The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 46

THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS LETItOUT How to make your horns child-friendly Facial puffing points to potential danger Avoid toy bins. To find one special doll, the whole bin is likely to get dumped. Provide children with a small table and mirror for grooming. Don't hand your preschooler the Waterford crystal, but do offer opportunities to handle fragile ob- jects. Preschoolers need to know that if they use a drinking glass or other breakable item in a rough, uncaring way, it breaks.

When deciding which areas of your home to change, think about the rooms where there is the most frustration. If you're fed up with dirty towels on the bathroom floor, focus your efforts there. Scrlpps Howard News Service Suggestions for a child-friendly home from early-childhood educators Millie White and Cheri Mowers-Wright Display children's artwork. It shows them their work is valued. Box-type plastic glass frames are inexpensive and easy to change.

A tray can be used to display children's shells, rocks or other treasures. Have a small broom and dust-" pan and other child-size cleaning tools available. Too many toys can be over- whelming. Leave a base of favorites, but rotate some toys in and out. bathroom or putting the recorded-music system within reach.

Accessibility without instruction, however, is certain disaster. "You can't Just prepare the house. You need to give them the lesson on how you would like them to do it," Mowers-Wright said. What may be obvious to an adult you don't push all four buttons on the CD player at the same time or leave the towel in a wad below the rack may not be so apparent to a 3-year-old. Demonstrate skills Do it step-by-step, demonstrating as you go along, Mowers-Wright said.

If the lesson is dusting, for example, show them how to remove items and put them on another table. "We need to show children how to treat items that we care about," Mowers-Wright said. Consider age when making changes. White said her home has evolved as her daughter Emma, 5, grows. When Emma was a baby, there were lots of cushions around.

They protected her from the hearth and helped her climb up to the couch. The family's glass-top coffee table was out of the picture. A basket on the floor was filled with rattles and toys. Today, the basket is packed with books and the coffee table is back. Dear Reader: Clotting is one of those processes that take place In our bodies every day, of which we are blissfully ignorant until something goes wrong.

There's a fine line that keeps clotting from becoming a threat to health. Protein keeps tabs on the clotting process. If there's too little of; it, clots form In blood vessels with' sometimes catastrophic results. The deficiency is a genetic trait. People with the gene have a meager supply of protein C.

They develop clots in their leg veins. They can also develop clots in the lungs a potentially lethal condition. If protein patients develop a leg clot, the doctor prescribes blood thinning medicine and often keeps them on it for three to six months. If a second clot forms, patients might have to stay on blood thinners for the rest of their lives. Family members ought to be screened for the deficiency, since it is an Inherited Illness.

Dear Dr. Donohue: I need Information on mini-strokes. A.M. Dear Reader: Strokes result when a section of brain is deprived of its blood supply. Mini-strokes Indicate small areas of the brain have lost their blood supply.

Mini-strokes can make a person stagger, have trouble speaking or develop clumsiness of a hand for four to six weeks. Mini-strokes are common In people with diabetes or high blood pressure. Meticulously lowering blood sugar or blood pressure is the foundation of treatment for those people. Mini-strokes can be harbingers of a major stroke. Often doctors put patients on medicines that keep blood thinned and flowing to all parts of the brain after a mini-stroke has occurred.

North America Syndicate Dear Dr. Donohue: Usually at night I have swelling around my face. It spreads for a day or so and then gradually goes down. Sometimes my tongue is affected. W.K.

Dear Reader: The description fits angioedema, a close cousin of hives. Hives pop out on the skin. To Your Good rlealth Dr. Paul Donohue Angioedema affects tissues beneath the skin. Something causes blood vessels to leak fluid.

Tissues under the skin swell. The Hps, tongue, hands and feet are common targets. What is that something? It could be an allergic reaction. Medicines and foods are often implicated. Aspirin, nuts, fish and shellfish are common culprits.

Or it could be that the swelling will remain in the realm of the Inscrutable. A rare, inherited condition C-l esterase deficiency is worth considering if any relatives suffer the same symptoms. Antihistamines can sometimes control outbreaks. The combination of antihistamine with drugs that suppress stomach acid production often works. Tagamet and Zantac are two such drugs.

