HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: Fourteen years ago my husband and I adopted a boy, age 10 at the time, and he has been the greatest joy of our lives.

I know most young couples want an infant to have that bonding experience, and that is certainly understandable. However, children age OPINION 5 and older, or who belong to a minority group or have some form of disability, have a much harder time finding families who’ll adopt them. In fact, most will never be adopted. If any of your readers are considering adoption, they might want to look at an older child. At present there are over 120,000 children in America hoping for a permanent home with a loving family, according to the North American Council on Adoptable Children.

By the time a child is 18 (sometimes 21), they “age out” of foster homes and usually have no place to go, no one to help them and no support. According to statistics, 70% would like to go to college but only about 3% will ever earn a degree. Sadly, 1 in 4 won’t graduate high school because they don’t have anyone to encourage them. A child doesn’t stop needing a parent at 18.

If you decide to adopt an older child, you’ll usually receive parenting classes on what to do and what to expect. Mix that with a little common sense and open communication, and you’ll have a wonderful experience with an older child.

If you are seriously considering adoption, please consider a child over the age of 4 or of a mixed/minority race or one who is disabled. I hope you experience the happiness we found with our adopted son. — Dave and Gina F.,

Paterson, N.J.

DEAR READERS: Uses for expired credit cards and used gift cards:

■ Remove the stinger from a bee sting by scraping the skin.

■ Scrape grime or mud off shoes.

■ Use as a straight edge.

■ Scrape ice or snow off car windows.

■ Remove dried particles from bathroom or kitchen countertops.

DEAR HELOISE: I’ve found that many people have forgotten that if you have a down-filled comforter, you need to snap the corners after making the bed. You just take hold of the corners and give it a snap like you would a whip. This keeps the down from sticking together and fluffs up the comforter for a nicer look to your bed.

— Rose Ann J., Casper, Wyo.