Thread: In Kindergarten?

We have been very intentional in how we teach our kids about sex. We do start talking to them in kindy. I just do not trust others to stay in line with what we are teaching. Call me sheltering or overprotective, I am okay with that on this subject

Well it did say that parents could opt out if they want.

I think learning anatomy is fine. And "reproduction" is vague. I think it's fine to talk about how babies grow inside their mother's bodies, but discussing the sexual aspect of it or childbirth is too much for 5-year-olds. It might be okay for a handful, but I can tell you my daughter (who is in kindergarten) would be disturbed by those things. My son has always defined his boundaries for us, and he STILL doesn't want to know the details of how babies are made. I don't think 5-year-olds benefit from knowing about sex, to be honest. It would have scared me at that age.

(Melis, I was a total late bloomer physically too! No period 'til 16.)

I am pro sex-ed for older kids for sure.

I think there's zero issue if parents can opt out, though.

Originally Posted by AlyssaEimers

Yikes! I have a kindergartner and I can not imagine this. Call me over protective all you want, but this is not a conversation I want anyone other than myself having with my girls at this age.

But this was another kindergartener educating all the others! I would much rather an adult have this conversation than another 6 year old.

ETA: When I was pregnant and subbing, it was the littles that wanted to talk about it most. And every once in awhile one would come out with something about how mommy (or aunt, etc) had a baby in her tummy but it died, or they would want to know how the baby got their, or how it would get out, etc. I felt uncomfortable having these conversations with them because I didnt know at what point a parent would think I had gone too far. I would have loved to have a curriculum to fall back on! But my point is that most kids know a little bit anyways, either from parents or friends, and they are curious, they want to learn. I would have no problem with my kids being given the appropriate information from an adult.

Originally Posted by ftmom

But this was another kindergartener educating all the others! I would much rather an adult have this conversation than another 6 year old.

ETA: When I was pregnant and subbing, it was the littles that wanted to talk about it most. And every once in awhile one would come out with something about how mommy (or aunt, etc) had a baby in her tummy but it died, or they would want to know how the baby got their, or how it would get out, etc. I felt uncomfortable having these conversations with them because I didnt know at what point a parent would think I had gone too far. I would have loved to have a curriculum to fall back on! But my point is that most kids know a little bit anyways, either from parents or friends, and they are curious, they want to learn. I would have no problem with my kids being given the appropriate information from an adult.

I do not have an issue with a child learning about sex when they start to ask questions. I do want to be the adult that talks to my girls about it though. Not much with my 5 year old, but with my 7 year old we read together a book made by American Girl that dealt with all sorts of issues that might be relevant to a young teen. We talked over any questions that she had. I do not believe this is an unhealthy approach. As time goes on we will address questions and issues as they arise. I do not want to hide information from my girls, but I do want to be their source of information. I am 100% ok with being called over protective in this situation.

I have no issue with it, especially if it's a program where the parents get invited along as well. My 2 year old DS has started asking for a baby now when he has seen me cuddling other peoples babies, so I have spoken to him about how babies have to grow in their Mummy's belly first and then they are born. Age appropriate and no harm done.

Some parents feel very uncomfortable discussing those issues, if I only had sex ed from my Mum my knowledge would have been what I could learn from Dolly doctor (a column in a teen magazine) and the book 'every woman' which was handed to me at about 13 and I was told to read it.

I really think that at that age -- 5 -- it's a lot about the individual kid. My kids are very clear on how much they want to know. They know they were both in my belly, but only once has one of them ever asked how the baby comes out, and when I started gently with "the doctor takes the baby out" the conversation ended. If they ask I'll tell them whatever they want to know. but they seem adept at defining their own boundaries in terms of knowledge.

We seem to have focused in on sex ed as making and having babies. Lets not forget that there is a lot more to it than that. This program they are planning will talk about healthy relationships, boundaries, good and bad touching.....etc. As I said, there seems to be a lot of chasing and kissing in DD's class. She is not into that at all. We only kiss our family at this point and she is not interested in kissing boys. She needs to know that if a boy corners her and forces her to be kissed that she has been violated and needs to tell someone. For her sake and the boys. As harmless as it seems to us as adults, a child who forces 'sexual' acts on another child can sometimes be a sign of abuse in itself. And I think it is really important to DD that she learn early that her body is her own and that it is OK to tell people what is happening with it. I will not always be around and if they are already talking about these things then hopefully she will be more comfortable talking to the other adults in her life. I would love to have this program here.

From the descriptions of what they're teaching, I don't really see an issue with it. We never did the whole "calling reproductive organs cutesy names" thing (that seems weirder to me - why do they need a little nickname???), and of course now that I'm having a baby, T has had a lot of questions which I've tried to answer in an honest and informative (but age appropriate) way, so having him go to kindergarten and hear that he has a penis and girls have a vagina, and that babies grow in their mommies bellies and daddies put them there and what not is not something that bothers me. He already knows that. I'm also fine with them reinforcing messages about inappropriate touching. That's a message that I think is important for kids to hear, and it doesn't bother me to have the school reinforce it.

For those parents that aren't fine with it, they can opt out, so I really don't see the issue.

Originally Posted by ftmom

We seem to have focused in on sex ed as making and having babies. Lets not forget that there is a lot more to it than that. This program they are planning will talk about healthy relationships, boundaries, good and bad touching.....etc. As I said, there seems to be a lot of chasing and kissing in DD's class. She is not into that at all. We only kiss our family at this point and she is not interested in kissing boys. She needs to know that if a boy corners her and forces her to be kissed that she has been violated and needs to tell someone. For her sake and the boys. As harmless as it seems to us as adults, a child who forces 'sexual' acts on another child can sometimes be a sign of abuse in itself. And I think it is really important to DD that she learn early that her body is her own and that it is OK to tell people what is happening with it. I will not always be around and if they are already talking about these things then hopefully she will be more comfortable talking to the other adults in her life. I would love to have this program here.

For some reason it won't let me "like" this post, but I thought this was a great point too.

Originally Posted by ftmom

We seem to have focused in on sex ed as making and having babies. Lets not forget that there is a lot more to it than that. This program they are planning will talk about healthy relationships, boundaries, good and bad touching.....etc. As I said, there seems to be a lot of chasing and kissing in DD's class. She is not into that at all. We only kiss our family at this point and she is not interested in kissing boys. She needs to know that if a boy corners her and forces her to be kissed that she has been violated and needs to tell someone. For her sake and the boys. As harmless as it seems to us as adults, a child who forces 'sexual' acts on another child can sometimes be a sign of abuse in itself. And I think it is really important to DD that she learn early that her body is her own and that it is OK to tell people what is happening with it. I will not always be around and if they are already talking about these things then hopefully she will be more comfortable talking to the other adults in her life. I would love to have this program here.

They already do that in our school, and I have no issue with it. I was only speaking to the part that said they'd talk about reproduction to the kindergarten kids....just don't want to scare any of them! I remember hearing about sexual intercourse at a very young age and finding the whole idea terrifying.