 5, 12, and 18.

    The results, which show a trend for the oldest to score better than the youngest in each test, involved about 200,000 people. That showed that first-borns had a three-point IQ advantage over the second-born, who was a point ahead of the next in line.

    The order of birth can also affect personality, achievement, and career, with first-borns being more academically successful and more likely to win Nobel prizes. However, eldest children are less likely to be radical(不同凡响的) and pioneering. Charles Darwin, for example, was the fifth child of six.

    Exactly why there should be such differences is not clear, and there are a number of theories on environmental influences on the child.

    The so-called dilution(稀释法) theory suggests that as family resources, both emotional and physical, as well as economic, are limited, it follows that, as a result , as more children come along, the levels of parental attention and encouragement will drop. Another theory is that the intellectual environment in the family favors the first-born who has, at least for some time, the benefit of individual care and help.

    The theory which enjoys the most support is that the extra time and patience that the earlier-borned get from their parents, compared with those arriving later, gives them an advantage.