FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF DEC. 3, 2000:
The only toys my 7-year-old son wants for Christmas are the ones he sees on TV. But I wonder what children learn from these toys and would rather buy him something else. Do you have any suggestions?
Harriet Shaklee, University of Idaho extension family development specialist, advises parents to choose toys that children can play with in many different ways. "Give your son the opportunity to problem-solve, to pretend, to live in an imaginary world and to try different future roles," she says. "There are so many wonderful things that children can learn through play. Ask yourself the question, ‘What do I want him to learn?'"
Toys based on TV shows may be amusing for awhile, but they’re single purpose and they imitate a character you may not want your child to mimic. Sports equipment, word games, crafts and "plain old dolls" all enrich your child more than a single-purpose toy. "They’re not all ‘educational toys’ in the traditional sense," Shaklee says, "but when you think of it, all toys are educational. The question is: What’s the lesson they’re teaching?"
If your child continually insists on toys based on TV characters, you might also consider reducing his exposure to the tube. "TV will sell your kids all kinds of things," Shaklee says. "They’ll benefit from other ways to learn preferences."
I like sending mail-order food gifts for the holidays but I worry about whether they’ll arrive safely. How should I send them to minimize the risk of spoilage in transit?
The mail-order industry has a good safety record, but you’re wise to be concerned about such perishable gifts as cheesecakes, meats, poultry and fish, says Sandy McCurdy, University of Idaho extension food safety specialist. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service offers these tips:
"If your gift arrived warm at your friends’ or family’s door, they should notify the company," says McCurdy. "They should not taste it."
For tips on packing and mailing perishable foods that you’ve prepared at home, click on the FSIS Web site www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/mailorder.htm. That site also includes a chart listing the proper "condition-upon-arrival" for 48 mail-order foods.
For the last six months, I’ve followed a low-fat, heart-healthy diet. I’ve been walking regularly and have managed to trim off 12 pounds. How can I keep from being tempted by holiday goodies and giving up some of the ground I’ve gained?
Martha Raidl, University of Idaho extension nutrition specialist, congratulates you on approaching weight-loss sensibly and including exercise as part of your regimen.
"With all of the holiday treats at work and home, it can be really tempting to overindulge between Thanksgiving and New Year’s," she agrees. Her recommendation: "Keep a record of your food intake during this critical time period."
In a weight-loss program at the Center for Behavioral Medicine, a group of people who recorded their food intake actually lost weight during the holidays, Raidl says. A matched group who did not keep a food record gained weight.
How can we get rid of millipedes? We have caulked around our foundation and doors. In front of our garage door and around baseboards and doorways, we have applied a dusting of a pesticide that’s supposed to be effective against millipedes. No success. They’re still present. Should we consider having an exterminator spray inside the house? We are nervous about the toxic effects of insecticides on humans.
Bob Stoltz, University of Idaho extension entomologist, recommends becoming a little more tolerant of your transient millipedes. "They’re harmless," he says. "They dry out and die rapidly in the house."
You might also make sure the weather-stripping under your doors is tight enough to restrict entry.
Next spring, once temperatures reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit, try placing boards along your flowerbeds to see how many millipedes you can attract underneath. Flip over the boards in the morning and destroy the pests clinging to the undersides. If you find high numbers of millipedes, treat your foundation plantings with permethrin-based pesticides. These pesticides are manufactured to mimic botanical insecticides derived from flowers but are more potent and stable in sunlight.
[READERS: Do you have a question about your home, yard or garden? Send it to HomeWise, University of Idaho Ag Communications, Moscow, ID 83844-2332 or e-mail it to homewise@uidaho.edu. Mention of proprietary products or firms does not constitute endorsement by the University of Idaho Cooperative Extension System or imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.]