Improve Your Life Right Away -- Get Dressed! by Jill Cooper www.LivingOnADime.com Do you want to get out of debt? Do you want to get your house organized and have more control over your life? Do you want your family to respect you more than they do? Then get dressed! I realize that for some people, like those with newborns and toddlers, this can be a challenge to say the least, but do what you can. At first it may mean only getting dressed during the baby's first nap of the day, but keep working at it until you can comb your hair and put on your make-up. Getting dressed may not seem important but it really is at the top of the list of things you can do to improve your life. I had a woman once tell me she never got dressed in the morning, but that she could do her housework just fine. This same woman in the next breath was bemoaning the fact she couldn't get her family to help her or show her any respect. Take a good long look in the mirror at yourself and see what your family sees. Is it a woman perpetually dressed in pajamas or sweats, with hair sticking out all over and without any make-up? I know they are your family and are supposed to love you no matter how you look. They would never ever say anything to you because they do love you, but there is a difference between love and respect. I know several women who never ever put on make-up or get dressed unless they are going to work or out someplace fancy. How do you think that makes their husbands and children feel? The message that a family receives is that they are not as important as the rest of the world. Many of these women wonder why their families don't respect them! If your boss showed up each day to work in her pajamas, without make-up and combed hair and then proceeded to sit down at her cluttered desk before demanding that you keep your desk spotless, wear pantyhose and a skirt and keep your nails manicured, how would you feel? Would you respect her? Would you want to even introduce her to your friends? You might do what she says, but you wouldn't respect her. Do you think your husband and young children don't notice how you present yourself? Do you remember as a young child seeing your mom all dressed up to go to church or out for the evening and being so proud of how beautiful she looked? If your mom never dressed up, do you remember seeing your friends moms and wishing yours looked like that? Children notice even the littlest things. One day, my 5 year old granddaughter hugged me and said "Nan, you and Great Grandma always smell so good!" Even something as small as using a little perfume makes an impression and leaves a lasting memory. I'm sorry, but it's a fact of life you have to earn respect. The dictionary's definition for earn is "to receive something for work done." The definition of work is "sustained physical or mental effort to overcome obstacles and achieve an objective or result." Translated, that means to get respect you will have to put forth some effort -- sustained or continual effort, even when there are Legos -- um I mean "obstacles" in your path. One time I had to have major surgery. It was complicated by the fact I had a chronic illness and I was just plain worn out. The doctor insisted that I get some major rest. She told me that I was not to get out of my pajamas for three weeks. Why? Because once I got dressed, it was a signal for my friends and family that I was up to working again. Sure enough, the minute I slipped my clothes on, they were all over me. Now you may be reading this story and saying "If that's the case, I'll never get dressed again!" Trust me, I was tempted to stay in my pajamas for the rest of my life. But the point I'm trying to make is the way that you dress does send a signal -- to your family and yourself. If you have been neglecting this part of your life and have been frustrated with a general lack of cooperation from your family, could it be that you have been giving them mixed signals? Jill Cooper is the editor of www.LivingOnADime.com . As a single mother of two, Jill Cooper started her own business without any capital and paid off $35,000 debt in 5 years on $1,000 a month income. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

Getting Your Children School Ready By Thomas Haller and Chick Moorman Back to school is in the air. Parents are currently being bombarded with back to school sales in magazines, newspapers, television ads, and store flyers. Whether you shop on line or wait in line, advertisers suggest that their store or website has everything you could possibly need to get your child school ready. Have you made your list yet? Most lists include: a book bag, pens, pencils, glue stick, spiral note pad, compass, calculator, 3-ring binder, gym shoes, and clothes. You may even have a lunch box on your list. But are these things what your children really need in order to be ready for school? Perhaps getting your child school ready involves more that buying things. Maybe supplies are not what you need to supply for your child to get them off to a good start this school year. It just might be that the best getting ready for school strategies you can employ are not found at the mall or your local department store. Consider the following. Below are five suggestions for getting your children school