They work because they also suppress histamine, which is partly to blame for the blood vessel leakage. If throat or airway tissues swell and you have trouble breathing, get to an emergency room quickly. The swelling can cut off your breathing. Dear Dr. Donohue: Please comment on protein deficiency.

I am 70 years old and am having clot problems In my leg. A.P. Tortilla chips for fires now there a light snack MONDAY, MAY 31, 1999 HOME Continued from Page 1 A few simple changes can make children feel more a part of the family, said Mowers-Wright, who has given talks on child-friendly homes to parents. The child-friendly approach can include: Child-sized tables or chairs. Baskets of toys or books in various rooms.

Hanging some pictures low. An easy-to-reach kitchen drawer for children's bowls, glasses, pitchers and utensils. A refrigerator shelf for snack items. Mowers-Wright said there is no 'simple blueprint. It depends on the of the family and the and ages of the children.

with their eyes Before you do anything, think Jabout how the house looks from your child's point of view. Imagine iif everything you wanted was Just reach and you always had Jto seek the assistance of a really tall person for help. You might de-velop an attitude too. Frustration and exasperation can be avoided if parents find ways -to let children do things on their own, Mowers-Wright said. This takes time, however, so many par- ents fall into the trap of doing -everything themselves.

That's a mistake. Children learn helplessness, said Millie White, yhp teaches preschoolers and trains teachers at an early-child-' hood education center. "They get Unto a pattern of expecting adults 3n their life to do everything for them The more you are doing, the less they are learning." who can choose their iown clothing in the morning, get their own snacks or otherwise help out will feel good about themselves arid their parents won't be spend-Irrjg time waiting on them. i actually frees you up, if you willing to put time into the preparation of the home," said. Preparation can mean adding a second, lower towel bar in the BANDS Continued from Page 1 care that Backstreet's back may not be as large as the band hopes, i The lead-off single.

Want It TJtat Way, is pure pop, a number like Quit Play- inq Games (With My Heart) and -As Long As You Love Me. It's htok-fiiled, hummable and hip jbtough to charm its way to the top. Like Backstreet Boys, the bulk Millennium is written by Swedish hit maker Max Martin, who jeuts sugary Europop with enough street-savvy American to current. His confection Ishines on It's Gotta Be You, a up-tempo number co-writ-jten with Mr. Shania Twain Rob-'ert "Mutt" Lange.

1- Martin is In demand these days lending his talents to Britney 'N Sync and an entire platoon of pop stars and what he has left for the Boys is not always his best. Songs like Don't Want You Back and Don't Wanna Lose You Now fall a bit flat. The boys from Orlando try to Jielp their cause: Brian Littrell contributes on three of the songs, while Kevin Richardson tosses in to Your Heart. Yet the light-ihearted, well-mannered sweetness 'pf the debut album just isn't there km most of the songs. delivery of Littrell, Richardson, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough rand A.

McLean seems low-key and a little downhearted. Sometimes, Millennium sounds less like a-party and more like a term paper. Of course some flashy videos and clever remixing could help fix that, A year older Prince Rainier of Monaco is fry Actress Elaine Stewart is -70. Actor-director Clint East- wood is 69. Opera singer Shirley Ver- rettis66.

Actor Keir Dullea is 63. Singer Peter Yarrow is 61. Singer Johnny Paycheck is t. 61." Former Anglican Church en- voy Terry Waite is 60. Singer-musician Augle -Myers is 59.

Actress Sharon Gless is 56. Football Hall-of-Famer Joe Namath is 56. Actor Tom Berenger is 49. Actor Gregory Harrison is 49. Actor Colm Meaney is 46.

Comedian Chris Elliott is 39. Actor Kyle Secor is 39. Actress Lea Thompson is 38. Singer Corey Hart is 37. Actress Tonya Pinkins is 37.

