HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR READERS: April showers bring May flowers, but they also bring wet, slippery roads and dangerous driving conditions. Here are some driving hints for safety on the road during a rainstorm:

■ Ensure brake lights, headlights, taillights, turn signals and windshield wipers on your vehicle are all working correctly. Tires must be inflated properly, and a good tread depth will help with traction on wet roads.

■ Reduce your speed. To avoid hydroplaning, slow down, don’t brake hard and don’t turn sharply.

■ Put a cushion of space (at least one car length) between you and other drivers. Increase your following distance and slow down well before the intersection or where you are turning.

■ Brake and slow down, then turn, then accelerate.

■ In the event of a skid, do not slam on the brakes; look and steer into the direction you want to go. Don’t panic.

Driving in wet weather can be dangerous. Slow down, give yourself extra time and maintain space around you to shield you from other drivers.

DEAR HELOISE: My 10-year-old daughter, Annie, has Down syndrome, and we’re trying to make her life as ordinary, typical and mainstream as possible. I was thrilled to find a doll with Down syndrome facial features. Annie relates to this doll better, I think, than her other dolls.

She can dress the doll in super-cute outfits (it has movable arms and legs), and the doll helps her friends and other parents understand Down syndrome better and fosters a sense of normalcy for Annie.

— Jane W. in Texas DEAR READER: Toy designers have come a long way in recent years to make kids with special needs feel included in everyday experiences with their friends and classmates.

And if other kids can see that a doll has been created to mirror their friend, it will foster a sense of understanding that will help everyone grow and learn. There are even dolls that come with wheelchairs. This is a great thing. High-five!

DEAR HELOISE: To help keep, say, a half loaf of bread fresh I hold the bread wrapper up and cut it down the middle into two sections. Then I can tie the two sides together in a knot at the level of the bread.

— Virginia D. in Pennsylvania