ready. Do they need to be on your back to school list? Start the school schedule early. Break the summer sleep-in/stay-up late mode. Begin the morning and evening school routine at least two weeks before school actually starts. Don't expect that you child will be able to make the adjustment to getting up for school quickly or easily without a break in period.. Take the full two weeks to work into the routine slowly by adjusting the bedtime and wakeup time a few minutes everyday until the desired time is reached. Your goal is to have the schedule set prior to the first day of school. Create a positive attitude about going back to school. Talk to your children about being able to see their friends, meet their new teacher and all the opportunities that being at school provides. Focus on your child's area of interest and emphasize all the ways in which school helps to enhance that topic. When your child speaks negatively, redirect him into the positive. Visit the school. Reacquaint your child with the school. During the summer classrooms change, teachers transfer to new buildings, principals are reassigned, and new playground equipment gets installed. Don't wait for orientation day to get reacquainted. Go to the school and play on the play ground, meet the new principal or office personnel, talk to the janitor. Set goals for the upcoming school year. Help your children create realistic expectations for themselves about school. Talk about what they want to accomplish this school year, not what you want them to accomplish. Remember not all of school is about grades. Making new friends, speaking out in class, standing up for oneself, staying organized, and managing behavior are all crucial skills for a successful school year. Model learning. Create a time in your home when everyone is involved in learning related activities such as reading, playing with numbers, telling family stories, journaling, or quiet reflection. Turn off the television and video games and have a set time for the whole family to feed their brain. In fact, model learning year round, even through the summer months. This will set the stage for homework. A study time can be a logical extension of the learning time you have in your home. Give your kids every opportunity to be ready for school this year. Head to the mall or department store with your list of needed items and remember to add to your list the suggestions above. By doing so you give your kids what they really need to begin this school year---structure, energy, enthusiasm, and a positive attitude. Chick Moorman and Thomas Haller are the authors of The 10 Commitments: Parenting with Purpose . They are two of the world's foremost authorities on raising responsible, caring, confident children. They publish a free monthly e-zine for parents. To sign up for it or obtain more information about how they can help you or your group meet your parenting needs, visit their websites today: www.chickmoorman.com or www.thomashaller.com . Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

Take Five Steps to More Energy By Dr. Thomas O. Goode Energy is the key to life. When you have energy you are able to do more, see more, and be more. Unfortunately, we have lost touch with what our bodies need to perform well. This often leaves us chronically exhausted and sluggish. The good news is that there are positive steps we can take to remedy this situation. First and foremost, we need to reeducate ourselves. Learning what the body and mind needs for peak functioning allows us to care for ourselves with intention. Only then is it possible to break the low energy cycle and live well. Five Simple Steps to More Energy Food. Food fuels your body. It supplies the energy you need to live your best life. The body needs proper nutrition to perform a number of tasks. It utilizes the food you feed it to make the energy necessary for all bodily functions. It uses the energy it produces for external tasks as well. Your mental and physical activities all depend on energy. If your body is not receiving the proper nutrients, it will first take what it needs to keep itself running. Whatever is left over goes towards your conscious actions. Therefore, in order to live well and accomplish your goals, you must feed your body well. This means giving your body more of what it uses efficiently and less of what it can not use at all. For instance, your body digests and utilizes protein first. Nonessential foods such as fat and alcohol are digested last or stored as fat. This is because your body doesn't need them to thrive. A well balanced diet consists of adequate protein, plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and a small amount low fat dairy and fat. You should also strive to eat quality foods. Foods in their natural state without added chemicals are good. Organic produce and grain fed meats are best. Water. Dehydration is one of the major and lesser known reasons for fatigue. We reach this state because the body does not tell us it needs water until the last minute... Therefore, it is possible to be dehydrated before you become thirsty. In addition, we often confuse our thirst and hunger signals. That is why dieters are often told to drink a glass of water when they are hungry. Many times the body needs water not