INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If you and your mother don't communicate very much right now, you may need a little structure to help get things going. Try sitting down with your mom and coming up with a plan for communicating with each other. For example, you might decide that you will set aside 30 minutes to talk every evening. Let your mom know what kind of communication you want have with her. Be sure to listen to her input, too. Miscommunication often occurs because people forget that not everyone thinks in exactly the same way. This is why it's so important to let your mom know what you're thinking and feeling, even if it seems obvious to you. If you think your mom just doesn't understand you, you may just have to explain something to her.  For example, if you feel like your mom doesn't understand how you feel about your new tutor, you might want to say something like, "I don't think you understand how I am feeling about this and I want to make sure that you do. It's not that I don't care about my grades, but I would like the chance to improve my grades on my own before I start working with a tutor." Encourage your mom to share her feelings as well. Explain to her that you don't always know how she is feeling and you would like her to help you understand. Listening is a crucial component of communication that is often overlooked. The next time you talk to your mom, really listen to what she has to say to you.  Ask questions if something she says isn't clear to you. Allow her to finish what she has to say instead of interrupting Instead of jumping to conclusions about what she means, ask for clarification when you don't understand. If your conversations with your mom tend to be short and to the point, but you'd prefer to dig a little deeper, start by asking questions. This will help you learn more about your mom's opinions and beliefs.  Focus on open-ended questions to keep the conversation going. Questions that start with "how" or "why" are especially good. For example, if your mom tells you that she likes a certain book, ask her why she likes it. If your mom doesn't ask these same kinds of questions in return, you can still provide more detail in your answers. For example, if she asks you how your day was, you could say, "It was not so great because I had a quiz in math that I didn't know about and because my best friend was sick" instead of just saying it was bad. Eventually, you two will get in the habit of sharing more information with each other whenever you talk. Adolescents and teenagers sometimes feel disconnected from their parents because they feel that they can't talk to them about some of the important things that are going on their lives, like problems with their friends or issues related to dating. If you want to get closer to your mom, consider letting her know more about what's going on in your world.  It may seem awkward to share these details at first if you're not used to it, so try starting small. Every family has different boundaries as far as what they do and do not want to share with each other. If you don't want advice about the issue, tell your mom that. Consider saying something like, "I just want to let you know what's going on with Jane, but I can figure out what to do about it on my own." It's important to focus on healthy communication, which means learning to talk to your mom without getting into arguments. Even if you have different opinions about something, you can talk it out without getting angry at each other.  Always keep your cool. Avoid yelling, name-calling, and slamming doors. For example, instead of yelling, "That's stupid! You don't get it!" consider calmly saying something like, "I see your point, but I'd like to share my opinion with you." Always respect your mom's opinion, even if you think it's wrong. Listen to what she has to say, and then share your own opinions with her. Just because you are close with your mom does not mean you have to agree with her on everything. You can still maintain your own voice, and you can even debate your different points of view as long as you remain respectful of each other's opinions.

SUMMARY: Make a plan for communication. Don't assume she knows how you're feeling. Take the time to listen. Ask more questions. Share your struggles. Don't let disagreements turn into arguments.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Find a flat, open area that you can practice biking in without any obstacles. After gaining speed, your bike should be able to travel 40 to 60 feet (12 to 18 m) without the need for pedaling. If your bike is difficult to control and you're feeling off balance, you're going too slow—increase your speed. Get used to the positioning your feet properly prior to your wheelie. Before lifting your wheel, position your non-dominant foot down—at the bottom of the circle created during the pedaling motion—and your dominant foot up—at the top of the circle—ready to be pushed forward. Always keep your knees in-line with the pedals—if you turn them outward too much, you will throw off your balance. As you move around, stand up slightly and practice popping the wheel from the ground by pulling the handlebars back until the wheel is about 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm) from the ground. Keep doing this to get a sense of how heavy your bike is and how much force is required to bring it slightly off the ground. Right before pulling the front wheel up, get your feet into position and stop peddling. Pull on the handlebars, stand up slightly, and shift your weight back to lift the front wheel about 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm) off the ground. Push forward with your feet gently to counter the backward force created by pulling, but don't pedal. This is called a manual and is the precursor to a wheelie.  Keep your arms vertical throughout the manual. Bend your legs slightly so you can easily extend your buttocks outward and inward to maintain balance. For example, if you feel the bike falling forward, extend your buttocks outward behind you to pull the weight of the bike backward. Practice until you can manual for about 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3.0 m). Aim to keep your bike about 40 to 45 degrees off the ground.

SUMMARY: Start biking at a slow to medium speed in an open area. Place your dominant foot forward before lifting your front wheel. Pull back on the handlebars and lift the front wheel from the ground. Practice manuals before progressing to wheelies.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If you've changed your sleep habits and are trying natural remedies, but still can't get a good night's sleep, let your doctor know. They can work with you to figure out what's causing the problem and suggest other treatments. Common treatments for insomnia include: Cognitive behavioral therapy Prescription sleep medications Over-the-counter sleep medications Alternative therapies, such as meditation, acupuncture, or yoga.

SUMMARY:
Discuss other treatment options if natural remedies don't help.