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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLucknow Sentinel, 2009-06-10, Page 5New parenting advice always welcome Effective communication between a parent and an adolescent can be challenging. That's why it always helps to consult an expert. (Definition: Ex -"having no"; pert - "children.") While I don't usually subscribe to having a complete stranger tell me how to raise my kids, I did like what I read the other day: "When raising an adolescent, you may encounter conflict. If so, follow these steps and you will find a quick resolution: 1. Gain clarity by asking questions. 2. Calmly recap your common ground. 3. Gain agreement. 4. Always use comparative statis- tics to make your point. 5. Seek a solution that involves both of you. 6. Follow up with the logical consequence of their actions. 7. Problem solved. Congratulations." Luckily, I was able to employ said technique almost right away. My wife and, I had just fin- ished telling the kids that we were having compa- ny that night and that we needed to keep the house clean. Ten minutes later my eldest decided to start a water fight in the bathroom. Step One: Gain clarity by asking questions. Me: "Are you ,CRAZY??'': Step Two: Calmly recap your common ground. Me: "Do you remember sitting beside me TEN minutes ago and nodding your head when your mother and I told all of you to keep the house clean?" Step 3: Gain Agreement. Me: "You were there, right? Tell me you were there. Say that you heard me. Say, "I heard you, Dad" to let me know I'm not crazy." Step 4: Always use comparative statistics to make your point. Me: "You were a better listener when you were four than you are right now! Blind monkeys make smaller messes than you!" Step 5: Seek a solution.. that involves both of you. Me: "I am going to watch the news. When the news is over, you will have this mess totally clewed up, then we will not have this issue ever again. Right?" Step 6: Follow up with the logical consequences of their actions. Me: "If it is NOT cleaned up, you will never use this bathroom again, until you are dead. You will live in the shed eating nuts and June bugs." While 1 impressed my wife with how willing I' was to employ ne w techniques in parenting, my son was less than pleased. Mark Thrice is our syndicated humor columnist and world-renowned adolescent communicator. Hackett takes 1on; June 5 was a marvelous sunny day . at BlackHorse when the seniors teed off. Allan Hackett (n oney, winger all year), came `: it" first with :44 points. Walter ,Arnold came in second with 42: points. Tom rearwith brought upthe Pegg _..., g 41 points. Don Bone finally got a ""sniff": in fourth place with 40 ;po ntsr s t. , Closest -to -the -hole on #2 Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, June 10, 2009 - Page 5 went to -year-old .Manny Brubacher :Longest. , p. utt on #12: was:: Allan Hackett and longest .putt on # 1'5' was Tom Pegg ... anoth- er repeating name Marvelous day of weather on All the men were at the gate for the start of the June 1 action at BlackHorse,.The sun was shining : but unfortunately it was above the rain clouds. The:. ladies were smart and stayed in bed. The wind finally gave us a break and dropped below 15 KPH. The track was wet with continual drizzle and the occa- sional constant rain. All the men were at the gate for the start of the June 1 action. The golf consisted of nine holes of 3-3-3. Three holes each of .best ball, best score and alter- nating shots. It was a very close heat, made up of 5 x 2 -man teams ending in a three-way tie for first place. The race could have been won on the last hole by Walter Arnold's team, were it not for his partner missing an 18" putt. This would have given them a 36 for the win. His name will remain anony- mous but his initials are G(len) M(atthews). Their final score was 37. Tom Stoliker with his 35 handicap, played his first game this year and hit the majority of fairways with Don Bone picking up the occasional chip and putt. They ended up with a final score of 37. ..: John Gross and Allan Hackett fared well with Allan trying to take out the occasional bush beside the ladies tee. Thanks to John for getting up so early and arriving on time. Their final e links score was: a 37. The : day was highlighted with Richard Papineau and Barry McDonagh, leap -frogging around the course. rather than waiting their turn per golf etiquette. While all teams followed the holes in order, these two created their own order. Good thing the course was empty, but then again, anyone with a brain was in bed. Their final score was a 41. The new guy, Denis Delany, was initiated into the fold with Tom Pegg as team-mate. Thank you Richard. Denis kept them on the short grass, while Tom launched a formidable attack on the foliage and wildlife. Turkey vultures and fish were running for cover. They finished with a final score of 44. Ladles enjoy a fun night of golfing on June 3 On a cool but sunny June 3, 32 ladies enjoyed a winners were Greta MacDonald and Shirley Reed. member/guest fun night. The winning team was After a lovely meal and fellowship, a successful Ashton Chamney, Gladys Hamilton, Michelle country auction was held. Scarborough and Betty Stanley. The longest drive - Brianna Cooper placed tenth in CN Future Links guest Ashton Chamney, member Shirley Reed. Ontario Championship at Cobble Beach in windy, Closest to the hole - guest Gret^ Macbonald, mem- blustery conditions last weekend. ber Shirley Reed. Closest to t.le rope- guest Greta The next pin days are Juue 10 and June 21. MacDonald, member Ruth Price. The 50/50 draw Photo by. Garit Reid Bruce County Warden Bill Goetz l(left)- and North' Bruce Peninsula Mayor Milt Mover took an adventure to. the .H General Store this past Friday as. they were on a tour to see the sights involved with "Explore the Bruce" adventure pasaport tour. s 3 1 8 1 2 2 More at: www.lgyattspuzzles.com': To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: • Each of the nine vertical columns • Each of the nine horizontal rows • Each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes • Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box This week's puzzle sponsored by: You can Advertise Your Business Here! Cali Pat for Information 519-528-2$22 Se► snswer on classified pages