food. To ensure you get the water your body needs, drink 6-8 8 ounce glasses of water a day. Exercise. When you are tired, exercise is about the last thing you feel capable of. But, exercise actually increases your energy level. When first adding regular exercise to your life, you will notice that you are tired afterwards. Stick to it. After a short amount of time you will be less tired after your workouts and have more energy overall. It is also important to remember that exercise does not have to be grueling or extensive. Be sure to choose an activity you enjoy and will enter into with pleasure. That could be walking, running, gardening, swimming or canoeing. Just as long as you are active. Walking for a half an hour a day provides you with enough exercise to increase your energy level and live well. Emotions. Many people do not realize how much energy it takes to restrict their emotions. It takes a great deal more energy to keep your emotions in check or bottled up than it does to freely express them. Learning how to constructively express displeasure or ask for what you need is uplifting. Dealing with your emotional issues in a positive way takes away the burden of harboring them. This results in more energy for the things you enjoy. Breathing. Most of us take breathing for granted. It is something our bodies do. Unfortunately, for many of us, it isn't something we do well. As we age, we begin adopt shallow breathing patterns. These patterns do not provide our bodies with the oxygen necessary to proper functioning. Proper breathing involves drawing big breaths and expanding the abdomen, solar plexus, and lungs with oxygen. Learning how to breath well can give your body more of what it needs. Then it can give you more energy and more of what you desire from life. For more information on proper breathing techniques, visit www.fullwavebreathing.com . Dr. Thomas O. Goode is the co-founder of the International Breath Institute, which was created in 1991 to teach people how to enhance their health and prevent premature aging. He is also an inspirational speaker, workshop facilitator, and author of seven books, the latest of which is Fully Alive-Feel Better, Look Younger and Improve Your Sex Life. To contact Dr. Good, receive the free ezine, or for more information on Full Wave Breathing, visit www.fullwavebreathing.com Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

Five Ways to Stop Cyberbullying By Steve Cross www.guardiansoftware.com A man named Bill Belsey is officially recognized as creating the term "Cyberbullying". Here's how Bill defines it.... "Cyberbullying involves the use of information and communication technologies such as e-mail, cell phone and pager text messages, instant messaging, defamatory personal Web sites, and defamatory online personal polling Web sites, to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group that is intended to harm others." What it means is other kids sending your kids threats, abuse, and profanity. According to a report on National Public Radio on 3/3/06, 30% of all girls have been bullied. Playground bullies have moved indoors, only now, using the internet and email, the bullies are both boys and girls. Your kids are not safe from this. Kids have become so despondent that they have taken their own lives over cyberbullying. Here are 5 ways you can help stop cyberbullying: Talk with your kids. Let them know they are not alone; you are there to help. And let them know they did nothing wrong. Some people are just bullies. If your kids are being bullied, save all of their emails and the text messages they have received. These will be useful to law enforcement and educators. ISPs and cell phone companies can use these to find and disconnect perpetrators. If one of your kids is being cyber bullied, report it to the police. Be persistent, and report the offenses. Also show copies of the emails and text messages to law enforcement. If your kids won't talk with you about it, buy and install internet monitoring software. This is a kind of low cost software that will hide on their computer and monitor text, chat, IM, and emails. The best of these will email you reports. And last, if your kid is on the giving end of cyber bullying, you must take away their privileges immediately. You have liability here, both ethical and legal. Steve Cross, President of Guardian Software, is a columnist, author, and the former President of family-friendly internet pioneer YourFreeStuff.com. Steve wrote the book "Changing Channels", and was a columnist for the Gartner Group's "Channel Media" newsletters for years. Before purchasing Guardian Software he served in senior level executive positions with several software companies. For more information visit www.GuardianSoftware.com . Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com More >>

