FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF SEPT. 6, 1999:
How important is it to call your kids after school every day? I try, but things get so stressed-out at work that I can’t always do it.
"Children of all ages need to know that their parents are concerned about where they are and how their school day has gone," says Harriet Shaklee, University of Idaho extension family development specialist. "Your kids may be old enough to be home alone, but they still need someone to tell about their day’s victories and challenges."
That simple 10-minute call provides security, communicates caring and support, and lets your kids know that you are committed to supervising their everyday activities. "The most important goal of parenting is to keep kids on track–not punishing them when they go off track," says Shaklee. "Make sure they know that there are people who care about what they’re doing."
On days when you don’t think you’ll be able to make that after-school call, line up a substitute adult–a neighbor, relative, the other parent–to serve as contact point. "This is a good job for a divorced or separated dad to do," she says.
If it’s simply never possible to be in touch with your kids during their after-school hours, Shaklee recommends enrolling them in an adult-supervised after-school program. If you don’t think you can afford that, check with the Idaho Childcare Program–which assists parents in paying–at 1-800-926-2588.
Every fall, we get insects creeping into our house. How can we keep them out this year?
No matter what you do, you won’t keep out every vagrant insect and spider, but thorough weatherizing–coupled with foundation spraying–will go a long way, says Bob Stoltz, University of Idaho extension entomologist.
This time of year, check to make sure that there are no holes in the screens of your foundation or roof vents, that the weather stripping at the base of your doors is intact and that you have a good seal where your siding meets the foundation. Your windows–especially your basement windows–should be sealed and caulked, as should any pipes coming into the house or any light fixtures attached to the ceilings.
Spraying the perimeter of your house with conventional or organic insecticides–or sprinkling diatomaceous earth–can also help. "I like to spray where the foundation and the siding meet and add a little bit around the shrubbery," says Stoltz.
We’d like to put in a new lawn this fall. Is this really a good time to do it and how can we avoid the most common mistakes?
September is the best time to put in a new lawn, says Michael Colt, University of Idaho extension horticulturist. Temperatures are cooling, weed pressure is lessening, and if your new turf grows a couple of inches before cold weather sets in, it will readily overwinter and take off in early spring.
Avoidable errors are planting your lawn too late in the season (it’s likely to winterkill), sowing grass seed into weedy fields (it won’t compete with perennial weeds), skimping on seed costs (instead of buying a high-quality ryegrass-bluegrass mixture) and neglecting to improve your soils.
For a strong start, continued good health and minimum long-term maintenance, your lawn needs 4-6 inches of topsoil, Colt says. If you have less than that, incorporate 2 inches of well-decomposed organic matter or peat moss before you plant.
Many homeowners simply put in too much lawn, squeezing perennial borders down to a narrow 2- to 3-foot depth. Shrubs and trees need twice that much room to grow and to share with bulbs, annuals and herbaceous perennials. says Colt.
"Unless you really like to mow grass, give thought to how much area you really need for the kids to play on and for green pathways that connect the landscape," he says.
The applesauce I home-canned last fall is moldy. What can I do to make sure that doesn’t happen again?
A critical first step is to inspect the apples you intend to can, making sure that they have no signs of mold or spoilage, says Marilyn Bischoff, University of Idaho extension educator. "Never use apples that have fallen onto the ground."
While holding your hand-picked or store-bought apples under running water, thoroughly scrub them–including the area around the stem–with a vegetable brush. Peel and core the apples, then use your favorite recipe to prepare the applesauce.
Next, reheat the sauce to a temperature of 185-210 degrees Fahrenheit. Immediately fill the canning jars with hot applesauce, leaving a half-inch of head space. Adjust lids and process inside a boiling water canner, using the following timetable:
Begin counting your processing time after the canner water has begun to boil and after you have inserted the filled jars into the canner. At the end of the processing time, remove the jars from the canner and cool them in a draft-free area. Check the seals, wipe the jars, label and store.