You must be notified of a suspension within 24 hours of the decision being made. When the school calls you to inform you that your child has been suspended, ask for the details of the incident, how long the suspension will last, and why suspension was the chosen punishment. It can be easy to automatically assume the school isn’t taking the necessary time to address your child’s behavior issues. On the other hand, you might instantly assume your child is in the wrong. Avoid jumping to a conclusion until you hear all sides of the story. In most school districts, a student can only be suspended under specific circumstances, such as when other disciplinary actions have failed or the student places themselves or others in danger. Ask that the school provide you with a written explanation of your child’s actions as well as the specific rule that was broken. Having written documentation will help you to process the information later after your emotions have cooled down. It will also help make sure that you and the school are on the same page about the incident(s) leading up to the suspension. If you don't feel like the school’s explanation and written documentation answers all of your questions about the suspension, call the school and schedule a meeting with the principal or the teacher involved. Write down all of the questions that you have before the meeting to make sure you don’t forget anything. It’s best that your child doesn’t attend this meeting to avoid sending the message that you don’t support the school’s decision. You might feel angry at your child, or you might feel angry because you feel the school treated your child unfairly. Try to remember that it’s important to set an example for your child by controlling your behavior. When you start to feel angry, count to 10 and take several deep breaths to calm yourself before you react.

Summary: Ask the school to explain to you exactly what happened. Don’t jump to any conclusions until you have all of the facts. Request written documentation regarding the suspension. Schedule a face-to-face meeting if you need more information. Try to stay calm and cooperate with the school even if you feel angry.


This method requires no special tools, but does take a significant amount of prolonged rubbing. It is especially suited to stains on natural fibres such as linen and cotton. Fabrics whose surfaces fragment into small round surface balls, known as "bobbles" or "pills," require a longer period of more gentle rubbing. These fabrics include wool and most artificial fibres. In this position, water can work at the stain from the back, pushing it outward and off the fabric. Rinsing in this position is more effective than running the water directly onto the stain. You may need to turn clothing inside out to achieve this. Even an old stain typically hasn't worked its way into the fabric completely, so start by removing the loosely attached surface portions. Run cold water over the back of the fabric, so it pushes through the stain. Hold the fabric in the running water for several minutes, and the stain should be at least slightly smaller. Warning: never wash a blood stain in warm or hot water, which may cause it to bond permanently to the fibres of the fabric. Turn the fabric over so the stain is face-up. Rub bar soap into the stain generously, to produce a thick lather. Any soap can be used, but traditional solid block laundry soap may have a stiffer, more effective lather than milder hand soap. Roll or scrunch up two areas of fabric, on either side of the stain. Grip one in each hand to provide a good grip on the area, allowing you to rub it together. Turn the two handfuls of fabric so the stain is in two halves and facing each other. Rub the stained fabric against itself vigorously, or gently but quickly if the fabric is delicate. The friction you generate should slowly loosen the remaining particles of blood, which will remain in the lather rather than re-adhering to the fabric. Gloves may be worn to protect the skin from abrasion or blisters. Tight-fitting latex or nitrile gloves may provide the least hindrance to grip and dexterity. If the fabric starts getting dry or losing its lather,  flush the stain with fresh water and re-apply the soap. Continue rubbing each stained area in this way until it is gone. If you see no improvement after five to ten minutes, try rubbing more vigorously or move on to a different method.

Summary: Use this simple method primarily for linen and cotton. Turn the fabric so the stain is face-down. Flush the stain with cold water. Rub soap into the stain. Grip the stained area with both hands. Rub the stain against itself. Periodically replace the water and soap and continue rubbing.


It's easy to forget that docking stations themselves require power just like all of the other devices at your desk. If you can't seem to get your docking station to do anything, quickly check to make sure that its power cord is securely connected to an outlet. Many modern docking stations will also have a small light to indicate they are receiving power. In cases where some of the peripherals attached to a docking station seem to work but others don't, the problem may be with the malfunctioning device's connections. Check to make sure each peripheral is firmly plugged into the proper port on the docking station.  In rare cases where your devices' plugs have accumulated too much dust to register with the docking station, you may need to gently clean. Try using compressed air or a computer-safe cloth to clean away any dust or gunk and reconnecting.  You may also want to try using a cotton swab dampened with rubbing alcohol or commercial electronics cleaning solution for clearing external plugs. Usually, when you connect a new device (like a docking station) to your computer, it will automatically be detected and the computer will install drivers (files that allow the computer to use the device properly). However, in rare cases, the computer may have difficulty finding or installing drivers on its own. If this happens, your docking station may not function, so you'll need to download and install the appropriate drivers yourself. Drivers are usually available for free download from the manufacturer's website. Most modern computers also have the ability to locate drivers online on their own (see our article on installing drivers for more information.) As a very general rule, if your docking station physically connects to your laptop, there's a good chance that it will be compatible. However, this isn't always the case. If you can't seem to get your laptop to interact with your docking station, there's a chance that it simply isn't built to be compatible. Try looking up the model name of your docking station on its manufacturer's website — you should be able to find compatibility information on its product page. If you don't have a model name for your docking station, try looking for the product number on the device. Usually, this is on a service tag sticker somewhere on the back or bottom. While other charging cords may fit into the plug on your docking station, it's not advisable to use them in place of the original cord. Different cords are rated for different amounts of electric current — using the wrong charger can potentially damage your docking station's circuitry (either over time or immediately.) If you lose your original charging cord, try talking to the staff at a local electronics store before buying a replacement. Most trained electronics professionals will be able to help you find a charger that's safe to use with your docking station. If all else fails, you can still usually get much of the same functionality that you'd get from a docking station by simply connecting all of your peripherals to the laptop itself. Unfortunately, this method has two disadvantages:  It can lead to a disorderly bunch of cords that takes time and effort to untangle every time you connect or disconnect the laptop (this is the situation that the docking station is designed to prevent.) Not all laptops will have the proper ports for every peripheral.
Summary: Ensure the docking station is receiving power. If peripheral devices don't work, check their connections. Make sure you have the latest drivers for your docking station. Check with the manufacturer to ensure you're using a compatible station. Use only the charging cable that came with your docking station. If you can't get the station to work, connect the peripherals to the laptop.