Help Reset Your Child's Internal Clock before School Starts By Patti Teel www.pattiteel.com I have fond memories of my children excitedly preparing for each new school year. With a brand new pair of tennis shoes and backpack, they looked forward to the new school year with both eager anticipation and trepidation. While buying our children new school supplies may help tip the scale towards eager anticipation, it's much more important to help children to prepare for their school year by making sure they're well rested. Parents can help their children get off to a good start by readjusting their sleep schedule before school begins. While the first few weeks of school are exciting, they are also stressful as your child adjusts to new experiences, people and classes. Being well rested can help children make the transition, cutting down on some of the stress and ensuring that they are ready to face the challenges, to focus and to learn. During the long summer break many children have gotten used to sleeping in simply "because it's vacation." Family trips and summer activities often throw off the schedules of even the most diligent parents. Children may have gotten into the pattern of staying up late and sleeping late. If this problem isn't corrected before school starts, children are likely to struggle as they adjust to an earlier schedule. Parents can help re-set their children's internal clocks and correct this problem so they're ready for school. I suggest that for a week before school starts, you move up bedtime by 15-30 minutes. But simply having children go to sleep earlier won't solve the problem as long as they are still getting up late. Most importantly, parents need to consistently wake their children up earlier. To motivate your children to get out of bed, it often helps if you create a reason for them to have to get up in the morning. It would be ideal to have them spend time outdoors; the early morning sunshine helps to reset the internal clock. The first week that you wake your children up earlier can cause them to be tired and sleep deprived; however, if you continue to firmly enforce the wake-up time, your child should begin to naturally fall asleep earlier. By beginning this process a week before school starts children will have the advantage of being well rested and ready to learn-starting with the very first day of school. When children have trouble getting out of bed on their own in the morning, are grouchy, and/or have irritable or moody behavior during the day, it's very likely that they need more sleep. Insufficient sleep affects mood, immunity and the ability to learn. Ideally, children should consistently go to bed at the same time every night. Even on the weekends, bedtime should not vary by more thanone hour a night or a total of two hours for the entire weekend. If it does,you're setting your child up for a kind of jet lag when Monday morning rolls around. In addition, here are some sleep prep tips that may help with theback to school transition: Allow time for a leisurely bedtime routine Have a consistent bedtime. Warn your children five to ten minutes before they need to get ready for bed so they can wrap up what they're doing. Have quiet activities before bed. (Limit television, video games and computer time.) Avoid caffeinated drinks in the late afternoon and evening. Teach your children relaxation techniques to help them relax and fall asleep. Dubbed "The Dream Maker" by People magazine, Patti Teel is a former teacher and the author of The Floppy Sleep Game Book , which gives parents techniques to help their children relax, deal with stress or fall asleep. Patti holds Dream Academy workshops at schools, hospitals and libraries across the country where parents and children learn the playful relaxation techniques from her book and widely acclaimed children's audio series. Children at the Dream Academy workshops practice the three R's by resting their bodies, relaxing their minds and refreshing their spirits. Visit Patti online to subscribe to her free newsletter at www.pattiteel.com . Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

Should You Send Your Kid To Law School? [Part 2] Cliff Ennico www.creators.com Is a law degree the right way for a young person to pursue a career in the business world, or indeed anywhere else outside of the law? The message in last week's column is that law school by and large is not a broadening experience. It is a narrowing one. It is not designed to make you a better person or expand your consciousness. It is designed to train you in the skills necessary to survive as a lawyer. People with law degrees who have succeeded in fields outside the law have mostly done so in spite of, not because of, their legal educations. If you read their biographies, you will find out that in most cases they had developed skills and contacts in fields other than law before they went to law school - skills and contacts they were able to exploit in pursuing other career options (in my case, I was a newspaper reporter between college and law school). In sum, you should not go to law school because "it opens so many doors". You should go to law school because you plan to become a lawyer someday. What if you are intrigued by the law but want the flexibility to pursue other careers if you find that practicing law is not for you? My advice would be to sign up for a "joint program" where you would get both a law degree and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree in four years. Most graduate schools offer this option.By getting a "JD/MBA", you broaden your options. You will not only be able to think like a lawyer, but you will also know something about accounting, marketing, finance and strategic planning - all