in jews the d family counseling Medication Take-Back Event Practices For A Good Life Three out of five teens say prescription pain medicines are easy to get from a parent’s or grandparent’s medicine cabinet. You can protect your teens against drug abuse and overdose by disposing of unused and expired medications. OPEN, the Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network, will be holding a medication take-back event Saturday, Oct. 27, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Lakes Oral & Maxillofcaical Surgery, 2300 Haggerty Road, West Bloomfield. For information, call (248) 669-6600 or visit www.lakesoralsurgery.com. E ach day we take on new challeng- es, so finding ways to structure our efforts can make our lives easier. Setting goals and following Daniel Rosenbaum, them through increases Ph.D., LMSW the likelihood that tasks will be done satisfacto- rily. We can better account for our life responsibilities by formulating specific practices and processes. Listening skills are essential when formulating good practices. If parents use the commonly heard “do as I say,” they negate any prospective input. Moreover, a person with a strong personality can undermine successful practices by taking advantage of other’s weakness. Also, when someone feels ignored or excluded from formulating a practice, he or she will have little invest- ment in its outcome. Practice decisions, therefore, need to be made in consul- tation with those involved, not done by executive fiat. Instead, when there is disagree- ment, ask the other person to help you understand his or her point of view. Understanding the needs and expec- tations on which an argument is based brings coherence to the decision being made. For instance, a necessary, but difficult practice is budgeting for the family, especially when money is tight. Still, the basic principles are the same whether there is a lot of money or not. The per- son designated to set up and control the budget needs input to identify others’ needs and wants. Instilling money management skills from an early age leads to financial responsibility later in life. Parents can use allowances to teach these skills even to young children by tying money to chores, school performance or need. Another practice is to direct money into specific accounts designated for vacations, holidays, gifts and even emergencies. Oddly enough, I’ve known married couples where each 48 October 18 • 2018 jn spouse has only his or her money; there is no our money. Though this may work for some, it is inherently problem- atic, leading to divisive arguments and power struggles. Family responsibilities, such as home tasks, can be easily formulated into practices. Many tasks get categorized as either inside jobs — laundry, cooking and cleaning — versus outside jobs — lawn care, snow blowing, garbage collection or home maintenance and repair. Notice, there are no gender identifiers nor need there be. Understanding how each parent was raised forms the foundation that parents use in evolving their own child-rearing practices. Hindsight then will dictate methods to use as well as those to avoid; foresight can identify new practices to initiate. Some practical questions include: Are sons given more freedom than daughters? How will parents teach their children right from wrong? Other fam- ily practices may include how we care for elders, provide religious education or inform children about their culture and history. Unsuccessful practices increase anx- iety, depression and distress. Examine failed practices for missing steps that are obstacles to task fulfillment. Also, look for overlapping or redundant steps that can sidetrack opportunities and cause unforeseen mistakes. When you are in unfamiliar situations, either with people or surroundings, like traveling or starting a new endeavor, practices can be thrown off. Such incidents can force you out of your comfort zone, meaning you’ll need to create new practices to adapt. Ultimately, developing valuable life practices takes work. Create ones that are reasonably effective and efficient to make your life easier and your interac- tions more agreeable. ■ Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum is a clinical social worker at Counseling Associates Inc. in West Bloomfield, where he counsels children, teens and adults experiencing family or personal psychological problems. Masters of Illusion to Headline JARC Fundraiser JARC, an organization serving people with disabilities, announced the live tour of Masters of Illusion as its 38th Annual Fall Fundraiser. The exclusive one-night performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8, at the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Orchestra Hall in Downtown Detroit. Join JARC and some of the world’s top magicians as they perform their best illusions in front of a live audience. These cutting-edge illusionists will per- form sleight of hand, perplexing inter- active mind magic, hilarious comedy and jaw-dropping grand illusions. The illusionists scheduled to perform are Michael Turco, Jonathan Pendragon and Bill Cook. JARC Board Member Dani Gillman and her husband, Ben Chutz, of Bloomfield Hills are the event chairs. Sponsorship opportunities remain, and a limited number of tickets are available starting as low as $75. Also planned for the evening is the young adult and corporate sponsor VIP pre-glow “Levitation Lounge,” under- written by Quicken Loans. Admission to the lounge is free for young adults (ages 21-40) with the purchase of a ticket to Masters of Illusion. The fundraiser will again feature the Match Challenge, this year honoring David Carroll’s extraordinary impact upon JARC. A group of generous donors will match dollar for dollar any increased gifts from last year’s fall fundraiser and new or lapsed donor’s gifts. For information and tickets, call (248) 538-6611 or visit www.jarc.org/events. Upcoming Panel Showcases Strong Michigan-Israel Medical Connections American Physicians Fellowship (APF) for Medicine in Israel, an organization that partners with Israel to maintain an emergency medical volunteer roster, is hosting a panel discussion at 10:30 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 21, at Ora Hirsch Adat Shalom Synagogue in Pescovitz Farmington Hills. Several academic institutional leaders who maintain very strong Jewish identities, including substantial ties to Israel that are both personal and professional, will be on the panel, including Robert Folberg, M.D., founding dean of the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine; Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, M.D., president of Oakland University; and Jack Sobel, M.D., dean of the Wayne State University School of Medicine. These physician leaders will Robert Folberg Jack Sobel describe their own personal involvement and their respective institutions’ ties to medical institutions in Israel. This will be an opportunity to learn more about our region’s strong connections to Israeli medicine, and to promote and elevate APF’s ongoing impact on health and well-being across Israel. The public is invited at no cost, and a light breakfast will be served. CME credits are pending. More information can be found at www.apfmed.org.