Have students make schedules of what they do each day. What time do they get home from school? What after school activities do they have each week? When could they do homework and study? Have students fill out a weekly calendar with what they do each week. Some students may have plenty of time left over to study, others may not. If your students have many out of school activities, but are not allowing time to complete their work and do well, discuss this with them. It is important to have extracurricular interests, but depending on the amount of homework they have, they need to schedule enough time for getting work finished. This may mean cutting out one or two extracurricular activities. Be sure students have separate folders for each school subject. This becomes more important in middle school and beyond, though it may also come in handy in their elementary school classes. Let them know that keeping their work for each class together will help them tremendously while studying  In each folder, tell them to keep things they still need to turn in and the directions/assignments on the left side, and completed work that’s already corrected and given back on the right side. They should keep everything from classes to study later on. If the folder gets too filled up, have a “home” portfolio to keep completed work until the end of the year, and keep this organized by subjects too. They can even staple together certain projects that have many pages and all the work pertaining to a certain topic in each class. For instance, all multiplication work can be paper clipped together, and then all division work in a different pile, in the math folder.

Summary: Teach keeping track of time. Discuss options for creating enough time for studying. Teach the importance of being organized.


Most doctors recommend that all adults over the age of 18 get their cholesterol checked every five years.  You might want to undergo more frequent testing, though, if you fall into a higher-risk category.  Factors such as a family history of heart disease, obesity, lack of physical activity, diabetes, and smoking can exacerbate one’s risk of heart disease, so you should be particularly vigilant about cholesterol if you possess one of these qualities. Children are at a lower risk of high cholesterol, but it’s still recommended that a child receive one screening test between the ages of 9 and 11.  Teenagers between 17 and 21 years of age should also get a cholesterol test. While fasting is generally no longer required before a cholesterol test, there are still some considerations, such as prior surgeries, infections, pregnancy, or illnesses, which you should take into account when scheduling.  For example, one should wait at least two months after a heart attack, pregnancy, or major surgery in order to ensure optimally accurate results. While non-fasting lipid testing is quickly becoming the standard throughout the world, there are some specific tests and scenarios when your doctor might stipulate fasting.  For example, some medical professionals argue that triglyceride monitoring requires fasting for more accurate results. If your doctor has recommended it, you will need to abstain from eating anything for twelve hours before your test.  Additionally, don’t drink any fluids but water. Alcohol and fatty or sugary foods can spike your cholesterol levels significantly in the hours following consumption, so you should avoid them in order to receive the most accurate results on your cholesterol test.  Some particularly fatty foods to avoid include fried and greasy dishes, fatty steak or pork, and cheesy items. Wine can also boost your 'good cholesterol' levels, distorting your cholesterol reading results even more. Some medications, such as oral corticosteroids, can significantly affect the results of a cholesterol test, so your doctor might want you to discontinue use for a day or two before the screening.  Draw up a a full list of the medications you take regularly or semi-regularly and give it to your doctor at least a week before the exam. Don't forget to include any herbal or dietary supplements you take in this list.

Summary: Determine if you are a candidate for cholesterol testing. Determine an appropriate day and time for your test. Ask your doctor if you should fast before the screening. Don't drink alcohol or eat fatty foods before your test. Ask your doctor about any regular medications you should discontinue.


Examples of these products are: 100% Natural Pet-Dog-Cat Urine and Stain Odor Remover by Nature’s Secret Weapon ™, Stink-Free ™ Urine Odor Remover, Roco & Roxie Supply™ Pet Stain and Odor Remover, Best Carpet Enzyme Cleaner by Bubba’s Rowdy Friends Pet Supply Inc., and Urine-Off™ These products can be directly sprayed on areas with remnant urine odors. These products neutralize odors by killing odor-causing bacteria, and can prevent remarking. They also contain substances that remain after application that continue to neutralize odors, bind to waste products, and prevent bacterial and mold growth. Examples of these products include  Oxyfresh Pet Deodorizer with Oxygen and Shout Turbo Oxy Stain & Odor Remover. When using either enzyme or oxidizing products, it is important to use more product than the amount of urine that your dog expelled. A medium-sized dog can usually pass half a cup of urine, so in that case, you would use a cup of neutralizing agent. For this step, it is best to read the instructions on the bottle or package that the neutralizer came in. However, most neutralizers need to be applied to the spot and then let to soak for a certain amount of time. When they have soaked into the carpet, it is best to vacuum the spot or soak the liquid up with paper towels, newspaper, or old fabric towels.  When washing urine off of concrete, use three times the amount of neutralizer. For instance, if your dog passed roughly one-fourth a cup of urine, you would use three-fourths cup of neutralizer. When treating carpets that have been heavily soiled with urine on multiple occasions, it is best to lift the carpet up and clean the floor as well. If you do not, there is a good chance that the odor will continue to linger. If you are treating a car seat, use double the amount of neutralizer to account for the fact that the foam in car seats is much more absorbent that most carpets and floorings.
Summary: Try enzyme products.These products contain enzymes that decompose urine into molecules that can be eaten by specific non-odor causing bacteria present in their products. Give oxidizing products a try. Make sure you use the right amount of neutralizer. Apply the neutralizer.