Sex Ed!

Posted by Vulnadia on Oct 16, 2008 at 10:35 AM It's time for Sex-Ed in health at school for my eldest- oh the joys of having a teen! Community Theater, Stage Work, Haunted Attractions, Renaissance Festivals, Writing, Directing,Acting, Sewing, Literature, Art & Music. He has been coming home all in hysterics over the movies they have been showing them in class, too. Apparently nothing much has changed since I was in school. The movies havent gotten any better, either. At least he doesn't have to sit through the one with Jan Brady in it.! But I am surprised that the folks in these new movies are teaching that condoms don't work as a form of birth control, which is confusing to me. Why in the world would anyone in their right mind want to discourage use of any form of birth control (all religion aside.) Then I found the leaflet sent out on the session telling the parents what would be included and taught. The whole, sign it if you don't want your child to take it thing (of course mine didn't even bother giving it to me because he knows and has been hearing about this particular subject for quite a while now.) But that leaflet does clearly state that it is to be an abstinence-based program. Which is okay, except that once we got into it, they seem to be anti-birth control. The main message is that it doesn't work. The movies are all depicting folks who have 8 kids, used used birth control, and still conceived. And, no, multiples were NOT in the mix....of course my child checked...for obvious reasons!Why? Because lets face it, we all know abstinence is a good idea in theory, but not very likely to apply in todays society. I really do not relish the thought of being a grandmother yet! I am one of those moms that thinks kids need to be taught to USE THE RESOURCES available to them in a given situation. I am also one of those weird moms that would like her child exposed to OPTIONS more than anything. I truly believe abstinence is great as a concept, but abstinence ALONE being taught is not the answer in my opinion. In a perfect world, sure it would be, but how the heck can you tell a bunch of 13-14 yr old boys that condoms dont work, making them think that they aren't even worth the trouble and effort. What is the purpose of parading a mom in front of them with 8 kids saying that she used birth control with every conception? That isn't a very good role model example, is it? I don't think so, after all, are they to think the birth control failed or did the user fail to follow instructions? Then the thought of a curriculum being taught that will tell little girls that birth control pills don't work at all either? Are they saying not to take them, that the doctor is wrong? Who should these children believe and trust? In todays society, telling them that something doesn't work is basically telling them that it's not worth the effort or bother on using these contraceptives in the first place! There are lots of kids out there who's families do not expose them to options. Some even condone sex at an early age (yuck & I am not one of them, but it's still out there, scary as it seems.) I worry that these kids simply won't know their options and will end up pregnant or married and miserable and doing who knows what to those babies! So, I now find myself having to discuss what is being taught with my child on a daily basis now since learning about the curriculum. Is anybody else going thru sex ed right now with your teen? What did you think of the program?What did you say to your child if you disagree with it?