INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Monkeys need a lot of variety and stimulation in order to be happy. In the wild, they spend most of their time climbing around trees and looking for food. Simulate that experience in your monkey's cage and around the house by providing lots of interesting things for the monkey to play with and pull apart. Try hiding the monkey's food inside a box, or in a container with small holes that the monkey can reach one hand into. The monkey will have fun trying to figure out how to get to the food. Give the monkey stuffed animals, balls, and other toys to throw around and play with. Switch out the toys frequently so the monkey won't get bored. Monkeys are social creatures, and when they're left alone for long periods of time they grow very unhappy. Spend a few hours playing with your monkey every single day. As you bond with your monkey, he'll start trusting you enough to climb up your body and give you hugs or even kisses. If you have more than one monkey, less social time is necessary. Many monkeys are happier living with others of their kind. If you can afford more than one, they'll live happily together in the same cage. Hitting or yelling at a monkey will cause him to become afraid of you. It's also completely ineffective if you want to control your monkey's behavior. Remember that monkeys are wild, and they simply can't be trained to do exactly what you want them to do. From time to time they'll exhibit behaviors you might not like. Punishing them will only hurt your relationship. The best way to deal with negative behaviors is to make sure the monkey isn't lacking something that he needs to be content. Does he have enough stimulation every day? Is he getting plenty of exercise? Are you playing with him enough? Monkeys that are afraid or agitated might bite from time to time. Again, you can't deal with this by punishing the monkey. Instead, get to know his moods and learn to leave him alone when he might be in the mood to bite. It's not a good idea to take your monkey out in public, or invite people to your home to play with him. Monkeys are too unpredictable. Your monkey can get taken away in an instant if an accident happens. If your monkey so much as scratches someone, an Animal Control officer has the right to confiscate him to test him for rabies. When exotic animals are confiscated, they are often euthanized, since there is no law requiring a quarantine period for exotic animals (as there is for domesticated animals like cats and dogs). If you have to go out of town and leave the monkey in someone else's care, make sure it's someone the monkey has met many times and has come to trust. Leaving the monkey with a total stranger could be stressful for him and lead to dangerous consequences. Say his name when you feed him or offer them a toy, so he'll begin to learn it. When he responds, give him a treat and praise him. Teach him commands by showing him how to act. For example, if you say "dance," start hopping around and dancing. When he learns a trick, give him treats and praise him.

SUMMARY: Give the monkey plenty of toys and stimulation. Play with the monkey every day. Never punish a monkey. Do not let the monkey play with strangers. Have fun communicating with your monkey.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: It won't help if you decide to have the conversation right after you've both had stressful shifts at work. It's ok to put it off for a couple of days so that you can approach the conflict when you're both rested and rejuvenated. It can be easy to avoid talking about something for too long. While this may seem acceptable at the time, it will hurt the relationship in the long run. Don't sweep everything under the rug, even if she's ok with it. A healthy relationship is worth the work. Most of the time, texting or sending a message over social media isn't the best way to go when the issue is serious. Do not demand you speak to her. This sets up the talk as a combative one; Instead of going into it vulnerable, you will both have your defenses up. Never make it sound like you've put an ultimatum on the conversation. When you bring up the possibility of talking about the issue, give her a way out so that she can refuse if she needs more time. Girls often see this as a must when entering into conversations that deal with conflict. They want to see that you're willing to let your guard down. If you don't know what to apologize for after genuine self-reflection, ask her what it is you've done to make her mad.

SUMMARY: Plan the talk at a calm time for both of you. Give her a call. Apologize sincerely.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Don't avoid the subject. Before you have the talk, take some time to think about where you stand on the issues. For example, ask yourself if you are comfortable with teens having sex. If not, think about how you will encourage abstinence. You can also think about whether or not you believe in birth control for teens. Let your teen know that you are happy to talk to them about sex. In fact, you can even initiate a conversation. You could say something like, "Lauren, since you're heading to college, I wanted to talk about ways to practice safe sex. Is now a good time?" You want your teen to know that they can come to you for help and support. In order for communication to work, you need to be honest. That doesn't mean that you have to reveal your entire sexual history to your teen. It just means that you should be prepared to answer questions like, "Did you wait until you were married to have sex?" If you're honest, you're providing your teen with helpful information that can help them make good choices. Your teen might also ask things like, "What should I do if I'm feeling pressured to have sex?" or "Can I get pregnant from oral sex?" Your teen might not feel comfortable talking to you about sex. That's normal! Just make sure that you encourage them to get educated about safe sex. If there is an optional sex ed class at their school, encourage them to sign up. If their school doesn't offer that, check with your local community center or hospital. They might have some community classes. You might also need some more information yourself. You want to be informed when you answer questions. Check out Planned Parenthood's site, or ask your doctor for some current literature. And don't hesitate to head to the local library! Make a point to know who is in your teen's life. If they are dating, ask them to introduce you to their partner. You can also ask your teen questions like, "You and Katie seem to be getting serious. Have you two talked about sex?" If you have any concerns about the relationship, talk to the teen about them. Try not to be judgmental. You don't want your teen to feel embarrassed to talk to you. For example, don't say, "Oh, you're not really in love. You're just a kid!" Share concerns instead of judgments. Say, "It worries me that Tom seems a little controlling. How do you feel?" instead of "I hate Tom."

SUMMARY:
Examine your own values and attitudes about sex. Encourage open communication. Answer questions honestly. Emphasize education. Monitor your teen's relationships.