essential business skills. You will be comfortable around numbers. You will qualify for a corporate or Wall Street career if you decide - either prior to graduation or two to three years into your career practicing law - that the law just isn't a "fit" for you. And, most importantly, your business clients will see you as something more than "just a lawyer" - they will see you as "one of them", always the first step to a healthy client relationship. Better yet - don't go to graduate school at all right after college. Take a couple of years off. Backpack around the world. Volunteer for charitable work. Work at a job where you can see just how the business world operates. Do the sorts of things you can only do in your early 20's (without looking awfully foolish). Break a few hearts. Make a few mistakes. Above all, take the time to figure out what it is you were put on this Earth to accomplish. The high school and college "grind" doesn't give you much time to think about that. I know far too many successful lawyers who are miserable because they now realize - too late - that they should have done something different with their lives. As one of them put it to me recently, "I've spent the past 20 years climbing to the top of the career success ladder, only to discover it's propped up against the wrong building". I know it's hard to feel sorry for someone making almost $1 million a year, but a wasted life cannot be compensated for in dollars alone. There are two types of unhappy middle-aged people. There are unhappy people who did a lot of wild, crazy things in their youth and are sad because they can no longer do them (such people are prone to the so-called "midlife crisis" or "male menopause"). But far sadder in my opinion are those who never did any wild, crazy things in their youth and are sad because now they can afford to do them but no longer can. Here is some advice I heard not so long ago from the founder of one the country's leading franchises: in your 20's, do everything; in your 30's, figure out what it is you do best; in your 40's, make lots of money doing what you do best; in your 50's, retire and play golf. There's always time for law school if you decide you really want it - I have friends who are attending law school in their 40s and 50s. Take the time and do the things you'll never have time for later in life. Your parents probably won't like it, and they may have to bail you out financially once or twice, but any kid who hasn't given his parents at least a few grey hairs is a kid who's probably not going to make much of a "splash" in life anyway. Such kids, in fact, have a depressing tendency to become lawyers. Cliff Ennico ( cennico@legalcareer.com ) is a syndicated columnist, author and host of the PBS television series 'Money Hunt'. His latest book is 'Small Business Survival Guide' (Adams Media, $12.95). This column is no substitute for legal, tax or financial advice, which can be furnished only by a qualified professional licensed in your state. To find out more about Cliff Ennico and other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit our Web page at www.creators.com . COPYRIGHT 2006 CLIFFORD R. ENNICO. DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

Converting a Picky Eater By Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers www.FreshBaby.com Recently, Time magazine ran a story called "Rethinking First Foods." It was a great summary of the latest information on the importance of feeding your baby healthy foods in the first two years of their life. The article had some very frightening statistics and comments from experts in the pediatric field who paint a doom and gloom story that confirms our kids are getting fatter. The problem with the story was it left us, as parents, feeling defeated. We'd like to pick up where the story left off by offering tips that can make a difference when it comes to developing your child's eating habits. One of the points brought up in the story is that parents tend to feed their baby's and toddlers "kid food." We all know what this is. Its pizza, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, chips, etc. and we know this stuff is not healthy. So if it is just as easy to open a bag of baby carrots as it is a bag of chips why do are many parents reaching for chips over carrots? Many parents say it is because they have a "picky eater" and these are the only foods the child will eat. What most parents don't realize is that all toddlers are picky eaters. And it's perfectly normal, even expected developmental behavior. It may surprise you to find out that this behavior has very little to do with the taste of food and is mostly about wanting control of a situation. Most toddlers learn very early that eating is very easy to control and it is likely to get a response out of you. This makes it fun (for your kid, not you)! The big challenge for parents is NOT to give into this behavior, and DON'T fall into the trap of offering bland, unhealthy foods as a replacement for flavorful, healthy foods. This can be a difficult time. Here is our advice: Start early: Children form habits that make them picky eaters. Habits are hard to break. You are better off if you can prevent the habits from forming. At the very first signs of finicky behavior, explain to