Rapper DMC is 35. Rapper Kid Frost is 35. Actress Brooke Shields is 34. D2 Got a comment about life, love, politics, whatever? Call InfoLine, (317) 624-4636, and enter category 4233. Or write LET IT OUT, Features Department, The Indianapolis Star and The Indianapolis News, P.O.

Box 6187, Indianapolis, Ind. 46206-6187. Or fax us at (317) 630-9565, attention LET IT OUT. Comments might be held because of space limitations or questionable taste. I am very offended by some suburban fast-food places when you go in at lunch time and the floors are caked with mud from construction workers.

Maybe they should put up a sign that says "Muddy boots, no service." Thanks to the grocery baggers at the Irvington Marsh store for their friendly and courteous service. We really appreciate it For the person who said that we should be like Ohio and parents pay for a stay in prison or juvenile center (Let It Out, May 26). We have that and it is called Hamilton Centers in Noblesville. It is supposedly a nonprofit organization, but we paid through the nose. Lef quit blaming parents for all the problem children.

At what age are they responsible for their own actions? We had ours in counseling and every other avenue we could think of and he still ended up as a juvenile offender. In response to the person who said the fees Realtors charge to sell your home are way out of line (Let It Out, May 24): Walk in my shoes for a week. That would be Sunday through Saturday, 12 to 14 hours a day, on call 24 hours a day. Does your boss have access to you 24 hours a day or get to call you at home at night and complain? If we don't sell a home, we are charged all our advertising costs. Realtors do not charge too much to sell your home.

They do all the advertising for you, all the showings, and they work their butts off to get your house sold. If you do not like what Realtors charge, then sell the house yourself. Well, I see Jerry Springer has made his money and he no longer cares about his shows and ratings. No fighting on Jerry Springer is like no prizes on The Price Is Right To the person who said Kmart doesn't sell handguns and only sells rifles and shotguns (Lef It Out, May 26): Most of the people wounded in the school shootings were wounded by rifles. I read in the paper that IPS plans to cut 63 teachers from the payroll.

I don't quite understand. When Espe-ranza Zendejas suggested cuts to save money and better educate children, the board wanted to run her out of town. Are they going to do the same to Duncan Pritchett? I think not. Someone asked if it is unsafe to take a bath in a tub during lightning storms (Lef It Out, May 23). Since the electrical system is generally grounded to the plumbing system, a lightning strike can affect the pipes connected to the tub.

If the pipes are not PVC, they could carry the electrical charge, and it would be considered unsafe. I am a Jedi, like my father. Note to readers Due to the Memorial Day holiday, the People column is taking the day off. TV Time, which appears in The News in Mondays, will appear in Tuesday's paper. BARRY Continued from Page 1 wake up and, after performing the Bodily Functions of Preparedness, boldly grasp the Toothbrush of Tomorrow? Advice from tired elders I hope so, Class of 1999.

1 hope you are ready to take over, because my generation is getting old and tired. And we have good reason to be tired: We won World War II. No. wait, that was our parents. But my generation did watch a lot of grueling movies about World War II.

Then, for a while, we tried to solve the problems of society. Eventually we gave up on that and started looking for "closure." Today we have given up on "closure" and would settle for a good herbal laxative. So we're basically finished, and the time has come for us to pass the torch on to you. But before we do, we must ask you a very Important question: Where the heck did we put the torch? We can't find ANYTHING any more. By conservative estimate, my generation has now spent 50 times as much time looking for its car keys as It ever spent protesting war and racism.

personally, right now, own at least 247 pairs of reading glasses, and the only way I can find any of them is when I step on a pair in my bare feet. So it Is up to you, the Class of 1999, to do whatever It wawas Sony Music Entertainment A CONTENDER: Note, a quartet from Orlando, is due to release a disc to take advantage of the summer season. Games and puzzles are stored In end tables. A mirror slides out near the entertainment center, so Emma can see herself dance while her family listens to music. A step up White is a big fan of two-step stools.

The two-step version offers more stability and gets the child up higher than a simple plastic stool, White said. With the stool, Emma can reach the kitchen countertop to fix herself a snack or help prepare her lunch for preschool. It puts her at a level where she can observe and learn household chores. "When she was 2, she pretended to wash the dishes. Her job was to rinse out the water bottles," White said.

