SEX EDUCATION @ 4 ?

[1sttimemum]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7489093.stm

I dont agree with this especially when they say its mandatory

 

[1sttimemum]

Yeah i will be very open with Caitlyn also.

I wouldnt say i got that much sex ed from home only that sex and your body os nothing to be ashamed of, i never got any stds or slept around and had caitlyn when i was in a serios relationship.

 

[beanie]

"Children aged four might be taught about the names of body parts and basic ideas about different relationships."

I wouldnt call that sex education as such I cant see that doing no harm ..I guess it depends how its approached ....but stlll I think parents should be more open about it ..not at 4 but a bit older .... sex was never spoken about in my parents house and I was never told about std`s and stuff...I had to learn it at school.

Off topic though I think they need to make sex education a bit more realistic when they are older and not just about making babies they need to show more about std`s and make young teens think about taking precautions...mind you sex education will start at home when seed is old enough

I agree, its hardly going to be about condoms and STD's at 4, just basic things like what their parts are called and that people can be in different relationships. Seren knows babies come from mummy's tummy and that is all she needs to know now, if she asks when she gets older I will answer her in an age appropriate manner. We have such a high number of teenage pregnancies, something has to be done. I was lucky, my parents were really open about it and would answer my questions.

 

[Becky]

I think that the right age is when a child starts to be curious about it.

Lucy is 3 and has started looking at and asking about her clitoris (What's that doing there mumy) so to start with I've told her that its just another part of her body and that all girls and ladies have them. She is happy with that explanation so I won't go into any more detail.

She has so far shown curiosity about boys and girls being different and occasionally talks about the differences between mummy and daddy and that she is like mummy. I am open about everything that she asks about but start with simple explanations and if she asks more I'll tell her. Sex and relationships are not taboo in our family and I don't want them to be.

Saying that, she isn't ready for "sex" education and I'm not sure she would be at 4. She hasn't even asked how the baby got into my tummy - she just accepts that its there.

In general I'm not against it, depending on the level of detail that they go into.

 

[Melanie]

I think 4 is a very good age for this actually. Its been proven that children who have been taught to correctly name their body parts and to understand the differences between adult/child relationships are less likely to become long term abuse victims because they know how to verbalise what is happening to them.
Maybe it shouldn't be up to the schools but the fact is there are thousands of kids out there who's parents are not open with them and are horribly embarrassed at using real terminology when taking to their kids. Children need to be educated as young as possible, thats the world we live in now a days whether we like it or not.
I'd hardly call those lessons sex ed anyway but generally speaking real sex education lessons need to happen earlier and be more in depth than they are now. There were girls in my class becoming mothers before we ever had a sex ed class, that's unacceptable. Whats worse is that it hasn't changed much in the 11 years its been since i left secondary school. The system is failing our kids and instead of parents getting on their high horses sounding off that their kids are too young they need to wake up and see whats happening around them. We have one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in Europe and its directly linked to our appalling sex ed lessons!

Ok i'll stop ranting now

 

[beanie]

I think 4 is a very good age for this actually. Its been proven that children who have been taught to correctly name their body parts and to understand the differences between adult/child relationships are less likely to become long term abuse victims because they know how to verbalise what is happening to them.

thats another factor. Abuse is more likely to happen in the home through family or family friends, and the amout of times I have heard it justified as "I was teaching the child about sex". Me and my partner have discussed this and she will be taught that there are certain parts of her body that are private and no-one else should be touching them.

 

[beanie]

I think that the right age is when a child starts to be curious about it.

Lucy is 3 and has started looking at and asking about her clitoris (What's that doing there mumy) so to start with I've told her that its just another part of her body and that all girls and ladies have them. She is happy with that explanation so I won't go into any more detail.

She has so far shown curiosity about boys and girls being different and occasionally talks about the differences between mummy and daddy and that she is like mummy. I am open about everything that she asks about but start with simple explanations and if she asks more I'll tell her. Sex and relationships are not taboo in our family and I don't want them to be.

Saying that, she isn't ready for "sex" education and I'm not sure she would be at 4. She hasn't even asked how the baby got into my tummy - she just accepts that its there.

In general I'm not against it, depending on the level of detail that they go into.

what you have done is what they are talking about doing. Its under the term "sex education"! but sex education isn't just about the act of sex.

