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Teens and depression a concern as school starts

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:22 GMT

With many teens heading back to school, peer pressure and academic expectations are once again a reality. These added pressures can cause ups and downs during what can be an already tumultuous time of life. For some teens, though, the lows are more than just temporary feelings. They’re symptoms of depression.Depression is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Teen depression is a serious mental health problem. It affects how teenagers think, feel and behave, and it can cause emotional, functional and physical problems. Although depression can occur at any time in life, symptoms can differ between teens and adults.What to look forSigns and symptoms a teen may be depressed include a change in his or her previous attitude and behavior that can cause significant distress and problems at school or home, in social activities, or in other areas of life.Be alert for emotional changes, including:R...

Is it OK to feed a pooch some pork?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:22 GMT

Dear Dr. John,Our dog seems to have a gut that can tolerate anything. He gets into things that he shouldn’t and consumes them, occasionally gets a little vomiting and diarrhea but it always resolves, and we never need to have him seen for an upset stomach. Is this unusual? Recently, he got into some of our leftovers and there was pork in it. It caused no problems. As I think about it, I never see pork in dog food but rather almost every other kind of meat such as beef, chicken, lamb, and even special diets with items such as duck or venison. Is there a reason for this and if so, why? Would it be problematic to give a dog pork once in a while? B.G.Dear B.G.,It is not unusual for some dogs to have stronger digestive tolerance than others and it seems clear that your dog does. Pork is not usually found in many dog foods since so much of a pig is utilized for human consumption and there are some risks such as higher fat content depending on the cuts of meat used which in turn can cause ...

Can your child hear the teacher?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:22 GMT

Checking your child’s hearing should be on your back-to-school list. Dr. Kelly Conroy, a Mayo Clinic audiologist, says children with an undiagnosed hearing issue can face both academic and social struggles.You know your child can see the video board, but what if he can’t hear the teacher?“Hearing loss on school performance is quite impactful,” says Dr. Conroy.She says it’s especially true in kindergarten and elementary school-aged kids.“That’s when they’re really learning a lot of their language and speech skills. They’re also learning to get along socially with other children,” adds Dr. Conroy.Hearing loss in children can result in a variety of ways, but noise is a big culprit.“One of the major issues we’re seeing right now are children that have listened to MP3 players or iPods very loudly for long periods of time,” explains Dr. Conroy.Besides noise, infections and other problems in the middle ear can le...

4-day workweeks hot as data points to productivity boost

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:22 GMT

The four-day workweek is the latest buzzy workplace trend, with experiments and surveys touting improved employee morale, retention and productivity.In one study of 41 businesses across the U.S. and Canada — the majority with 25 or fewer employees — 40% of employees surveyed said they were less stressed after trying out a shorter workweek. In addition, 60% of employees reported a better work-life balance and 32% said they were less likely to quit, according to a July 2023 report by 4 Day Week Global, a nonprofit that promotes shorter workweeks.ThredUp has seen this play out in-house over the past two years. The online clothing reseller shifted to a four-day week for corporate employees in 2021. Voluntary turnover among that group dropped 55% compared with 2019, and hiring got a boost. Most new hires cited the company’s shorter week as a deciding factor in employment, Natalie Breece, chief people and diversity officer at ThredUp, said by email.Can a shorter workweek do the same for y...

Kailyn loves sports, art, and animals

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:22 GMT

Kailyn is an easygoing and lovely teenage girl. She is described as athletic and enjoys participating in sports, especially swimming. Kailyn recently expressed an interest in cheerleading and wants to join her school’s squad. She loves animals and aspires to be a veterinarian and wants to be an artist as well.Kailyn attends a school based on a structured learning program for children with emotional needs and does well with the support of an IEP. She attends school regularly and has positive connections with staff and caretakers.Kailyn would do best with in a two-parent family with a father and mother or two mothers. A single mother could also be considered if she has considerable support in her extended family and community. Although it is preferable for the pre-adoptive family to have parenting experience, first time parents could also be considered if they have had appropriate life preparation for meeting the needs of older children. Kailyn’s social worker recommends that she begi...

Low Cut Connie seizing the rock moment

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:22 GMT

Low Cut Connie mastermind Adam Weiner is the first to admit that he would’ve had a great time during the ‘70s glitter rock era. But that only makes him more determined to have one right now.“Sometimes I feel like I was born at the wrong time,” Weiner said this week. “But I also feel like I’m here for the perfect moment. I get to be a torch carrier. We have a song called ‘Revolution Rock & Roll,’ where I say that if I don’t preserve it, I don’t deserve it. So many things that came before me were life-sustaining for so many people — and for me, because I found a life through rock and roll and through performance art. This is certainly not something to get into if you want to make a lot of money, or to get into the top echelons of the music business these days. But damn, it is a fun way to live your life.”On a good night, Low Cut Connie can renew your faith in rock — or even on a good morning. This writer caught them at the New Orleans Jazzfest last May, when they had t...