Keep in mind, however, that a stool brings children to a height where they might reach dangerous things. If you offer accessibility with a stool, then make sure cleaners, medicines and other dangerous items are locked or safely out of reach. White said. Mowers-Wright said the child-friendly strategy can be tackled one room, even one shelf, at a time. "You have to decide how far and how much," she said.

"Don't have guilt Just because the whole house isn't child-friendly." Williams gets, though. Ego is a great album, filled with complex pop songs like the acoustic love song One of God's Better People; the Jangle of Strong, where Williams takes Oasis-styled bombast and turns it into catchy self-deprecation, and the clever alt-rock of Jesus in a Camper Van. However, by being marketed as yet another pretty boy, he could get lost in the Boy Band Shuffle. Songs like Angels and She's the One would get him noticed more by fans of Sarah McLachlan than Sarah Michelle Cellar and Williams deserves a shot for attention as an artist rather than a runway model. Heavy on the sugar On the flip side, Joey Mclntyre should probably take care of those hangdog good looks, because his Stay the Same is the clunkiest of the bunch.

Though the ex-New Kid on the Block deserves credit for writing the bulk of his material, sometimes it comes off a little too predictably. As sweet as the sentiment is in the power-ballad title track you ever say you don't like the way you areWhen you learn yourself, you're better off by it's hard to keep a straight face through his attempts to stay ahead of the massive gospel choir that drops in to close out the song. The overdra-matic, oh-so-serious Without Your Love is a Saturday Night Live skit waiting to happen. Stay the Same is the most ballad-heavy, and Mclntyre takes the most vocal risks of all the solo guys, but that's not necessarily a good thing in his case. It's a very nice record We Can Get Down has a nice groove, One Night has a nice retro feel.

But unless you're still in middle school, it may be a bit too oogly-googly for you. Of course, Boy Band Mania doesn't stop here. Look for debut albums from the latest Orlando boy configuration, C-Note, and the other ex-New Kid, Jordan Knight. The debut album from Nick Carter's little brother, Aaron, is due out this summer, along with more singles from Brit sensations Five, Boyzone and 911. How long can this go on? Ask a teen-age girl.

4 but what they really need is an energy boost and a dose of fun That's what makes Ricky Martin's album work so well. Like the frantically paced salsa of Livin' La Vida Loca and his much you can save. Young-stown, Ohio Dear Heloise: I frequently hear laments or jokes about those re- -veallng back-tie gowns we patients must wear during hospital stays. During my first visit to the maternity ward, a nurse advised me to take a second gown and wear it backward as a pseudo-robe. Since it is so generously cut, the gown may be easily removed or pulled aside as needed.

This has given me one less thing to worry about during subsequent hospital stays! M.K., Shingle Springs, Calif. Dear Heloise: I want to sound off about those frustrating automated phone systems. The voice recordings need a one- to two-second delay after you push your button before the voice starts the next message. It takes that long to put the phone back to your ear after holding it In front of you. I usually miss the first four or five words! Laura V.

Winslow, Oakton, Va. Send your money- and time-saving hints to Heloise, The Indianapolis Star and The Indianapolis News, in care of King Features Syndicate, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, or fax it to 210-HELOISE. I can't answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column. King Faaturaa Syndlcat "Rhode," "Island" or "of." So you start clicking away with your mouse pointer, and 14 hours later, you find yourself looking at a Web site entitled "Poison Frogs of the Congo Delta." You have no idea how you got there, except that along the way you purchased two weeks in February at a time-share condominium In Saskatchewan and saw 583 pictures of Pamela Anderson naked.

This was not possible In my day. Class of 1999! We didn't even HAVE Pamela Anderson! Yes, it's a bright new world you're entering, Class of 1999 a world that will offer many exciting career opportunities, such as tattoo removal, which, trust me, is going to be the next Internet, once you all start having children and get tired of explaining to them how come mommy and daddy have bad words written on their butts. Ha ha! I wish I could be there to see It! Unfortunately, by then I'll be spending pretty much full time looking for my dentures. In closing, let me leave you with the words of the great educator Dr. Quisling P.

