Recently just in our local schools we have had teachers convicted of molesting students, pedophilia, soliting sex from under age children of both the same and opposite sex, maintaining illegal images on their school computers, photographing students in bathrooms, having babies by students, and no end of other disgusting sexual practices.

My children first learned about sex at home from me because I figured if they got any hang ups, I wanted them to be mine. I tried to keep them out of sex ed in the schools, but the teachers made such a big deal of it, they were embarrassed and I gave in.

As I said, some of the teachers I trained with for teaching sex ed seemed to get gratification from graphic sexual discussions. The discussions in the training programs were downright lewd. It was an eye opener. Of course the internet is a very bad place to learn about sex, but maybe kids should learn from their parents and each other as they always have.

If I had it to do over, I would not succumb to peer pressure as I did and I would keep my kids out of sex ed. But that's just me.

smile

[ January 26, 2006, 08:25 PM: Message edited by: smilinize ]

I have a funny story about the sex education in school. When they began it my youngest son came home and said, "now they're talking about sex, all the girls were giggling mom it was so dumb." My eldest(5 years older)says, "heck they always do that, just do like I did. Listen with one ear, think about football practice and smile alot. It'll be over before you know it."

[ January 26, 2006, 09:17 PM: Message edited by: chatty lady ]

From christmas trees to sex ed... it is excellent how we can broaden discussions.. My best friend and i were walking home from school in grade 4, and she proceeded to tell me about sex, and she used the biggest swear word possible in her description.... I was shocked and so angry that she would imply such a terrible thing about my mom and dad, i called her a liar, and i dont know who threw the first punch, but we had one big fight, ending up on the ground just battling it out....
After someone broke us apart i marched straight home to confront my mother .... needless to say i was stunned when she somewhat confirmed this horrible state of affairs...... (but she did give me a different word to use for what appeared to me an obvious abominable form of behavior.)

How times have changed..........

[ January 27, 2006, 03:29 AM: Message edited by: norma ]

I have had two daughters graduate from private Christian schools and one I home schooled through Junior High then she went on to alternative school. The one graduating from alterntive school is the one having all the problems with the law and her own choices.
The two oldest are doing great and have had their seasons of sowing wild oats, but the youngest still struggles and is promiscuous.
I can't begin to judge any one of my three daughters.
I just look at life as boot camp for eternity. One of my pet peeves is the person who gets into the blaming game. "If I had just had different parents", or "I was abused as a child." I trully am sorry for those experiences, but I still feel that as a diamond isn't at its finest until shaped and honed and cut, so life goes.
When my children were in sex education or health class...they came home and told me what they learned, then I calmly sat with them and explained 'our' point of view and pointed out the error in what was taught to them.

When my children were in kindergarten I showed them the cartoon "Where Did I Come From?" We also have the book which I read to them before showing them the cartoon. I wanted them to know the basics instead of the silly things I had heard on the playground when I was small. Like Number5 whenever they came home from school to tell me what was discussed in sex ed., we'd talk about what was incorrect. I was appalled that in fourth grade sex ed., in a Catholic school the teacher told them that "women do not get sexually aroused." Where does this incorrect and needless information fit into sex ed??
In high school it wasn't the teachers getting off on the sexually graphic nature of the class but the students asking the graphic questions themselves. This is according to what my daughter told me about last years health class. There are a few areas of sex ed. that a parent can discuss at home with your children as I did and still do with mine. In the fourth grade my kids asked me a question about homosexuality that appalled me but I felt I needed to correct. I never thought I'd have to be answering such a question but it was brought up by one of the other children on the playground.

Parents should'nt blame themselves if a child makes a bad choice. We can give them our best and fullest attention and hope they listen but society can affect them too. Unfortunately sex is pervasive and brought out in demeaning ways. I think every parent here is doing the best that they can but in the end our children make their own choices. We can't be there every minute of their lives.

We had a Planned Parenthood organization wanting to locate here in our town. A large group of parents protested it saying they only promote abortion. The Planned Parenthood organization itself said they offer other alternatives and counseling for troubled teens. Other parents felt the organization should be allowed to locate itself here. They also felt that the protestors were naively assuming their own children didn't or wouldn't need the services of Planned Parenthood.

This was the first year I can remember that our hospital did not have the traditional Christmas tree in our atrium. Our new Community Relations VP thought it was not "politically correct". Boy, did she get an earful from employees. She relented by having a tree put up downstairs outside an elevator that most people never use. It was tucked in a corner with only a few ornaments decorating it. It made me feel sad to see it tucked away in a corner as though it was being punished. At home we had a Christmas tree!

Heres a question....ever since I've been alive and for more years that can't be counted before my birth, we had a Christmas tree as did everyone else unless Jewish etc....My question is: WHEN DID IT BECOME POLITICALLY INCORRECT TO DO SO and who the heck had the nerve to change that, who and how did they get away with it....tell me that would someone please? Who is this devine shephard leading us all, his flock of blind, deaf and dumb sheep?

[ January 29, 2006, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: Dotsie ]

When my daughter was in high school (not too many years ago)the health teacher brought in a banana and put a condom on it, in front of the boys and girls.

In my opinion, this is not sex education (how did boys learn how to use these things before the demos??). What the schools should do as part of their health and/or biology curriculuum, is teach reproduction. When they teach animal reproduction, do they show the animals doing it? Do they talk about whether the animal enjoys it? They should teach the science of egg and sperm and how they get together, in a scientific way and then end it!!
Since Adam and Eve were created, thousands of years ago, people seemed to know what to do and how to do it!!

[ January 27, 2006, 08:35 PM: Message edited by: Bluebird ]

They also use the bananna demonstration here too Bluebird.

I agree that all the "other" things brought into sex education aren't necessary.

My kids caught a little of everything for sex ed…

When the kids were young I bought a Christian based book about sex that I felt encompassed the facts and values that I agreed with. As each of them was old enough I gave them the book. My daughter and I read it together. The boys wanted nothing to do with sex and Mom in the same room so I let them read it on their own and made it clear they could ask Dad and me anything…they asked nothing.

My oldest went to a Catholic HS where sex ed. was taught in 9th grade. The school held a parents’ night to go over the curriculum before the course started. I objected to the fact that EVERYTHING was taught coed, that boys and girls should have some class time with only their own sex to discuss the more personal aspects of anatomy and sexual encounters. I am far from a prude, but was very uncomfortable watching the videos and other materials with men other than my husband. How can we convince our kids to be modest with the opposite sex while forcing them to sit together to look at sexually explicit videos? It seemed to me a very confusing message for teenagers. I was totally shot down by the teachers!

I regret that I gave in so easily and kept my son in the class. I wish I had pulled him. As it turns out, he was given the same curriculum during his catholic confirmation classes.