Just a quick post re parents getting uncomfortable about today's sex education.
My just-turned 13 year-old will relate some part of that curriculum to me and we almost simultaneously both go "oooooooh" as in "yicky" (or as my husband would say, "more information than I wanted".) The lessons are jointly to boys and girls and it seems there is quite a bit of "oooooh" on both sides.
They are taught that some 'practices' are 'normal'. Which is better, in my book, than teaching they are 'abnormal'.
I figure as she is comfortable enough to relate the episodes to me, and we can have a little laugh about it all (something I would never have done with my mother) then probably no harm done. Pulling her out of lessons to save hers and my sensibilities wouldn't be a better option.
But really, aren't some aspects of our sexuality just private?
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They teach the mechanics. What bothers me about sex education is they never talk about spirituality (because sex is mechanical not spiritual??) and yes, I agree with you - some aspects should forever remain private and not subject to open discussion or debate around normalicy.
My body, my choice.
As a bit of a prude, I'm uncomfortable with it, plus it all sounds to be transgressing firmly into parent territory.
Mind you, once the classes become interactive, then we'll be beyond worry.
Yes, some of it is, and should be, private.
The problem, as I see it, is that we are stuck between two false options. On one side you have the moralistic types who want to scare the hell out of kids about sex. On the other hand, there are those well intentioned who tell kids how to have sex and take precautions. Between those two I'd take the latter any day.
But, what is needed, is teaching kids how to make decisions about sex. But that they won't go into. A rational course on sex education would teach decision making and that means respecting others, taking responsibility for your actions, etc. It also implies, and this scares people, that the kids are going to be the ones who make the decision when and where they first have sex. No one wants to tackle that as adults prefer to feel they have some influence in the matter, when they have very little in fact.
I think a factually based program is fine, but I also think we need to teach kids how to rationally decide when they are ready to be sexual.
The problem with sex education of this type is that it wears down a young person's modesty, which then makes them far more vulnerable to early sexual activity. Personally, I'm not ok with that, so have pulled my boy out of the class. He gets to catch up on homework instead.
Kids today have everything laid on for them...back in the 70,s you hardly heard about the fun to be had with chickens and donkeys let alone see a video in class ;-)
last year at the local high school in my town there were twelve thirteen year old young ladies who got themselves pregnant.
Sex education in schools has been a great success.
Dirk
Modesty is not a stone that wears down. And chastity and modesty are not the same thing. Oddly the states in the US which promote abstinence tend to have some of the highest teen pregnancy rates around. And European countries with strong sex ed have some of the lowest rates.
While I previously said I would rather teach decision making and personal ethics, given the choice between no information to preserve this thing called "modesty" or the over teaching of sexual plumbing, I would much rather have the latter than the former. In the long run it does less harm.
Speaking of sex education, here’s a bit of an interesting tidbit I picked up today that I think you may also find a fun read: http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/showlink.aspx?bookmarkid=U3XC0NGC6TV7&preview=article&linkid=b538c764-2c73-4426-a1f9-5b396fcd59cc&pdaffid=ZVFwBG5jk4Kvl9OaBJc5%2bg%3d%3d
Cheers!
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