Rotogravure, who said: "Fare thee well, fare thee well, sing polly wolly doodle all the day." Remember those words, Class of 1999. And put sunscreen on your duck. I Write to Dave Barry in care of The Miami Herald, One Herald Plaza, Miami, Fla. 33132. Visit The Miami Herald Web edition at eaamlHaraM Dear Heloise: Camping out and don't have any sticks to burn? No problem! Use a bag of tortilla chips to get your fire started.

It makes a yummy snack as well. Chris Crooks, Heloise Springfield, Mo. Dear Reader: When we read your fax in our office, we said: "What? This won't work." So we tested it, and you're right, the tortilla chips do burn pretty well. Of course, use caution and only light them in a fire-safe pit. The "low-fat" or baked versions did not bum well, so bring the real thing.

Heloise Dear Readers: Before vacationing: Turn the telephone ringer down. Unplug all appliances. Have mail held at the post office or picked up by neighbors. Have the newspaper stopped. Set your lights on a timer.

Dear Heloise: Before throwing away those plastic tubes that creams and various ointments come in, cut off the top and then down the two sides and see how much you are throwing away. I use a clean, 2-ounce cream Jar, and with a spatula I scrape the remains Into it. Surprising how saying. And now is the time! Think of the opportunities you have! You have the Internet! My generation did not have the Internet. When my generation needed a piece of information, such as the population of Rhode Island, we had to haul out the encyclopedia, which was a bunch of dusty old heavy books that smelled like unlaundered socks.

First we had to figure out what book "Rhode Island" was in, which was difficult because the books were labeled with Secret Encyclopedia Code phrases such as "Quisling Rotogravure." Then we had to manually look up "Rhode Island," using the alphabet, which, like long division and the song Polly Wblly Doodle, is probably not taught In schools any more. Then we had to hunt around for the population statistics, which were comically Inaccurate because our encyclopedias were always way out of date, having been written when there were only about 17 states and scientists thought the Moon was carried across the sky by a big turtle. Internet simplicity Things are much easier for you, the Class of 1999, thanks to the Internet. All you have to do is type in the words "population of Rhode Island" into your computer, and within a few seconds, the number appears on your computer screen: 467,298. This is not the population of Rhode Island, of course: This is the number of Web sites that contain the words 'K4 Grammy show-stopping The Cup of Life, Martin is a hip-swiveling whirling-dervish slice of happy-go-lucky high life.

Those songs alone would make Ricky Martin worth picking up. However, the rest of the record fills out nicely. Because of the songs' Latin rhythms, Martin automatically separates himself from the rest of the boy pack. He also mixes styles well, from the dreamy guitar pop of She's All I Ever Had to the goofy funk of Shake Your Bon-Bon. He also gets some high-profile help from Madonna on the understated Be Careful (Cuidado Con Mi Co-razon).

Ricky Martin is what fun sounds like and will likely be the soundtrack for summer camps and swimming pools. The American debut of Brit sensation Robbie Williams, on the other hand, could be the soundtrack for club-hopping and hipster barbecues. Williams is the cheekiest and arguably, the most talented of the Summer Boys, using sarcasm and imagery to get lyrical points across in ways the other boys don't bother to try. While the beats of his songs are often similar to those of his American counterparts, the lyrics and delivery are very British. The results sound like Radiohead getting a suntan or Oasis on holiday in Orlando.

Full of hits In a way, The Ego Has Landed stacks the deck in Williams' favor since it is a road-tested compilation of Williams' two British albums, chock-full of songs that have been major hits across Europe. And the first single, Millennium not to be confused with the Backstreet Boys album or the TV show or even the Star Wars spaceship is stunning. Williams creates a stylish, shuffle-foot, mid-tempo masterwork, combining a danceable beat with Y2K worries about "falling from grace" and "stars directing our fate" That's the most teenjiriendly i' 1, "i.