 

[daftscotslass]

I think 4 is a very good age for this actually. Its been proven that children who have been taught to correctly name their body parts and to understand the differences between adult/child relationships are less likely to become long term abuse victims because they know how to verbalise what is happening to them.
Maybe it shouldn't be up to the schools but the fact is there are thousands of kids out there who's parents are not open with them and are horribly embarrassed at using real terminology when taking to their kids. Children need to be educated as young as possible, thats the world we live in now a days whether we like it or not.
I'd hardly call those lessons sex ed anyway but generally speaking real sex education lessons need to happen earlier and be more in depth than they are now. There were girls in my class becoming mothers before we ever had a sex ed class, that's unacceptable. Whats worse is that it hasn't changed much in the 11 years its been since i left secondary school. The system is failing our kids and instead of parents getting on their high horses sounding off that their kids are too young they need to wake up and see whats happening around them. We have one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in Europe and its directly linked to our appalling sex ed lessons!

Ok i'll stop ranting now

Totally agree. I think it SHOULD be up to the schools because, as you say, not every parent is confident enough to deal with such topics early on. Obviously if they feel strongly against it they can opt out. Being more open about the natural way our bodies work and relationships we have when children are younger will mean it's a million times easier and less taboo to broach the more complicated subjects when they're older.

My OH is from the Netherlands where they start from a very early age learning about bodies and relationships (including learning that not every relationship is man-woman). It says a lot that they now have the lowest teen pregnancy rate in Europe. They're very open about things, not overly so, but by the time they reach puberty they not only know what is happening to them but how their changing body will affect their lives in future.

It's often left so late in the UK that kids are hitting puberty and having sex before they've even heard the word condom. There were 2 people in my year at school pregnant before they were 16.

 

[Becky]

Me and my partner have discussed this and she will be taught that there are certain parts of her body that are private and no-one else should be touching them.

I see where you're coming from but how will she feel if she has a medical problems that needs to be examined? I ask because Lucy is on long term antibiotics which sometimes cause her to have thrush, this means I have to put cream on and the doctor sometimes wants to examine her.

To say it as black and white as that could cause more problems.

I think I will be more relaxed and say that no-one should be touching her anywhere or in anyway that she doesn't like. The last thing I want is for her to be embarrassed about going to the doctors.

 

[bunnymom1980]

There's been an overhaul recently of the sex and relationships curriculum.

The important thing about teaching kids as young as 4 about their bodies is so they understand things like privacy and about saying no if someone was being obscene IYKWIM.

I went to a talk at my sons school to find out what the kids would be told. At 10 they tell them about changes that will be happening to their bodies soon and about loving relationships, including same sex relationships. They are shown a video about sex and how babies are made but its done in a really sensitive way, not graphic detail.

 

[beanie]

Me and my partner have discussed this and she will be taught that there are certain parts of her body that are private and no-one else should be touching them.

I see where you're coming from but how will she feel if she has a medical problems that needs to be examined? I ask because Lucy is on long term antibiotics which sometimes cause her to have thrush, this means I have to put cream on and the doctor sometimes wants to examine her.

To say it as black and white as that could cause more problems.

I think I will be more relaxed and say that no-one should be touching her anywhere or in anyway that she doesn't like. The last thing I want is for her to be embarrassed about going to the doctors.

I said that not Melanie, and I was typing whilst feeding so don't bother writing reams as it takes ages Obviously its not black and white and I am aware of how it should be approached. the same way with secrets,I will expalin that secrets are meant to be fun i.e. a surprise party but if anyone tells her to keep a secret that makes her feel sad, scared etc then she can come and tell me or a teacher etc and that is the right thing to do

 

[Becky]

I said that not Melanie,

Ooops!! Sorry - I should have paid more attention when editing the quote!!

and I was typing whilst feeding so don't bother writing reams as it takes ages Obviously its not black and white and I am aware of how it should be approached. the same way with secrets,I will expalin that secrets are meant to be fun i.e. a surprise party but if anyone tells her to keep a secret that makes her feel sad, scared etc then she can come and tell me or a teacher etc and that is the right thing to do

Ah yes that's how I'd approach it too, I think the more open children are encouraged to be the better.

 

[purple13]

let's face it, the headline has been titled 'sex education at 4' cos it sounds controversial that way. 'teaching children the names of body parts' doesn't sound nearly as exciting

 

[zebrastripes]

I'ts not like they are getting them to spell "syphilis". In Sweden they have that sort of sex ed from age 5 and they have the lowest rate of teenage pregnancies.

On saying that,I didn't get pregnant because I didn't know where my foo foo was. I always took precautions....but that's another story....