Bradley Cooper’s ‘Maestro’ takes a bow in Venice

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:22 GMT

LIDO, Venice, Italy – “Maestro,” Bradley Cooper’s long-aborning Leonard Bernstein biographical drama, world-premiered Saturday night at the Venice Film Festival.Cooper also produced and co-wrote the decades-spanning story of the bisexual musical genius, a celebrated classical conductor and Broadway veteran. The focus is clearly on the complexities of Bernstein’s marriage to the Chilean-born Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan).With its ample sampling of Bernstein’s varied musical compositions and an unusually candid celebrity portrait amid a series of glam settings, “Maestro” looms instantly as the rival of “Oppenheimer” as the year’s most ambitious prestige picture.“I wouldn’t call it a biopic,” Jamie Bernstein, the eldest of the couple’s three children and a character in the film, said during a pre-premiere press conference. “The whole project began many years ago, when the idea was a more straightforward biopic. But Bradley came up with a different idea and he changed the concept...

Solomon: Should gun owners be required to carry liability insurance?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:22 GMT

While scrolling through the latest American gun tragedies, an email popped up that my car insurance was due for renewal.My car insurance protects me against other people, but there’s also a liability aspect that protects other people against me. So, as our minds tend to work, I was rhetorically asking myself why aren’t gun owners required to have liability insurance.The idea of requiring gun owners to carry liability insurance has been a topic of debate for years.Proponents argue that it could incentivize safe practices and reduce incidents of gun violence. However, opponents claim that such a requirement would destroy the gun industry. So, what exactly are the potential implications of mandatory gun liability insurance and its effect on the gun industry? And can this idea help fix the gun violence problem in the United States?One of the main arguments favoring mandatory liability insurance for gun owners is that it would create financial and legal incentives for responsible gun own...

2023 high school football schedules

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:22 GMT

Schedules were obtained from school websites. Times and dates are subject to change throughout the course of the season.DIV. 1 ACTON-BOXBOROSept. 8 – at Lexington, 6Sept. 14 – at Shrewsbury, 6:30Sept. 22 – Wayland, 6:30Sept. 29 – Waltham, 6:30Oct. 6 – at Bedford, 7Oct. 13 – at Lincoln-Sudbury, 7Oct. 20 – Cambridge, 6:30Oct. 27 – at Concord-Carlisle, 7Nov. 23 – Westford Academy, 10 ANDOVERSept. 8 – Shrewsbury, 7Sept. 15 – at Chelmsford, 7Sept. 22 – at Lowell, 7Sept. 29 – at Methuen, 7Oct. 6 – Brockton, 7Oct. 13 – at Haverhill, 7Oct. 20 – at Central Catholic, 7Oct. 27 – Billerica, 7Nov. 23 – North Andover, 10 ATTLEBOROSept. 8 – at Old Rochester, 6:30Sept. 15 – at Bishop Feehan, 6Sept. 21 – New Bedford, 6Sept. 28 – Milford, 6Oct. 6 – at King Philip, 7Oct. 13 – at Stoughton, 6Oct. 20 – Franklin, 6:30Oct. 27 – at Taunton, 7Nov. 23 – North Attleboro, 10 BC HIGHSept. 8 – LaSalle (RI), 7Sept. 15 – Reading, 7Sept. 22 – at Woburn, 7Sept. 29 – at Everett, 7Oct. 6 – Malden C...

Mom and bonus mom need to meet in person

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:22 GMT

Q. I’ve been married for a little less than a year to a man who has a son from a previous marriage. The boy is 7 years old and my husband and his ex share custody. We see David every weekend, from Friday after school to Tuesday night after dinner. I take care of him most of the time when he’s at our home and we have a very close relationship.On Sunday we dropped off him off at his mother’s house. I’ve never met her. My husband walked up to the door with his son and they went into the house while I waited in the car. I felt very uncomfortable. Would it have been too aggressive if I got out of the car to meet her? Would it have been more appropriate if my husband introduced me? What’s good ex-etiquette?A. What would have been the best ex-etiquette would have been for your husband to introduce you to his child’s mother when the two of you decided on a future together.That way you could have openly expressed your desire to support both parents in their efforts to make this child’s life ...