22- North Shore Mews — Wednesday, October 4, 2000 ‘Pavental Guidance ONE of the things I . admire about children, honestly, is their ability ~ = to predict a potential - problem and then lay the groundwork to avoid being caught up in it. Perhaps it is the innocence of youth, or perhaps it’s just uick thinking, but kids can defnicely figure out, in short order, Various ways around loaming disasters. The cynical might say they are sneaky and full of excuses, but those of us more appreciative of the intel- lectual arts are more prone to admire their creativity, even if we don’t let them get away with most of their schemes. A colleague of mine once “NATIVE JEWELLERY WeDDING Rincs” aa West 3rd Street, * North Vancouver 988-9215 tag Game Ticket ‘Bring in this coupon and receive -your second game free - id Mon-Fri, Not valld with other promotions. Customer offer expires October 31/00 | ‘fl S-€ RD Ome! 4 West 1th Street, North. Van Ph:.935-6033 - su “Ss ; SPOOKY. PARTIES t Oct 27— 5-G:30pm Halloween Costumes ‘*Babies — Aduit Harry Potter, Wizards, Fairies & much ‘more! Matching loot. bags and reat | accessories! a is it, and RDO AEI LENG AL LSA HIS FE PE 1g ate had a class devise good excuses for usdone homework. While a few couldn't muster much more chan the over-used dog consumption option, many others had much more elabo- rate, and frankly, believable versions of homework escape mechanisms. Although there Were many variations, there was a common thread in most of them — they evoked sym- pathy for the child. That was the genius of them. Not only did the students avoid prob- lems, diey actually received warm and fuzzy responses. An example will illuminate the point. One boy explained that his homework was not done because his father and mother had sat him down to explain that their marriage was in diffi- culty and while they were going to try to work things out, they wanted to prepare him for the worse. Reporting ick stutt Playing Under the Sun Tour: Saturday, Oct. 7, noon and 3 p.m. at ‘Capilano Mall. Tansy and = Rosabelle encourage othe his shock, surprise, and fear, the boy went on to.say he sat down with his homework, but as he looked around his room, he wondered if he would have to divide his belongings in half if he had to move back and forth between two homes. Focused on this thoughi, he found it difficult to concen- tate, but was certainly willing to stay in at lunch and recess to catch up on the work he was unable to do the night before. The boy went on to say that the teacher on whom he had used this strategy, had, instead, taken him out to lunch. “You need something to cheer you up,” he remem- bered the teacher saying. He was nine at the time and 13 when he related the story. He was proud of how he had used variations on this theme to pull the wool over the eyes of Various adults who had tried to preschoolers to participate, sing, dance and play in this free, live musical event. Info: 980- 8561. Clydeoscope Sls. Miracle Island based on the children’s hold him accountable. After all, who would call parents and ask if they were having marital problems just to confirm undone homework? Of course, kids are also masters at working their par- ents into a lather about teach- ers. It’s pretty easy to say a teacher is mean, or yelled, or made fun of you, as a diver- sionary tactic to having done poorly on some assignment. Many parents will buy the story and excuse the poor result as a consequence ofa teacher/student personality conflict. In fact, they might even go on the offensive before the test is graded, leav- ing any possible poor mark the result of the teacher getting even. Getting adults angry with adults is the ultimate coup de gras and makes excellent copy for “remember when” stories in later life. Having been around kids operetta. The first concert for children by the new. North Shore . orchestra, Sinfonia, under the direction of conduc- . “tor Clyde Mitchell and featur- ‘ing Laurel and Jan. Sunday, - Oct. 15, 2:30 p.m., Centennial ° 18S an awful foz in the last 20 years, I've heard a few wh pers that have left me skeptical, to say the least. I usually pick up the phone pretty quickly and separate the fact and fic- tion. Sometimes, Pm surprised to find that what I thought . ~ would be fiction is actually fact, and perhaps even under- stated! Suli, I appreciate the creative and elaborate fiction which occasionally arises, alchough I trv and temper it with a little down-home ethics.’ abeut honesty and accepting” responsibility. T had another colleague”. who used to say to parents, “If you believe half of what you”. - : hear about us at school, we'll - only believe half of what we.” hear about you at home.” It, was good advice.: == : — Graham Hookey is the. author of Parenting Is A Team: Sport. He can be. contacted at . Theatre. Tickers’ are $8": fo ‘seniors and. children -12-and under, and $14: for adults. Information and tickets 984 eee -C iled by Sha — Compi ron | Cocomile