【推荐2】Shy Parents, Shy Children — Parent workshop Series

The workshop is designed for shy parents of shy children, with the unique emphasis on teaching specific methods of building your child’s self-respect and social comfort level, while at the same time building your own. Participants are chosen before being admitted to the workshop to help make sure the workshop is a good fit for your needs.

Where: Karman Executive Center, Bellevue, Washington

When: From 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, from November 8th to 12th

Fee: $435

Shake Your Shyness: Intensive Weekend

The workshop is intended to meet the needs of adults who are unable to attend the Parent Workshop Series due to distance or scheduling limits. It’ll help you learn the basic skills that help overcome shyness. Be prepared to come to class early and set aside time for homework on Saturday night.

Where: Karman Executive Center, Bellevue, Washington

When: Saturdays & Sundays in spring

Fee: $1,150

Parenting the Shy Child

Shy children need our help. In this class, we’ll cover the basics — the origins of shyness, methods of overcoming shyness, social skills you can teach in your home, and tips for working with teachers to help your child fit in at school, etc.

Where: Karman Executive Center, Bellevue, Washington

When: From 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, from November 16th to 18th

Fee: $95

Overcoming Shyness: Skills-Training for Adolescents: Workshop

This is a special class for adolescents designed to teach social skills shy people are afraid to use. We’ll cover everything from how to start conversations with strangers to ways to calm your nerves when you do. You’ll learn what makes some people more popular than others and simple things you can do to feel more like you fit it.

Where: Karman Executive Center, Bellevue, Washington

When: From 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm, on December 18th

Fee: $75

【推荐3】We all have stress sometimes. Stress comes from good or bad things that happen to us. For some people, it happens before having to speak in public, while for others, it might be because of a first date. What causes stress for you may not be stressful for someone else.

When you are stressed, you feel as though you are in danger, which speeds up your heart, makes you breathe faster, and gives you a burst (迸发) of energy.

Sometimes stress is useful. It can encourage you to get things done quickly. For example, it helps you finish an important job on time. But if stress happens too often or lasts too long, it can cause diseases and bad feelings. That’s why you need to deal with it immediately when you feel the bad results of stress. The sooner, the better.

The first step to deal with your stress is to try to find out the cause of the stress. It is usually caused by too much work, money worries, or a bad relationship. If you know the cause of your stress, pull yourself out from it or change the situation. Even if you are only able to get away for a few seconds or minutes, the break is important for it can lead to the final disappearance of stress. If you can’t find out the cause of your stress, you need to discuss your situation with your family, friends, or someone who can help. Talking with others can help you find ways to relax and calm down. Listening to music and taking exercise are also of great help.

【推荐3】There’s no single best way to cheer someone up when they are feeling down.    1    Some people might prefer socializing while others might like relaxing. They may even want you to simply send them helpful articles or funny pictures online without actually seeing you in person. Here are four ways to cheer someone up after a bad day.

Write them a handwritten note. If you want to cheer someone up, you don’t have to write a six-page letter detailing every happy thing you can think of.    2    Try writing out positive things like good memories you have together, or even an encouraging quote (名言).

Have a movie night. Perhaps you won’t be talking a lot during the movie, but it’s an excuse to come together with the person you’re trying to support. Sometimes they just need a little company when they’re feeling down.    3    Therefore, turn on the TV and find a movie that you’ll both enjoy.

    4    Your normal routine (日常事务) can feel dull and remind a person of what’s troubling them. Try doing something new with the friend you want to cheer up. It could be getting some fresh air by going hiking you’ve never tried or visiting your local museum. Any of these ideas can help build some memories together and lift your friends’ spirits.

Bring them their favorite food. Surprising someone with their favorite meal is an act of kindness that many like. They’re called our “comfort foods” for a reason, and sharing them will help your friends feel better.    5    

Whether loving, cold or extremely funny, some of the greatest characters in literature are mothers. Below are just a few examples of very different mothers from different authors.

The Railway Children     –by Edith Nesbit

When their father is taken away one evening, the lives of Roberta, Peter and Phyliss are broken suddenly into small pieces. They and their mother are forced to move from their comfortable London home to a simple cottage in the country where their mother writes books to make ends meet.

The Dwelling Place       –by Catherine Cookson

In the 1830s, Cissy Brody and her young siblings(兄弟姐妹) are forced to leave their farm cottage when both of their parents die. Determined that they will not enter the frightening workhouse, young Cissy takes on the parental responsibility and moves them to live in a small cave on the wilderness where they will face many hardships before finding a happy ending.

Little Women          –by Louisa May Alcott

The mother, Mrs March, is the glue that holds the family together through the Civil War as we follow the lives of Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth, her daughters. Their father is away serving as a Chaplain(神父). Having lost their fortune, their mother must use all her resources to keep the family together, which she does extremely well.

Pride and Prejudice       –by Jane Austen

Sometimes talkative and materialistic, yet strangely likeable, Mrs Bennet guides her five daughters, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty and Lydia towards suitable marriages. Nothing will stand in her way although sometimes her behavior does scare away suitable suitors. Sometimes touching and at other times extremely funny, it never fails to make readers smile.

【推荐3】I wouldn't describe myself as a fashion-lover and I don't usually spend a great deal of money on clothes. However, I do love cheap ones and I am terrible at throwing away old clothes. Some people cannot understand this. If it's old, why would you want to keep it? Well, the answer is simple. Clothes are memories and, just like memories, they can be sweet and precious.

My favorite jacket is a black and white wool one with a cool print. There are several holes in it, and even a big hole in the pocket when I happen to set it on fire ... Oops. I really should throw it away but I can't bring myself to do it.It reminds me of one of my favorite travels.I bought it in a market on the suburbs（郊区）of Lima,Peru.The first time I wore it,I was on a trip to an amazing water and light show in a park on that day.My friend and I had so much fun and I've made many memories wearing that jacket ever since.

It's the same with jewellery too. My friend made me a beautiful necklace with a piece of glass from the island where I grew up. She gave it to me so I would always have apiece of home with me. It's one of the loveliest gifts I' ve ever received and I haven't taken it off since then. Perhaps one day it will break somehow, but I could never throw it away.

【推荐3】Li Zixuan is a junior middle school student. He is now studying in Grade 9. He has had many dreams since he was little. But as time goes by, some new dreams have appeared and some old ones have disappeared. However, only one dream is still in his mind.

Li Zixuan says that when he was a child, he heard about rockets and spaceships. At first, he didn’t know what they were. From his father, he knew that scientists made rockets to carry things into space, and spaceships were used to carry people through space. From then on, he has had a real interest in space. Every time he sees beautiful stars and the moon in the sky at night, he gets very excited. He is always dreaming that he can fly to space to look at the earth one day. His mother knows about his dream and often encourages him.

In school, Li Zixuan learned that the first man flew into space in 1961 and later, more astronauts succeeded in traveling into space. Some astronauts even landed on the moon. His teacher always encourages him to learn more. He knows not everyone has a chance to travel into space. More importantly, before he can fly to space, he must be trained specially.

Li Zixuan knows it’s not easy to achieve his dream, but he decides to try his best. He says I’ve had this dream for many years. It has brought me a lot of joy and always gives me power. Even if it doesn’t come true in the end, I won’t be sorry.”