Let's face it: homework can be almost as frustrating for parents as it is for kids. Getting kids to do their homework can be a challenge, and when they do sit down to study, a variety of other problems can appear.

    Doing homework may not be as fun as playing video games or chatting with friends, but it shouldn't be something that kids hate. Your children's assignments should not be busywork, but should help them build a skill or learn something new.

    You can offer help by stepping in to answer questions or offer encouragement. This gives you a chance to see what they are learning and how well they understand the material. It helps you understand their learning style and shows you care about their education.

    Many kids refuse to study by asking why they have to learn things they'll never use in real life. If your son or daughter shows little interest in their assignments, you can make them seem more important by pointing out ways you use them in daily life.

    Parents who feel that their kids have too much homework can talk about it with the teachers, but they're in the minority. A 2007 survey showed that 15 percent of parents said their kids had too much homework. About 60 percent said the homework load was just right, and 25 percent thought their children had too little homework.

    If you think it takes your child too long to finish homework, try to determine whether the problem lies in having too much work or managing time poorly. One of the things homework is supposed to do is to teach time management.

    If your child feels bored while doing homework, consider the following suggestions to make study sessions more enjoyable.

    Get help from friends: if your children are struggling with an assignment, let them call a friend for help or invite a friend over to work on it with them. You might also invite neighborhood kids over and let them do homework together. Have them sit around the dining table and help each other.

    Add physical activities: set mini-goals for homework and allow time for stretching, jumping around, or a snack after each goal is completed. For a kid who can't sit still, find active ways to study.

    Turn the tables: let your children teach you a lesson. Let them give you a quiz on the things they have just learned.

    What Does Teamwork Really Mean?

    We often hear the word "teamwork". But are you a team player? Understanding the question can surely promote team spirit as well as individual development. In many job interviews, a common question is whether the interviewee is a "team player". More often than not, he or she will say "yes". But what does being a team player really mean?

    On the most basic level, a team player is someone who can work within a group of people. This group is a number of people greater than one. Therefore it is an essential requirement of any employment that any potential employee is a team player.

    On a deeper level, a team player is someone who can play a role in the team, to achieve and support the goals set and agreed upon by the team. The simplest analogy（类似）to the corporate team would be a sports team.

    There are two main aims of the football team. One is to score goals and the other is to prevent the opposition team from scoring. In football, there are eleven players per side, and almost the same number of players in reserve. There are also other vital members of the team in the background, such as the coach, the doctor, etc.

    Every member of the team has a very specific role - as a captain, goalkeeper. Every member of the team is vital to the success of the team. If one player does not perform to the best of his or her ability, the team is handicapped(阻碍，妨碍).

    Similarly in the corporate world, each company has its clearly defined goals. Every member of the corporate team should have specific roles and responsibilities in view of achieving these goals.

    Being a team player does not mean you should always agree with the rest of the team. There are times when your vision may differ from the vision of the company, the leader or the rest of the team. It may be a valid vision and if you believe in it strongly enough, you should share it with the rest of the team. If the leader is a competent one, he or she will assess it on its merits and not let ego(自我，自负) get in the way. However, if the team should not agree with your vision, don't take it personally.

    They may find the idea inappropriate, not YOU personally. Don't take it as a sign of personal rejection. If your leader or team members see that you can handle rejection of your ideas in a mature manner, it is only to your own credit.

    So, don't be afraid to offer new ideas even seemingly crazy ones. Everyone in the team should feel free to offer ideas and not worry about them being dismissed.

    The pleasure of working in an environment where every member of the team is a team player is unparalleled. If you are not enjoying your working environment, chances are high that your team is also not working well. Ask yourself this:

    Are your team objectives in line with those of the company? If not, why not?

    What Does Teamwork Really Mean?

My students and I were ready for a challenge — a trip to Costa Rica. As we were waiting at the airport, we talked about our hopes and fears for our ten-day trip. My students worried about homesickness and felt uneasy with their homestay families. But strange foods or meeting new people didn't concern me. What terrified me was the best part of the trip — a zip lining (滑缆绳) flight over the jungle valley bordering Arenal Volcano. I made a secret pact (协议) with myself to find an excuse to get out of it at the last minute.

    When the fateful day arrived, we got to the peak to enjoy the breathtaking view of the volcano. When seeing the activity, my students raised a cheerful shout. How I wished I had had the same feeling as them. However, I was afraid of heights.

    My student Eileen sidled up to me. Her face was pale. "I'm scared," she whispered. "Will you stay back with me?" Here was my chance! I could get out of zip lining and still save face!

    "I'm scared, too," I said quietly.

    "Yeah," she said. "I thought you would be the right person to ask because you are really white, and you are sweating." Her words woke me up, and something clicked into place. If I couldn't step outside of my comfort zone, how could I ask the kids to do so?

    "Maybe we should give it a try," I said. I felt a little sick, but I couldn't believe my body was actually moving toward the launch point.

    "Come on," I said.

    "OK," she agreed.

