A week ago I received a notice along with a pamphlet of what my daughter will be learning the next couple of weeks in health class.
The majority of it I was quite upset with. My knee jerk reaction was to write a lengthy letter to the health teacher. I did just that. Then later tore it up. All I could think about after writing that letter was how I felt when my mother refused to allow me to participate in this particular class. I remember having to sit out in the hallway on the stairs until this class was over. I was the only student not allowed to participate in this class.
Obviously they go over the reproductive systems and such. They also talk about abstinence and briefly touch on condoms and how they do not protect you from all STDs and HIV/AIDS. It goes on to say in this pamphlet that birth Control pills mess with your period and they are not necessarily good.
After reading that, particularly the last part I was ABSOLUTELY floored. But at the same time, thought to myself that I am glad that I'm so open with my kids about sex. What about the children whose parents are not open with them? What exactly is this teaching them? That birth control is not good for you?
If this is what the school teaches them, I don't want them teaching my kids anything at all about sex and bc pills.
They are HUGE on abstinence and part of me thinks that is absolutely fantastic. However, I feel as though they need to be more realistic and teach the kids about ALL forms of birth control, not just abstinence and not half truths about birth control!
My feelings are, if they are going to teach children anything on this subject, then teach them ALL of it, not just part of it or half truths!
Sorry, I just needed to vent!
I agree.
My feelings are, if they are going to teach children anything on this subject, then teach them ALL of it, not just part of it or half truths!
I would want to be in this class taking notes so I could use them to continue the conversation at home. My DD would of course, freak out if I did..LOL
I somewhat agree! However, my sister is 24 and on BC and it stopped her from getting pg, but what I am told it messed her up more. I'm not sure about it all, but she said it complicated things other then just not getting pg. I don't know if she still takes it either.
Babs
Quoting Earth-Angel:
I somewhat agree! However, my sister is 24 and on BC and it stopped her from getting pg, but what I am told it messed her up more. I'm not sure about it all, but she said it complicated things other then just not getting pg. I don't know if she still takes it either.
Birth Control is suppose to stop you from getting pregnant. As far as messing her up more, how so? I'm not saying that Birth Control can not cause problems, however, not everyone reacts to BC pills such as your sister did.
Birth Control pills or the BC shot, should be given to a woman on a very individual basis. Me, I know not to take it for a variety of reasons, Migraines being one of them. However, that is an individual choice I made along with my Doctor. When Birth Control is prescribed it is up to the patient and Doctor to talk about risks and individual risks.
To out and say Birth Control is bad or messes with your cycle, is just plain half truth. For some women Birth Control has been great at regulating their cycles or lightening extremely heavy periods and even used to help with Endometriosis.
My 6th grader got a similiar memo when she had health.
She was SO upset with me that I agreed for her to take sex ed. She WANTED to be out of that class.
My husband and I chose to allow her because they were teach abstience only - which aligns with what we are teaching her. I think that it is OUR (me & DH) responsiblity to expand on the topic of sex, not a teacher.
Yes, we would LOVE for her to abstain but we are not naive to think that she will. We can only hope & pray. However, WE want to be the ones that she gets her info from.
Does that make sense....
I would talk to your child & see what they would prefer. You might be surprised - they might want to sit out.
Quoting Mom2ChelNJustin:
My 6th grader got a similiar memo when she had health.
She was SO upset with me that I agreed for her to take sex ed. She WANTED to be out of that class.
My husband and I chose to allow her because they were teach abstience only - which aligns with what we are teaching her. I think that it is OUR (me & DH) responsiblity to expand on the topic of sex, not a teacher.
Yes, we would LOVE for her to abstain but we are not naive to think that she will. We can only hope & pray. However, WE want to be the ones that she gets her info from.
Does that make sense....
I would talk to your child & see what they would prefer. You might be surprised - they might want to sit out.
All of it makes perfect sense to me. Like I mentioned in my first post I'm glad they are teaching abstinence as that is what I too teach my children. However that is not all that I teach them. They are told about all forms of birth control.
As for it not being up to the teachers. Mostly I agree. However, they are teaching them abstinence if they are taking it that far take it a few steps further. I am very open with my kids. Always have been and not just about sex. About everything. These days I feel as though parents need to be. What about the children whose parents are not open with them? All they are going to learn about sex in school is to abstain. That and a few other things from fellow students. I feel for them.
Also the misinformation about BC pills ticked me off. It was nothing but one fact and half truth. I'd rather them be honest with my child, than to falsely mislead them.
Sit down with your daughter and ask her how she feels about taking the class. If she wants to go I would let her and then use the class as a springboard to teach her further. Even before the class, show her the pamphlets and talk with her. Use it as a chance to further teach her about birth control. Explain to her that certain people are against birth control usually for religous reasons so they don't necessarily have all the information and what they do have may not be correct. They don't believe in birth control so why would they research it? This might help her understand some of the misinformation she's going to get. Good luck.
I agree with you also. They should teach all forms of BC.Teaching abstinence, is a very good thing, but the school should also teach other things. I have a 7th grade son and 6th grade daughter, both of whom are going through this class right now.The instuctor never said a negative thing about birth control.However they were told that certain things can make them less effective, and not every girl reacts to them in the same way. I am very open with the sex talk with my children, because they do hear wrong information from peers. Ask your daughter if she wants to take this class, and go with her reaction, my daughter did not want to take it until she found out, the boys were in a seperate class. Now my 7th grade son on the other hand didn't want to take the class this year because in 7th grade he learns solely the female reproductive system, he was embarassed. I talked to him and told him no it is important for a boy to know how a girls body and system work. I told him that I felt that both a girl and boy are responsiable for the birth control, and each should know how the others systems work. He was still not sure about this class, so I sat in on it, was he thrilled that mom was there more than likely but believe it or not I was not the only mom in that room, I took notes and later when he was home from schoolhe asked questions that he would never ask in front of his friends.At the end of the discussion my son said thank you mom. I said for what he said for making me a boy because being a girl is very hard work. Ah what a kid.
I would say let her attend the sex class and then you discuss what she heard and learned in the class every night when she gets home and then you go from there if there is anything else in addition to what she has already learned then you add that to it. I think schools shoul start sex ed in like 5th or 6th grade because by the time there in jr. high its too late most of them already have misinformation on sex.
Actually, this subject started in 5th grade health. This yr (6th) they are talking more about it. I got a similar letter and though she did not want to attend I thought it was necessary. She told me they talked about their reporductive organs, STD's and pregnancy as well as BC. Which all of this my DD and I have discussed before, so I think it was okay.
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on Jan. 14, 2010 at 10:11 AM