Ask Maxy

Dear Maxy,
I am having the hardest time getting my children to complete  their homework , especially their reading  . I have used egg timers  and timeouts  and punishments  . I have talked to their teachers  , but it all boils down  to them rarely  getting the work done .
When I come into the room  where they are supposed to be reading  , they are often playing videos  games  or watching TV . I take these privileges  away , but  the work  rarely gets finished .
Any suggestions  on getting them  to focus . ?
Read please .
Dear Read Please ,
You can remove  the distractions  from your home  . Take the video games away  and put them under lock and key . Remove  the television  from the room  where they do their studying . Make it clear  that you will not reinstate   their ability  to use these  electronics  until they  can compete  all of their studies  in a timely  and effective manner .
Limit  your own engagement with  electronics  . Your children  watch  your example more closely  than you know . And , by all means  , read  ! You should  cultivate  a daily interest  in reading . If you sit  with your children  and read as they  are reading , chances are great  that they will want to read right along with you .
Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
I just saw a report on the news  that says  that if you  drink Three  alcoholic  beverages a day  , you are consider a binge drinker . That is so scary . My friends  and I go out  every weekend  and we always drink  that much , if not more . I mean  everybody knows I drink  that much . I mention this study to my friends  who totally blew it off . It's not  like we are drinking every night  . I'm wondering  , though , if the study  is exaggerating ,or we have something to worry about . I've heard  about other studies  that say drinking a glass of  red wine  every night is good for you .
Confused
Dear Confused ,
The Centers for Disease Control  and Prevention  says  that binge  drinking  for men equals  five or more drinks  in one sitting  and four or more  for women .
The point  is  that excessive  drinking , which you and your friends are doing  can lead to health  and safety concerns . While your friends  may brush  this off  as nonsense , you are smart to take heed .
Start  by making the choice  not to drink  at all the next time you go out  or to limit your alcohol to one drink . If you  are unable  to adhere  to your limitation , you will know  that you have a problem . Get help now  before  you succumb  to what  could be a perilous  future  if your  drinking  goes unchecked . You are doing the right thing .
Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
My wonderful husband  delivers  oil to people's homes and works hard  keeping homes toasty  and warm throughout the winter . It is a demanding  job , but for the most part  , he enjoys it .
The problem is , some  customers don't  plow or shovel  paths  to their tanks .
Their driveway  are cleared  and the paths to their bird feeders , but my husband  has to pull a heavy hose  through knee-high snow to reach  the tanks .
By the time he gets home  he is soaked to his thighs  , cold and exhausted . He would appreciate   it if people  could make his job easier  by shoveling  a path to their tank .
Please be Kind
Dear Please ,
Thank you for reminding  the readers  that all service  people  who  to have excess  to outside areas  of their homes  should  not get lost  in a snowdrift  because  the path  isn't plowed . If you know  someone is coming  , please  see that  they can get there .
Maxy