Q: Start at the side closest to the damaged board or boards. Carefully pry away baseboards and molding from the wall and pry thresholds up from any doorways with a pry bar.  This method works when the damaged boards are close enough to the edge of the floor that it is possible to remove a small number of surrounding boards to get to the damaged boards and replace them. Try your best not to damage any of the pieces that you pry away so that you can replace them afterward. Insert a pry bar under the boards at their seams and press down on the end of it like a lever to pop the joints loose. Work from the edge where you removed baseboards and molding in towards the site of the damage until you can remove the damaged boards. Set aside the boards that are still good, in the order you removed them, so that you can replace them afterward. Line up the tongue and groove of the new board the same way as those of the board you removed were lined up. Snap the new piece into position. Save the damaged board so that you can use it for future repairs. For example, if you need to match the color to repair scratches and chips, you can take it with you to the home improvement store when you go looking for the repair kit. Work in reverse order as when you removed them, starting with the boards that surround the replacement board. Line up the tongues and grooves, then slide or gently tap them back into place with a hammer if there is a lot of friction. If you use a hammer to tap any boards into place, use the damaged board you removed as a buffer between the hammer and the good boards to prevent damaging them. Line up the baseboards, molding, and thresholds in the same order you removed them to reinstall them around the edges of the floor. Gently tack them back into place with baseboard nails and a hammer using the same nails and holes as before. Use new baseboard nails if any of them got damaged when you pried them out earlier on.
A: Remove any baseboards, thresholds, or molding from around the area. Lift out the boards starting with the ones closest to the edge. Replace the damaged board with a new one. Return all the boards you removed to their places. Tack any baseboards, molding, or thresholds back in place.

Q: If you are finding that making minor changes in your diet or reducing your stress levels, for example, talk with your doctor to see if you have a health issue. This might be contributing to your low energy levels. It's a good idea to get annual medical check-ups to monitor your health. Your thyroid produces hormones that impact metabolism and growth. If your thyroid doesn’t produce enough of this hormone (hypothyroidism), then your body is left feeling weak and tired all the time. Hypothyroidism commonly affects older adults (over the age of 60). Women are often prone to hypothyroidism during menopause. Anemia, or low iron levels in your body, can affect your energy level and leave you feeling drained. Ask your doctor to check your iron levels. She may prescribe iron supplements or increased intake of foods rich in iron (such as beef, chicken or other meats). Women are especially prone to being anemic, especially during pregnancy. There could be other health issues impacting your energy level. It may be something minor and immediately treatable, such as a urinary tract infection. If you think it may be something more serious, talk to your doctor. Depression and anxiety can contribute to reduced energy levels. If you feel depressed or anxious, consult your doctor or visit a therapist.
A: Visit your doctor if simple fixes don't work. Have your thyroid checked. Ask your doctor to check for anemia. Check for other health issues.

Q: Whining may cause your parents to treat you like a kid, so it is important to avoid whining. Act like a mature, young adult by asking your parents about having a coed sleepover in a calm voice.  If it looks like your parents might say no, don’t lose your cool. Continue to speak respectfully and let them finish speaking before you jump in and defend why you want to have a coed sleepover. If you want to host a coed sleepover, make sure that you have all the details they might want. Asking your parents to have a coed sleepover before working through the details may make them think that you’re not mature enough to have a coed sleepover.  Have a time and date available when you ask your parents to have a coed sleepover. Make a list of all of the people who you want to invite to the sleepover. Figure out where everyone will sleep. Your best bet is to tell your parents that the girls will sleep in one room and the boys will sleep in a different room. Don’t pressure your parents into making a decision right away. They may want to weigh the options of having boys and girls sleep over, so give them space and time to think. Don’t bug them or they might become irritated and just say no. Offer to let them talk to any other parents in the meantime to find out procedural issues Do all of your chores and make sure all of your homework is complete so your parents don’t even need to ask. Working in advance to show your maturity is a good idea so your parents don’t have to ask you to do anything.   Do all of your homework in advance so that you don't fall behind on schoolwork. Offer to help out your parents with things like cleaning, cooking, and running errands. If your parents still seem reluctant, then you might consider asking if you can have your girlfriends sleep over and just have the guys come and hang out. Your guy friends could stay until a certain time, such as 10pm, and then head home.  Keep in mind that this will mean that your guy friends will have to arrange to get rides home. Tell all of your guy friends in advance so they can make arrangements for rides.
A:
Speak calmly and avoid whining. Be prepared with all of the details. Give them time to think and talk with other parents. Show how responsible you are. Offer to have the guys go home before you go to bed.