Most of us have spent more time at home in 2020 than we ever imagined possible. 【小题1】 These tips can help make your home better for your body and mind.

Take off your shoes at your door. Think about keeping your home clean the minute you walk in. A University of Arizona study found that the average shoe contains nearly 421,000 different bacteria (细菌), including Escherichia coli and strep. Pesticides (杀虫剂) and cleaning chemicals can also come into your home via your shoes. 【小题2】.

Freshen the walls. If the walls in your home feel as if they're closing in, maybe its time to find anew coat of paint. 【小题3】 Researchers at the University of British Columbia found that blue boosts creativity, while red increases attention to detail.

【小题4】 In a small study, volunteers worked from noon to 8 p. m. in a room lit primarily by daylight or one lit primarily by artificial light. By the end of the second day, those who had worked in the sunlit room were less sleepy and performed better on performance tests connected with mental process.

Clean the air in your home. 【小题5】 The Department of Energy requires that it can remove 99. 97 percent of pollutants and particles in the air. Portable high-efficiency particulate air filters (过滤器) can clean a single room or the entire house.

Ways to Teach Kids Good Behavior

Kids can be hard to handle sometimes. When a child acts out, you may be unsure how to handle it effectively. In most cases, you don't have to make use of punishment. 【小题1】

Tell the children you want to change your behavior. If you feel that you used ineffective strategies before, it may be worth talking about it to the kids. 【小题2】Apologizing for the past misbehavior also sets a good example.

【小题3】Unmet needs can lead to misbehavior. Meet the needs, and misbehavior may not happen. When a child expresses a need, acknowledge it, either meeting it now or telling them   your plan to meet that need soon. Pay attention when a child says or hints ( 暗 示 ) at things like   “I'm hungry”, “I'm tired” and “I'm upset”.

Keep your expectations reasonable. 【小题4】Kids are going to be annoying sometimes, and they won't always be little angels. They might not be able to do everything you ask of them, no matter how hard they try.

Be clear about your expectations. 【小题5】Let them know what you expect from them, and give reminders as needed.

Brandon Smith, in Houston, Texas, turned 12 on April 11. It is a tough time to have a birthday. But he still had a socially distanced birthday celebration that he will always remember.

Celebrations in the age of the coronavirus（冠状病毒） have forced people to get creative. Brandon’s father, Jody Smith, went on Twitter with a simple request. He posted a picture of Brandon on it. In the photo, Brandon is holding up a drawing. It is a blank map of the world. Mr. Smith asked people on Twitter to reply to his post and say where they are. That way, his map-loving son could mark the locations.

“I thought it would be fun to get 50-maybe 100-people to reply from around the world, and most would be in the US.” Smith said, “That’s really what my expectations were.”

To his surprise, however, thousands of responses to Smith’s request came in. Pictures were sent from the Caribbean, South America and Europe.

Brandon would add each spot to his map. “He is having a blast,” Mr. Smith said.

In the afternoon of April 11, Brandon was popular on Twitter. He was the most-talked-about topic.

Brandon did not really want a birthday party. He wanted to do an activity he likes. “Brandon is on the autism spectrum（自闭症）.” Smith said. Children with autism have different abilities. They get very interested in things. They will be interested in it for just a few weeks, Sometimes, months, One thing that Brandon continues to love is maps.

Mr. Smith’s phone pinged with so many birthday messages. Each time one arrived, Brandon put a mark on his map. He put it wherever the message came from. He knew where most places were. He hardly had to look at a real map to check.

By noon, Brandon’s map was covered in marks. Mr. Smith was grateful for all the responses.

“These are pretty trying times,” Mr. Smith said. He was glad to see people being kind. Mr. Smith said the responses made Brandon feel so special on his birthday.