your child that it is not healthy to eat the same foods all the time. Serve a good variety of foods at meals, and encourage your young ones to taste new foods. New food choices can be described as "special treats." Include them: Children are more likely to eat something that they have helped make, so get your children involved in preparing meals. You can also take them shopping and teach them how to find and select foods. Involving your kids in making decisions reinforces that you care about their opinion and want to make things that they like. Never ask "Do you want broccoli for dinner?" offer choices like "Do you want broccoli or cauliflower for dinner?" Simple choices make your child feel like they are the ones in control. Set goals: Be realistic about setting goals. It is not realistic to try to force your child to eat a whole serving of food that they claim not to like. Instead start off with small expectations, like one bite of the new food, and work your way up from there. Be consistent, firm, and don't give up: Use the same tactics at each and every meal. Put new foods on your child's plate first. Remind your child of the goal and offer plenty of encouragement. Don't give in to stubbornness. It may also work to try "Look Mommy (or Daddy) will try a bite with you." Don't rush meals: It is quite likely that your child is a slow eater, and this is a good habit to encourage. Offer your child plenty of time to eat a meal. Praise: Even if it is just one nibble, congratulate your child. For a picky eater - this little nibble is a big deal. Ask them if they thought it was tasty. If the say "no," tell them it may take a few bites to notice the delicious flavor or suggest maybe it would taste better with ketchup on it. The point being, don't let them shutdown the thought that this food may actually taste good someday. Be a good role model: It is plain and simple. You cannot expect to raise children that eat a good variety of healthy foods if you do not. This fact goes for all adults who sit at the table with your children. Your toddler learns from watching and mimicking you. You may have to venture out of your own comfort zone of eating and try new foods yourself. Remember, you are being watched. Above all, don't scold your child or get mad if they don't eat new things right away. Some kids just need a little more time to try new foods. Eating should be a pleasurable experience. About the authors: Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children and founders of Fresh Baby, creators of products such as homemade baby food kits, baby food cookbooks, baby food and breast milk storage trays, breastfeeding reminders, and child development diaries. Visit them online at www.FreshBaby.com and subscribe to their Fresh Ideas newsletter to get monthly ideas, tips and activities for developing your family's healthy eating habits! Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

Should You Send Your Kid To Law School? [Part 1] Cliff Ennico www.creators.com "My daughter's in her junior year of college and has started to think about her future. Like most kids her age, she really isn't sure what she wants to do with her life (except, of course, become a famous actress or rock star), and I really don't want her working years in a dead-end job while she 'finds herself'. I am suggesting that she go to law school after graduating from college. She's not wild about the idea of becoming a lawyer, but I think a law degree can lead to so many different careers. What do you think?" A law degree (which - full disclosure - I myself have) can be an excellent way to prepare for a large number of possible careers . . . as long as you don't become a lawyer after you graduate. On the plus side, law school teaches you how to analyze situations very logically and precisely. "Thinking like a lawyer" means looking at situations that appear superficially the same, and realizing that they are quite different when you look at them closely. When you read cases in law school, you learn how to sift through complicated fact patterns and sort through the irrelevant (but often colorful and distracting) details to focus on the essential facts - the one or two important facts that stuck in a judge's craw and made him or her decide for one party over the other. Lawyers are trained from day one to cut through the glitz, noise and hype and take a "no nonsense, just the facts ma'am" approach to life, and they tend not to suffer fools gladly. This can be a great asset in a business career, though it means lawyers often aren't as much fun at cocktail parties as, say, marketing people. But there are negatives to a legal education as well. (1) Lawyers don't help their clients make money: they protect their clients against risk. In law school, you never read about business relationships that work. You read only about the ones that went sour and led to lawsuits, and it's easy after a while to start looking at the entire business world as a lawsuit-waiting-to-happen. Business is all about taking calculated risks, and a risk-averse approach to life is a tremendous handicap in any business career. (2) Lawyers are trained to be perfectionists. A Wall Street law firm partner I once worked for was fond of saying "when you're in school 95% is an excellent grade, but