    Eileen zipped past me, screaming with fear or delight, which I was not sure of. Once she was across, I followed. The attempt was not as terrible as I had thought. From that moment on, I knew there was nothing to fear as long as I walked out of my comfort zone and had a try.

    I am a member at the Blue Ridge Mountains Writers Conference. This is the conference where I got my start about 15 years ago, so it feels special whenever I go back there.

    I usually teach multiple sessions, host a table at meals where I can talk with conferees, and often have about 40-50 private appointments with attendees. I take great pleasure in giving my personal advice on the beginners' writing journey after listening to their puzzlement.

    And then I realized something, as I looked across the room and saw AI Gansky and Eva Marie Everson whom I'd had private appointments with many years ago when I was one of the conferees. The only reason I am a member there now is because countless people like them have invested in me. As a new writer, I once expressed my book ideas to Al and Eva, and they encouraged me a lot. Award-winning authors Yvonne Lehman and Steven James welcomed me to their group and shared their knowledge. And Edie, Vonda, Linda, Lynette, Michelle and so many others became my writing friends, offering encouragement and support along the way. I'd never have made it on this journey without them.

    Last week, I was invited to experience the life in the countryside with some writer friends. I refused the invitation at first. I was away from home a lot because of the numerous book releases and conferences. I felt so exhausted that I just wanted to stay at home. However, my sweet husband said, "Honey, why don't you go? It will be good for you. It can be a great source of inspiration for you." I'd never have made it without the support of this precious man who's been my chief encourager. It moves me to tears to think about all the times he's cleaned the kitchen, folded the laundry, taken care of our children and lugged my suitcases to the car so I can chase my dreams.

    I wouldn't be where I am today without all the supportive people and I want to give them a much-deserved shout-out today.

Fighting the curse of presenteeism

    "It's true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance?" Beyond a certain level, extra effort seems to be self­defeating. Studies suggest that, after 10 hours a week, employee productivity falls sharply.

    But that doesn't stop some managers from demanding that workers stay chained to their desk for long periods. Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, recently applauded the "996" model, where employees work from 9am to 9pm, six days a week, as a huge blessing". However, to modern office workers presenteeism is a curse.

    There will be days when you do not have much to do, just waiting for someone else to respond to a request. As the clock ticks past 5pm, there may be no purpose in staying at your desk. But you can see your boss hard at work and, more important, they can see you. So you make an effort to look busy.

    If bosses do not like to go home before their underlings (下属)and underlings fear leaving before their bosses, everyone is trapped. Staff may feel that they will not get a pay rise, or a promotion, if they are not seen to be putting in maximum effort. This is easily confused with long hours. Managers, who are often no good at judging employees5 performance, use time in the office as a measurement.

    But presenteeism has more serious consequences. As well as reducing productivity, this can increase medical expenses for the employer. According to a study, these costs can be six time: higher for employers than the costs of absenteeism among workers. To take one example, research found that Japanese employees with lower­back pain were three times more likely to turn up for work than in Britain. As a result, those workers were more likely to experience greater pain and to suffer from depression. What could be more discouraging than being in pain while feeling trapped at work?

    "None of this is to say that employers are not entitled to expect workers to be in the office for a small amount of time. Unavoidably there will be a need for some (preferably short)meetings. Dealing with colleagues face-­to­-face develops friendships, allows for a useful exchange of ideas and enables workers to have a better sense of their common needs.

    With portable smart phones and laptops, we can work at home as easily as in the office. Turning an office into a prison does nothing for the creativity that is increasingly demanded of office workers as routine tasks are automatic. To be productive you need presence of mind, not being present in the flesh.

    Many of the most memorable ad campaigns nowadays tend to be funny. Advertisers use this strategy to attract customers to their products. Audiences like to be entertained not forced. People will pay more attention to a humorous commercial than a factual serious one opening themselves up to be influenced. The key to funny advertising is assuring the humor is appropriate to both the product and customers. The balance between being funny and being obnoxious can often be delicate, and a marketer must be certain the positive effects outweigh the negative before an advertisement can be introduced.

    The best products to sell using humor tend to be those that consumers think the least about. Products that are relatively inexpensive and often consumable can be represented without providing a lot of facts, and that's where there's room for humor. Candy, too, food, and entertainment-related products such as toys have got the most benefits from humor in their campaigns. One of the most important things to keep in mind is relevance to the product.

    Another point to consider when using humor in advertising is that different things are funny to different people. A commercial that may make one person burst into laughter may leave a bad taste in another's mouth. The target market must always be considered, what's funny in a client presentation may not be funny on an airplane, at a country club or in hospital.

    Humor in advertising tends to improve brand recognition but does not improve product recall message credibility, or buying intentions. In other words, consumers may be familiar with a good feeling towards the product, but their purchasing decisions will probably not be affected. One of the major keys to a successful humorous campaign is variety. Once a commercial start to wear out, it's impossible to save ii without some variation on the concept Humorous campaigns are often expensive because they have to be constantly changed. Advertisers must remember that while making customers laugh, they have to keep thing interesting because old jokes die along with their products.