The Ontario Government has been kicking around the idea of starting sex educaiton in school as early as the first grade. First grade? That would make the kids 6 years old. Are they ready?
Well here's what I knew about sex when I was 6. Cheryll Ann Stepinski was better to look at than Eric Mendelson but Eric was more fun to play with. Not much talk about sex at that age. The big topic of the day was what you're mom packed in your lunch, tuna or peanut butter. The closest thing we got to a philosophical discussion was: "The Tooth Fairy, Truth or Fiction?" I struggled with that one but as long as some other-worldly creature was leaving money under my pillow I bought into it. The only time I thought about size was when I asked why they wouldn't super size a Happy Meal.
By grade 7 I knew Vagina was a state down in the US and I thought I was pretty smart because I knew there was also a West Vagina. A boner was a mistake. Semen lived on ships. A booty call was what I did when I couldn't find my galoshes. Erections happened every few years when my parents left my brother and I in the back seat of the car while they went in and voted.
My first brush with sex-ed came in grade 9. It was taught by the gym teacher who really didn't want to be doing it. He'd stumble through the names of all of our naughty bits but never did get around to telling us what they were used for. Grade 9, 13 years old, exploding hormones. Maybe that was for the best.
Back then we called it health class not sex-ed. Wouldn't have mattred what they called it, I failed that class. Yes, I was a failure at sex! Still am on occasion. Then again I failed every class I took in grade 9 except phys-ed. My friends nick named me "I-Q". I had an inkling then that University wasn't going to be an option. I wasn't going to do the family name proud by unravelling Einstein's unified field theory.
My parents never gave me "the talk". To them birds chirpped and bees buzzed and that's all you needed to know. If I'd been asked how I got here when I was in school I would have said.."by bus".
'Course with my kids it was going to be different. Being the young hip dad that I was I would provided them with the all the ammunition they needed for their sexual futures. Too late. What I got from both of them was..."yea I know, yea we took that in school, you know you really don't have to do this". My hipness took a pretty good beating.
I've always had the feeling that teaching sex-ed was about parents abdicating their responsiblities to the schools and the government. For the most part nature is going to take it's course. If not, humans would have petered out (oh behave) about the same time we figured out that rubbing 2 sticks together can create more heat that rubbing 2 bodies together. Not as much fun but fire will keep you warm when the relationship goes cold.
I've moved on since Cheryll Ann, my grade one heart throb. I'm glad we didn't learn about sex at that age. I'd probably be torn between buying her chocolates or taking to an oyster bar in search of the perfect aphrodisiac. At that age I was content with my Happy Meal. Super sizing could wait 'till I got older.
Hi Rick, Now I thought I had heard on the radio this morning that because there were so many complaints from parents about this idea that the government has dropped it. I'm a teacher (right now a grade 3 teacher) but I have taught grade 1 in the past. My response to this idea is "good luck trying to get ALL the students in a classroom to understand this one!!". My view on this is that it should be the responsibility of the parents to teach their own kids about sex-ed and those parents need to decide when is the right time to teach it to them...and be careful you don't have older siblings who like to flab their gums whenever and wherever and about whatever topic they feel like talking about, because younger ones will be listening in on any conversations going on.
I believe they're considering dropping it. Not sure if they've actually done it. I think we've handed over too many of our responsiblities to the government. Although I wouldn't mind discussions in high school about relationships, careers and financial planning. I know I could have used so guidance along those lines when I got out of school.
By the way what do you think the reaction of your students would be if they found you on f/b?
If my students found out I was on Facebook they would probably want to be my friend automatically. Now right now, my current students should not have a Facebook account (because of their age, but when a police officer visited our classroom a couple of weeks ago, we found out that some of them did have accounts). I just don't have the time in my life right now to be answering their every post that they put. Right now I play Webkinz (when I get a chance to play and I remember to play it) and my students think "WOW, my teacher has a Webkinz account"...and right off the bat they want to know my username, so that they can add me to their friends' list...especially when they see how much money and items I have in the game!!
Yes I agree about being taught more about financial planning in high school, didn't receive much of a lesson about money at all and now I have many regrets when it comes to money. I have been watching one particular show since last summer "Til Debt do us Part" with Gail Vax-Oxlade and it's a great show...I've learned lots. I got her book at Christmastime and it's a great read.