when you practice law 95% is a failing grade; anything less than a 100% accurate performance for a client we call 'malpractice'". Lawyers never advise their clients unless they are 100% certain of the facts, whereas in business "procrastination kills deals". If you wait until you have all the facts before you decide to enter a new market, or buy a company that's on sale at an attractive price, chances are either the business opportunity has long since passed by, or your competition has jumped on the bandwagon and has left you in the dust. (3) Lawyers don't deal much with numbers. The focus in law school is on reading court opinions, statutes and other "texts", not dissecting balance sheets or making statistical assessments of marketing strategies. Law school students (many of whom were humanities or history majors who gave up on college math after first-year calculus) often develop "math anxiety" due to lack of exposure. In the business world, "if you can't quantify something, it's only a rumor". A basic knowledge of accounting, financial mathematics and statistics is essential to anyone pursuing a career in business. (4) Last but not least, law school is expensive. VERY expensive. When you graduate from law school you are almost forced to work several years as a junior lawyer in a mid-sized to large law firm, because only at such firms will your income be high enough to pay off your college and law school debts as well as your living expenses. After several years of working in a law firm making a six-figure salary, it will be tough if not impossible to take a pay cut and do something else with your life, especially if you have since married, bought a house, had a kid or two . . . So what's the best way for a college graduate to prepare for a fulfilling career when they don't really know what they want out of life? More next week . . . Cliff Ennico ( cennico@legalcareer.com ) is a syndicated columnist, author and host of the PBS television series 'Money Hunt'. His latest book is 'Small Business Survival Guide' (Adams Media, $12.95). This column is no substitute for legal, tax or financial advice, which can be furnished only by a qualified professional licensed in your state. To find out more about Cliff Ennico and other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit our Web page at www.creators.com . COPYRIGHT 2006 CLIFFORD R. ENNICO. DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

What's more frightening than having a serial rapist stalking your neighborhood? Finding out you've known him all along ... Polly Franks www.franksfoundation.org Could YOU be putting your child at risk for sexual abuse and not even know it? You would never forgive yourself but the majority of parents in America are guilty of this denial. We hear the horror stories on almost a daily basis, but we think .. 'Not in my town, not in my neighborhood.' Polly Franks, mother of three little girls thought the same thing. But she was wrong, almost dead wrong. After several years of a close relationship with a trusted family living in her neighborhood, her two young daughters were attacked by a sexual predator while they slept at the trusted neighbor's home ...But it wasn't an intruder...it was the neighbor himself...Imagine Polly's shock to learn her closest friend's husband was the "Bandana Bandit," a sexual predator linked to more than 86 cases in Richmond, Virginia alone. But to make matters worse, he was already infamous...known throughout Texas as the "Ski Mask Rapist", linked to at least 200 sexual attacks on women and children. How can a loving mother be so close to a monster and not know? Thankfully, families around the nation are no longer at such risk since the national database of sexual predators has been made available to the public. The Franks Foundation ( www.franksfoundation.org ) - a nonprofit created to help protect America's kids from sexual predators advises - families use these safety tools to protect your children. So, before your take that apple pie over to your new neighbor ... Check your local sex offender registry website. Educate your kids on sexual abuse issues, such as good verses bad touching. Most important teach them to NEVER keep a secret from a safe family member. Research and create a "Safe Family Network" in your local neighborhood. The Boogey Man can look just like any one of us. He barbequed for Polly's family on Sunday nights, they carpooled the kids together and celebrated birthdays and other milestones throughout the years. Never once did he arouse suspicion until his wife caught him in the middle of night in the midst of a sexual attack on both Polly's children AND his own. Instinct alone is not enough - you need solid information!! Aren't your kids worth it? The Franks Foundation thinks so. Bio: Polly Franks is a former licensed private investigator. She has appeared on numerous national television and radio programs, testified before Congress and lobbied on Capital Hill for tougher sex offender laws. In addition to creating the Franks Foundation, she is a founding board member of the National Coalition of Victims in Action. Contact Polly at pollyfranks@franksfoundation.org Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com More >>

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