Problem: Article: Place your eggs on your counter about 30 minutes before you intend to use them. Eggs whip to a greater volume when they’re at room temperature (between 68° and 70° Fahrenheit or between 20° and 25° Celsius.  If you’re short on time, you can place whole eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes to bring them to room temperature quickly.   If you only need egg whites for your recipe, separate the eggs while they’re still cold. The white and yolk will separate easier before they warm up to room temperature. Depending on your recipe, your egg whites will need to achieve either soft, firm, or stiff peaks.  Soft peaks are those just starting to hold their shape. If you stop whisking and turn your whisk upside down, the peaks will hold for a second before melting back into themselves. Some recipes ask you to whip the whites to a soft peak stage before adding other ingredients, like sugar. Firm, or medium, peaks hold their shape longer than soft peaks, but they gradually lose their form, and their peaks flop over.  Stiff peaks stand firm when the whisk is turned upside down. The egg white mixture will be stiff and heavy at this stage. Recipes for meringues require you to whisk or beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Never use a plastic bowl to whisk egg whites. The tiny nicks and scratches in plastic bowls can interfere with the smooth whisking of the egg whites.  Chefs prefer copper bowls, because tiny amounts of copper ions combine with the egg whites and help make the egg whites more stable. Additionally, it is difficult to overbeat eggs in a copper bowl.  Copper bowls are expensive, so home chefs typically use glass or stainless steel bowls. Balloon whisks are characterized by their large, round heads, useful for beating air into egg whites efficiently. Whisks with at least eight sturdy, flexible wires are best for whipping egg whites.
Summary: Set out the eggs. Figure out how much you need to whisk your egg whites. Select a clean, dry glass, copper, or stainless steel bowl. Choose a clean balloon whisk with many thin wires.

Problem: Article: Get the important details about where they're going and when they'll be coming back. This will give you an idea of how long you'll be alone. It's also important to know how to get in touch with them if you need to.  Spending one night home alone isn't so bad, but if they're going to be gone for a few days, you may be better off staying with a friend or relative. Your parents might have special instructions or rules for you to follow, like what parts of the house are off-limits, when to go to bed and what you are and aren't allowed to watch on TV. Sit down with your parents and write down the phone numbers for the local police department, fire station, poison control agency and other emergency services. Make a separate list with the names and phone numbers of nearby friends and family who you can call in the event of an accident.  Leave the list on the kitchen counter, refrigerator or another place where you can easily find it.  If you have a smartphone, you can program these numbers into your contacts so you won't have to refer to a physical list. Have your parents mention to a family member or trusted neighbor that you'll be the only one home for the evening. If they live nearby, they may be able to check up on you periodically and see how you're doing. Never tell a stranger that you're going to be home alone. Check the pantry and refrigerator for something to eat when you get hungry. Use the microwave to heat up a frozen meal or reheat the previous night's leftovers. Fresh fruits, vegetables and granola bars are also good to have around.  Crackers, trail mix, peanut butter sandwiches and juice all make quick and easy snacks (no cleanup needed!).  Stick to cold or microwavable foods that won't require you to use the oven or stovetop.
Summary: Talk to your parents about their plans. Keep a list of emergency contacts in plain sight. Let someone else know you're by yourself. Make sure you're stocked up on food.

Problem: Article: . If your child is acting out in an aggressive way, stay calm. Don’t get angry, yell, or act in an aggressive way to the child. Remaining calm will help your child calm more quickly. If you get upset, that will feed your child’s aggression and make things worse.  Your child relies on you for stability, especially when they are upset. Often, the child is aggressive because they are upset or feel out of control. Staying calm will help communicate to your child everything is okay. To stay calm, take a few deep breaths. Inhale and count to 10 before responding. Remind yourself that your child is learning how to control their emotions. When your child acts out, don’t respond in a dramatic or over-the-top way. Don’t give your child too much attention when they act aggressively. This may feed into your child’s aggression and emotions. Instead, respond quickly and efficiently. Keep your words straight to the point, and try to redirect your child’s actions. If that doesn’t work, take them away from the situation.  Trying to talk to your child and giving them a lot of attention if they are aggressive or throwing a tantrum may reinforce negative behavior. For example, if your child is biting another child, say in a firm tone, “No, you don’t bite people. Biting hurts.” Toddlers will probably hit, bite, or act out multiple times, so remember to repeat your point over and over until they understand. To redirect your child, after you have corrected the behavior, try saying, "Why don't we go down the slide?" or, "Pick up your doll and let's continue playing." Your child acts in an aggressive way because they are angry or upset about something. When they act in this manner, acknowledge their feelings; however, you should follow this up with how aggressive behavior is not an appropriate response to their feelings. For example, if your toddler gets angry, you can say, “I understand that you are angry because the other kid took your toy, but hitting someone is not okay;” or, “I know you are upset because we have to leave when you want to play, but you cannot kick and scream.” When you correct your toddler’s aggressive behavior, use an authoritative, strong tone. Sometimes, words may not be enough with a toddler. Use actions along with your words to get your point across.  For example, when you tell your toddler to stop hitting or snatching, hold their arm in place to emphasize they aren’t supposed to use their hands. Make sure to be firm and authoritative, but not angry or aggressive. This may take many repetitions before your child corrects the behavior.
Summary:
Remain calm Respond quickly and simply. Acknowledge your child’s feelings. Back up your words with actions.