XN000022-1978-09-17 — Page 3

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1978

SOLUTION TO CHILD PROBLEM IN CARTOON

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THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF FIVE CARTOON BOOKLETS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE PRACTICAL GUIDELINES FOR THE HANDLING OF COMMON DOMESTIC PROBLEMS WILL MAKE ITS PUBLIC APPEARANCE ON TUESDAY (SEPTEMBER 19).

THE SERIES FORMS PART OF THE CURRENT COMMUNITY-WIDE CAMPAIGN ON FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES TO FORESTALL FAMILY PROBLEMS AND FOSTER FAMILY TIES TO HELP COMBAT SOCIAL PROBLEMS.

THE FIRST CARTOON BOOKLET IN CHINESE IS DIRECTED AT PARENTS AND CONTAINS PICTORIAL PRESENTATIONS OF POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO A NUMBER OF PREVAILING PROBLEMS IN CHILD-REARING.

ILLUSTRATED WITH VIVID CARTOON DRAWINGS, THE BOOKLET SPELLS OUT WAYS TO DEAL WITH CHILDREN'S PROBLEMS SUCH AS STEALING, LYING, FIGHTING, NEGLECT OF STUDIES AND ESCAPE FROM SCHOOL.

THE BOOKLET ALSO AIMS AT INSTILLING IN PARENTS A SENSE OF FAMILY RESPONSIBILITY AND GIVES GUIDELINES ON HOW TO HANDLE QUESTIONS ON SEX, AND IN THE CHOICE OF EDUCATIONAL TOYS AS WELL AS DESIGN OF BALANCED DIETS.

COMMENTING ON THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THIS CARTOON SERIES, MRS. HENRIETTA CHEN, CHAIRMAN OF THE FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE, POINTED OUT THAT IN LINE WITH THE MAIN THEME OF THE CAMPAIGN, THE BOOKLETS ARE PRODUCED TO PROVIDE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE REFERENCE MATERIAL SO THAT THINKING AND ANALYSIS OF ONE'S ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY COULD BE FACILITATED.

+RATHER THAN GIVING ANY PRE-CONCEIVED HANDY ANSWERS, THIS SET OF FIVE BOOKLETS IS BASICALLY A SERIES OF EXERCISES GEARED TO PROMOTE RETROSPECTIVE THINKING, WHICH, IN ITSELF, IS VITAL FOR THE DEEPENING OF ONE'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEEDS OF OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS, SHE SAID.

MRS. CHEN STRESSED THAT SUGGESTIONS CONTAINED IN THE BOOKLETS SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS HARD-AND-FAST RULES NOR SHOULD THEY BE CONSIDERED AS PANACEA FOR ALL DOMESTIC TROUBLES.

+THE INTRODUCTORY NOTE OF EACH BOOKLET POINTS OUT THAT THERE IS NO ABSOLUTE SOLUTION TO FAMILY PROBLEMS, WHICH, BECAUSE OF THE IR VARYING MODE OF OCCURRENCE, SHOULD BE CONSIDERED INDIVIDUALLY, SHE SAID.

+FOR

THE FIRST FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION CARTOON BOOKLET PARENTS+ WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM ALL CITY DISTRICT OFFICES AS WELL AS FROM DISTRICT OFFICES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES. COPIES WILL ALSO BE DISTRIBUTED TO PARTICIPANTS OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES ORGANISED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES.

RELEASE OF BOOKLETS FOR OTHER TARGET GROUPS WILL TIE IN WITH THE LAUNCHING OF RESPECTIVE MONTHLY PUBLICITY DRIVES.

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