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Page 24 THE HERALD Wednesday May 8 1991 Community Youngsters need discipline By LISA BOONSTOPPELPOT The Herald Hundreds of parents and teachers packed the cafeteria in Acton High School Thursday night to be irritated by interna tionally parenting speaker Barbara Coloroso of Colorado And they loved it My goal here tonight is to ir ritate you Ms Coloroso said in her opening comments to capacity crowo I want to you about what goes on your home when you prevent kids from thinking for themselves What Ms termed ir ritating was clearly found stimulating and thought provoking by the who all paid to hear her deliver her presentation called Winning at Parenting Without BeatingYourKids Ms Coloroso was invited to speak in Acton by the Speakers Series Committee a group of who realized the communi need for information about parenting Committee members Bill Taylor Ken Ellis and Dave Jones established a speakers series several years ago an in ternationally known speaker on parenting would be invited to speak in Acton This is the third time Ms Col has flown from her American home to speak to Acton parents and each time the even ing has sold out well in ad vancesaidMr Taylor The thrust of her speech was to inform parents how to teach young people to be responsible for their own behavior and learn ing We have to teach kids how to think not what to think she said We have to let them start making decisions early so by the time they leave home they can make decisions and cope Letting children make their own decisions is one aspect of discipline said Ms Coloroso who urged parents to discipline their children rather than punish them for their mistakes She explained that punishment is adultoriented requires judge ment arouses anger and resent and invites more conflict But discipline she said shows children what they have done wrong gives them ownership of the problem gives them ways to solve the problems theyve created and leaves their dignity intact The easiest way to discipline is to say I will not treat a child in a way I wouldnt like to be treated she said Some of the common mistakes parents use to control their children include bribing using aggression and sulking she said She asked the audience how many times they as parents and teachers had told children if you do this if you behave or if you get good marks weJl give you a reward After numerous hands Barbara Coloroso went up in the air she said brib ing bothers me We are saying to our kids that school work and behavior is so hard we have to bribe you to leam it she said She also touched on the light side of parenting including the in evitable sex talk between parents and children Her advice is to go for a with your child down Hwy and talk That way both of you cant escape and you dont have to make eye con tact Anger was another topic she approached with humor while leaving an important message for parents She asked the au dience how often when they felt angry did they call their children by their full names and joked with them that they spent nine months lovingly coming up with a name for their child which they only used when theyre angry She concluded her presentation with the thought how todays children grow up is important because they will be the ones making the decisions and taking care of others when theyre adults and the parents are the ones who need to be taken care of I think her talk was fan tastic said Mr Taylor after hearing her speak As a parent as well as a teacher I find a lot of what she suggests make sense It makes me take a step back and think what is the best action I can take in the long run when Im dealing with my children He has already invited her back to speak again but she wont be in Acton for another three years because thats how far ahead she is booked for speaking engagements When Robert Louis Stevenson wrote his poems for and about children he stated that going Up on a swing in the air so blue is the thing a child could do That may have been true at the time Mr Steven son but today a swing is outrank ed by a hot air balloon And when the children of Acton come back In June to celebrate their heritage a balloon will be waiting in Prospect Park Of course the swings will be there too but the balloon is only for the Back to Acton Days celebration June Other airborne entertainment planned is the remote control planes and helicopters This adept group of enthusiasts will amaze the uninitiated with their daredevil flying feats For those who prefer being earth bound the classic cars will assemble again this year along with an am bulance a fire department vehi cle and the Crime Stoppers van Everyone will have a chance to meet some of the local folks who are dedicated to the health and safety of Acton Watch out for the bad guys from Georgetown Theyll be on the grounds this year For the dedicated fishermen Fletcher Sports will hold a tour again this year Mr Flet cher will be on hand the entire time for the benefit of amateurs who do not know the difference between a bass and a carp He will also be glad to point out the differences between fish and remote control boats The boats will not qualify in any division of the tournament so please do not try to land these with your rod and reel This years live entertainment will include Black Bart challeng ing all comers hes still the champ in Acton our roving clowns and the Acton Citizens Band The Acton Square Dance Club will also be performing For the young at heart the danqe Saturday night will feature local talent popular with the teens in this area Tiie participating service clubs are The Lions and The The Athletic Associations involv ed include Te Swim Club Soccer Club Acton Sabres Acton Tan ners and The Halton Hockey School Local church groups will be contributing to the days ac tivities As usual the Olde Hide House will be a major source of support behind the scenes and the Chamber of Commerce will be active visible and aromatic Yes they will sponsor the Beef BarBQue again this year NORTH END 23 NISSAN 610 MARTIN ST 8784137 MILTON ONT OFFICE MAGIC FOR ALL YOUR OFFICE STATIONERY Gijelph St Gootflatown I Hill 85 PHOTO SPECIAL LOVE This workshop is about all kinds of We will explore whal wo are really seeking from love and loving relationships Please give us a call for more information FOR BOTH SINGLES AND Saturday June 8th Scotsdale Farm Georgetown The workshop f Is per person GST Incl Registration Please register by May 22 REGISTER Burtch Mozes Associates NOW North Halton District Scouting FLOWER SALE GREAT PRICES I Hanging Baskets Bedding Plants Sat May 11 9 am 3 pm THREE LOCATIONS Gordon Arena The Big Scoop Zellers Parking Lot Acton Back to Acton Days hoopla