DEAR HELOISE: I read your “freezing onions” hint to avoid crying all over them when slicing. I use another method that I have found successful: Wet a paper towel (or several) and place them beneath the onions when slicing. This eliminates the onion fumes that cause the tearing agony. I enjoy your column in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

• Joe S., in Chester, Virginia

DEAR HELOISE: To celebrate my children’s first Christmas, I traced their little hands onto balsa wood, cut them out, and painted them. I made ornaments out of them for my Christmas tree! Now every year, the kids can see how much they have grown, and they love it!

• Linda S., via email

Linda, I had a friend who did something similar on her children’s first birthday. She made wooden hands and painted the hands various colors over the years. She wrote the date in the middle of each wooden hand. She did this with all three of her children.

• Heloise

DEAR HELOISE: What is wrong with our schools? I understand that they no longer teach cursive writing, and some schools have stopped teaching geography. Instead of having “study hall,” why not use this time to teach geography? Let’s extend school hours to 8 a.m.-4 p.m. I feel like our children are being shortchanged when it comes to education. We’re falling behind in science and math, while kids in China, Russia, Vietnam and other countries are moving ahead. Now that the Department of Education has been gutted, how can we improve our schools?

• Ashley D., in Madison, Indiana

Ashley, the first place to start is probably with your school district. You need to start a grassroot protest with others who feel the same way you do about the “dumbing down” of education.

The underlying question is why? Why are students under performing? Why are certain subjects not being taught? Demand answers from the school board. Write to your representatives in Congress and ask them why they stand idly by while America’s education becomes so weak and unimpressive. If you stay silent, it will only get worse.

• Heloise

DEAR HELOISE: I’ve taught in schools since the mid-’90s, and on parent-teacher night, I always ask parents if they help their kids with their homework. Note that I said “help” — not do it for them. Parental involvement is essential, but no parent helps their children by doing their work for them.

• Mrs. W., in Washington