European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 18, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Readers action line d a i would like some questions cleared up concerning furniture and appliances issued Fror Rathe Rhein main base furniture management office Foo a a my husband who retired from the air Force after 28 years has a Job with a civilian company which has a government contract. It. Before we left the states we were told we could Only a it take so much of our household goods because according to our contract we could get some of our appliances and furniture from the base Foo when we arrived in Germany a letter was made of through the proper channels and we got a refrigerator a clothes dryer two bedroom sch ranks a Kitchen food pantry and some bedroom furniture. For two years we be had these items then All of a sudden one month ago at 4 30 one afternoon my husband received a Call saying we had to return All the. Items we had. We did ask for and receive a 90-Day Extension. A a a a. A a. A a a my question is with All the bases closing and demo defense re utilization and marketing office sales going on each Day Why Alt of sudden with Only 1 to months left to go is it so necessary for them to take the furniture Back an Foo contract was made be it right or. Wrong. It was signed by a government representative and i think it should be honoured until we Are ready to go Back in. October. It s a shame that we must now Purchase All of these items we will use Only 10 months. Name withheld the Charles d. Contey chief furnishings management Branch 435th tac Airlift Wing replies thank you for your inquiry and for giving us an Opportunity to clarify the circumstances involving the entitlement for furnishings support to employees of government contractors Quot a. In certain circumstances contractor employees Are granted the Opportunity to use government furnishings. However Here at Rhet main a two conditions must be met. First of Alt air Force Manuat 66-18, Para 6-9< 4 states that military family housing is authorized for contractor personnel Only when specially approved in individual cases by he Usan a Pooh. Secondly Rhein. Main a pamphlet 140-1 further states that contractor. Employees and contract technical representatives Are not authorized government owned furniture support to include temporary Loaner furniture and appliance support unless government owned leased quarters Are approved for occupancy. It is unfortunate that the author of the letter to the editor received inaccurate information some two years ago and. We apologize for any mistakes made by our staff at that time. This mistake along with others that involved Issue of government furnishings to unauthorized personnel. Surfaced during an internal audit last fall. A decision was Mode to Correct those accounts and.  the return of a the government property. Grace periods were granted to reduce any hardships experienced although our primary goal is to provide a High level of customer service we Are also charged with the responsibility to comply with Public Law Dod  and husband government assets. An honest mistake once discovered should not be perpetuated by subsequent errors in judgment. A mistake was made when the property was issued. That mistake cannot be legitimized by a continued unauthorized use of government property. It. A. A a a a a to write us readers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort Quot striving to answer some of the questions. A about life overseas in a military environment or questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available. If you have a question and Don t know where to turn for the answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes apo09211-4211, ail letters must be signed and preference  Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers. Quality time with kids nighttime monsters by Marianne and Quot Stephen w. Garber and Robyn Freedman Spizman Cox news service readers letter to Nual Raysin. Such hurry i feel Tike i am just maintaining my kids feeding a. Dressing car pooling checking Homework. Is that Quality time we never seem to Haven stun. There a just no time. How important is playing with your kids a tired mom. Dear tired mom Many parents /. Wrongly assume that Quality time must equate in some Way with fun and that. Routine chores Don t count at All. In fact one of the major complaints heard from children of divorced parents is that the noncustodial Parent is not around for the Little things a Homework tucks in bed and Hurt  a. A Athey May go to amusement Parks j Rivies and ballgames but there is Little. Time just to be together for the regular part of  Day. A j Don t confuse playing with your child with Beina pal. Children Doi theed another pal they need a Parent. What makes playtime with mom and dad so special is. A your presence and the fact that it is not the Norm. Playing gives you the Opportunity to Model Good sportsmanship  teach. Ethics  undivided Lime with your child every Day is important. You will learn things about your child that Are very hard to learn any other Way. Almost any activity can be turned into play play is As much a state of a try mind As anything else. Awal to get the mail can turn into a race or a scouting adventure if you Are in the right state of mind. A a. A a. A a a most adults and plenty of children Are caught in a hurried schedule. Stopping to evaluate the tone in your Home and what s. Missing is an excellent Way to keep a a balance in the household. If your family is not having enough fun together try some of these ideas. A apply the five minute Rule make it a goal to spend five minutes alone with each child every Day. A put playtime in the schedule. If there a no other Way to ensure time to Plav schedule it. Slip in a Sanfie after dinner or a schedule a Tea party before dinner. ,. A getaway from it All. Perhaps you can t play at Home vacations and weekend tripes help some people relax and set aside work at Home. A a take time for yourself. You la feel better and be Able to see the humor in some situations that might blow your Cool otherwise. A add time  routine. If necessary get up earlier to play with the kids As they dress and eat. A get the kids involved. Ask them what. They want to do a. A Don t have unrealistic expectations. Everyone is More Likely to have fun if you Don t demand it. A Marianna Daniels Garber an educational consultant Stephen a Garber e clinical psychologist and Robyn Freedman Sulzman. An author of books on educating and motivating children write a parenting column for the the Atlanta Roumal constitute lbs in Atlanta a  w Quot m by Modena Wilson and Alain Joffe Baltimore Sun a a a a a a a a. I. A a a % q. My 6-year-old wakes up at. A night saying he hears. Monsters and ghosts in his b room and ends up sleeping a in our bed. I be tried to help him get rid of the monsters without Success. I want to get Nim out of our bedroom. Any ideas \. A nighttime fears Are a common childhood problem. We agree sleeping in. The parents room is not a Good Long term. Solution. Your son s fears of monsters and ghosts Are Normal at this age. But they Are not rational. Therefore reasoning will not expel them. There Are a number of things you can do to help. Make his late evening As Calm and reassuring As possible. Violent and frightening games to programs an stories should be avoided. A. Close the blinds in his room windows in the late afternoon before he has an. Opportunity to look out into the darkness. A. Spend s6me Happy family time with him in. His Well lighted room so it does no to carry a lonely image for him. Let him know that you lock the House doors when you Are a sleeping. ,. If your son seems troubled at bedtime go with him hand in hand to each a. Worrisome area of the  make a. Show of being a powerful Parent chasing away All frightening things. Allow him to keep the door open As he Falls asleep.  Are reassured by having soft music playing As they fall asleep. And some parents have found that running a Cool Mist Vaporizer All night not Only helps relieve Stuffy noses but Al of provides a constant background noise that covers up.  children May misinterpret.,. Any combination of these tricks May help but he May  in your room. Frightened. If you Are harsh with him he will Only become More susceptible because a you Are his Only source of Comfort and. Reassurance. Even though it is very diff it to drag -. Yourself out of bed one of you should get. Up and go Back to his room with him and sit at his bedside for a few minutes. No. Monster can survive the presence of a Parent. If you do this patiently and. Consistently staying for a briefer time on each night you Are needed he will a eventually learn to Calm himself without your coming or Modena Wilson is director of paediatric primary care at the Johns Hopkins children s Center in Baltimore my. Or. Alain Jorie is director of adolescent Medicine there. Page�16 a the stars and stripes monday february 18, 1991