The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

~~ Page 12 = Halton Hills This Week, Saturday, May 1, 1993 — CLEANING rs expire Ma 1, 1993 AND WATER RESTORATIONS ACTON 77-2320 cxoncerown ACTION GUARANTEED ~ Parents should question expert advice by Rosaleen Garneau Special Sharon McKay, local resident, | author and broadcast editor of Today’s Parent magazine, spoke to about 40 parents at the Annual General Meeting of the Holy Cross Parent Teacher Association. McKay presented an informative, yet humorous talk while giving a new slant to the familiar topic of child safety. She began by saying she was “not in the role of telling you (the parents) how to raise children. It’s up to you.” She cautioned the lis- teners to always question people who proclaim expert status on any subject and to be wary of statistics which are often misleading. McKay used the.example of the Missing Children’s Registry in Ottawa. It registers a child each time they run away from home, so that a child who leaves home 10 times in one year is registered 10 separate times. The validity of statements such as “60,000 kids in Canada go missing a year” is, . therefore, questionable. There is also a tendency to transplant American statistics here which are not accurate in Canada. She also says the nature of media reports concerning child abduction distorts our notion of what poses the greatest threat to ildren. When a child goes missing we learn everything about them yet | whiéf children die in fires we only | hear things such as: Three children “set aside stranger abduction and re-focus”. She. stated that since 1969 only 36 children in Canada have been stranger abducted and noted that between 19: i two thirds of the child murders (54 a year) were committed by par- ents, 2% by strangers, and that fires and vans are the major causes of injury and death. Vans are dangerous because it is difficult to see children when backing up and they are often injured at the bottom of driveways. According to McKay, Canada fluctuates between the highest and second highest fire rate death in the world and that smoke detectors are the “major invention of the 20th century in terms of safety”. When discussing the prevention of sexual abuse and street-proofing McKay made it clear that she con- siders giving the child the self- confidence and decision making capabilities to resist persuasion, along with open family communi- cation, to be the ‘most important factors in protecting children. She also suggested to parents that rather than tell their children Not to talk to strangers, whom they may need to help them sometime, they should equip the child with the resources to choose whom they will ask for help. McKay recom- mends parents tell children if they are lost to seek a parent (prefer- ably a mom) with small children. She said, “In my experience peo- ple who already have children don’t want another one”. The reason she gives for choos- ing a mom rather than a dad is to protect men, who are very easily accused of wrongdoing in inci- dents involving children. For the reason, she told men in the audience to avoid touching any lost child they may find. McKay has written two books covering various aspects of child safety. “The New Child Safety Handbook” and “The New Parent Survival Handbook”. Both are available locally through Oxbow Books, 102 Main St. S., Georgetown. She and her husband, Dave Macleod, are parents of two chil- dren and in response. to their own frustration at finding a reasonably priced gift for children they have created a book, “Chalk Around the Block”, which is now in Coles Bookstores and is sold with a package of oversize chalk in vari-- ous colors - all for about $10. Soon to be released by this versa- tile author, is a cookbook called “Picky Eater”. McKay portrayed a real under- standing of children and their par- ents at Wednesday’s meeting, which was well-appreciated by the Parent Teacher Association. No doubt, her books will be found to be of equal value. ' are found dead in the home. These ‘Heat! olmgren, tl deaths are impersonalized and ‘manslaughter in the death of a six-m : somehow seem less important than ssault of a 6-1/2 month-old girl, appeared in Ontario an abduction.” ivi i afternoon to set a date for McKay says it is necessary to ee ARTHUR F. J NSON & Het ASSOCIATES LTD., Rl LTOR Find out what your ho me will sell for at NO COST or OBLIGATION ! Bus. (519) 833-7430 1-800-267-7430 : Pin! Res. (519) 855-6578 24 Hour Pager BOB WILLARD Not intended to solicit property already listed for sale Sales Representative’ THE VALUE IS HERE . Approx. 2800 sq. ft. on just under an acre, wonderful eat-in country kitchen, formal livingroom with 12 ft. ceiling, huge family room with stone fireplace plus walkout, 2 1/2 car garage. Spectacular panoramic views. This beautiful country home must be seen. For more info. please call Bob Willard*. 93-2-219 100 ACRES OF HORSE COUNTRY! \ Now’s the time for a new Armstrong floor. Act now and take advantage of exciting cash rebates direct from Armstrong. You can'save up to'$100 (based on an average purchase of 25 square yards of Armstrong Best flooring) or even more when you choose one of these selected Armstrong floors. No severance taken, 2 pole bams, 10 stalls, water and lots of pine, fireplace in combination living room/dining room, mucho hydro, bank bam with new roof recently. Farmhouse ren- ing. Backyard fully fenced. Check this lot size - 66 x 165. Asking a modest i ovated plus addition, pond site. Asking $499,000. Please ‘$161,900. Come see with me Bob Willard". 93-2. call Bob Willard*. . 93-2-490 meneame "YOU GONNA LUV DIS ONE” Pustic2 home inthe Vilage of Erin, Wondertul lage family room, Designer Solarian II Save $4 per yd’ Visions’ Solarian” Save $4 per yd? Offer Valid this month only. Hi 26 GUELPH ST. Quiet family strat, 3 bedrooms up, one down. Walkout to 8' x 12' GEORGETOWN deck, pine plank floors, finished . Dr rec room with board and batten : B. (RN : 877-9896 wainscotting, beautiful landscap- "DIVISION OF HALTON FLOOR FASHIONS LT. 877-1666 ing. Village of Erin. Asking $156,900. Call Bob Willard*. 93-2-299 Offer Valid until May 31/93