 Every year I dread the time when that piece of paper comes home with
my child (not mailed discreetly to me), asking permission to teach
my child something that I should have the right and privilege to
teach my kids when I think they are ready. If they still stay awake
as long as they can on Christmas Eve to catch a glimpse of a fat man
in a red suit emerging from our fireplace, they are not ready to
hear about how not to get knocked up.My stomach churns as I read
that permission slip because I know that even if we "opt out," the
kids whose parents are too chicken to broach the subject themselves
will be attending these classes and spewing their newfound knowledge
like a sexual volcano on the playground.
I am aware that even if there were no classes, there would be
some children who learn earlier than others and that those same
children might put some ideas in my kid's head anyway. But, in that
case, my child will have the choice to either ignore them because
they are not ready for it yet, or be curious and come to someone
safe (hopefully me) with their questions. But no, let's set them all
up in their little seats and force it down their innocent little
throats. When will society learn that there are some things that are
sacred?
A friend of mine told me that this insistence on teaching
children this material so young was part of the No Child Left Behind
Act. If that were true, and I don't really know if it is, there are
some of us who would rather their child take the next train.
Why is it so important to erase our children's innocence so
early? Can't we agree on a kinder, gentler approach to this? Even if
I "opt out," my child will be singled out for verbal abuse from
children who now think they know more than my child.
If school is all about learning and the system is set up to honor
those who have learned the most, why wouldn't a smart child want to
explore every facet of this new subject? The child who is no good at
math could excel in sex education if only there were another
12-year-old of the opposite sex willing to do some hands-on
exploring with them. There are many kids who, when told in science
class not to mix two chemicals together because they will explode,
will do just that to see if the teacher was correct. Why would they
act any differently with sex education?
[to top of second column] |
 Has anyone made the connection that before sex education was
taught to children by sterile, unconcerned, unrelated people in
public schools, the number and age of teenage pregnancies was lower?
High school biology is soon enough for a public school's
step-by-step tutorial on how to make a baby and the options
available if you just want to fool around. By then, most parents
will have covered the topic with their children when they were
ready.
In elementary school, kids are taught that growing hair in places
they didn't know they had places is a sign of maturity. Then they
immediately go out at recess and check each other for hair. And Lord
help the poor kid who hasn't grown a lick of hair yet. Within the
space of time it takes to sneeze, the entire school will know he's
still a "baby" because he doesn't have hair. Wouldn't that make a
child want to prove that he isn't a "baby" by doing something only
adults do?
As if these kids don't have enough challenges just transitioning
from one grade to the next, proponents of sex education have to
throw in their two cents. It's like they are saying, "These children
are totally screwed up already, let's see what they do with ...
this!" Then they watch the melee with glee as parents like me watch
in horror.
Woe to those who would protect their child's innocence until she
actually wanted to know how babies are made. It seems your only real
option is home-schooling.
[By LAURA SNYDER]
You can reach the writer at
lsnyder@lauraonlife.com
Or visit www.lauraonlife.com
for more columns and info about her books.
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