Heloise

Dear Heloise: Physical newspapers and the people who deliver them aren’t gone. I receive our local paper seven days a week, as well as the Wall Street Journal six days a week. I live in New Orleans.

And what’s with pinning socks together? You take them off, fold them, unfold them to wash them, and refold them before putting them back in the drawer. I have them arranged by color, and I’ve never lost a sock in my life. — Carolyn W., in Louisiana

Carolyn, how nice to still get home deliveries of your newspaper! Sadly, not everyone has this service these days. I get letters from people who need to go to a gas station, drug store or grocery store to get a newspaper. Others say that a man in an old Pinto drives slowly down the street and tosses the newspapers out of the car window. — Heloise

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Heloise@Heloise.com

TOOTHBRUSHING REMINDER

Dear Heloise: I noticed that there has been a lot of discussion about how to get toothpaste out of a tube, but there’s a far more important dental problem. The American Dental Association recommends that we brush at least twice a day. Unfortunately, only about 51% to 70% of Americans brush twice a day. Of this group who brush twice a day, 57% are women, and about 50% are men. About 23% of the population brush only once every two or three days.

Oral health is a serious subject. It’s a documented and studied fact that people who take care of their teeth and oral health live longer, enjoy a better lifestyle, and usually have better health. Therefore, I wish you’d advise your readers to gently brush their teeth with a soft bristle brush in a small circular motion for a full 2 minutes twice a day. — David L., D.D.S., in California

TEACH TEENS HOW TO BE FINANCIALLY RESPONISBLE

Dear Heloise: I’m a child psychologist, and I recently worked with a family who wouldn’t let their 16-year-old son work during the summer. He was offered a job at a local car wash, and his parents said “no.” This is a mistake on the part of the parents. They felt that he should have his summers to do the things that he liked, such as swimming, meeting with friends, going to the movies, and just having fun without responsibilities.

There’s now a labor shortage in industries that were once filled people who came to America because they wanted a better life and were willing to start at a low-paying job. One of the best things you can do for your child is to insist that they work during the summer vacation from school. Let them earn money and figure out that $20 doesn’t go very far.

Then teach them how to save, invest and budget for the things that they want, and this way, you’ll help them become financially responsible. They’ll realize that they might not get everything they want, but through fiscal responsibility, they can acquire an education, a home, vacations and more. Children learn they can have the car that they want so badly, but the payments, insurance and upkeep might mean that they can’t take a skiing trip with their buddies. Much of life is about trade-offs.

Encourage your children to get a part-time job and learn more about money. It will help them throughout their entire life. — A Reader, via email