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All of us who attended public schools were taught things that were meant to socialize us so we would fit into our society at large. Duh. Sally, Dick, Jane, and Spot were part of that! Nothing new there, except that now it is more inclusive. It was flawed before.
A book that simply says a family can have two mommies or two daddies is NOT teaching or encouraging anything about gay marriage or homosexual sexual practices. It isn't saying one is right and another is wrong. It simply explains that some families have two mommies or two daddies. It simply explains that some of the other children in your class could have two mommies or two daddies. Period.
If that book says that a family can have only grandparents and no mommy and daddy, or an aunt and uncle and no mommy and daddy, it is not saying mommies and daddies are unimportant or don't matter, or that they died or ran away, or were drug addicts so the grandparents got custody... or anything like that. It simply explains that some children live with their grandparents or an aunt and uncle. Period.
If that book says some children have step-sisters and step-brothers, it isn't explaining anything about divorce or death of a parent and subsequent remarriage and adoption of their children. It is simply saying some children have step-siblings. Period.
Uh huh. They cut the reading curriculum so they could teach about same-sex households. Right...
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Social engineering at it's finest.
You're hopelessly confused - social engineering is when people go to great lengths to deny that same-sex households exist. It's not 'social engineering to acknowledge reality. Quite the opposite. (apparently, you've somehow concluded that the definition of social engineering is 'anything I don't want taught')
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Legal or not, there are plenty of parents who do not believe same sex marriage is okay.
So? That's their problem, just like the clowns who can't handle the reality of evolution. Like I said elsewhere, people like this who are terrified of their children being exposed to reality are free to home-school or to send their children to some non-reality-based private school.
The public school system need not be in the business of pandering to folks who deny reality.
I can only tell you what my own parents said to me growing up in Greenwich Village back in the 50's. What do you say to a very young child? "Some men love other men". "Some women love other women". You do not need to get into the sexual aspect of this with a very young child. When I saw two men or two women holding hands or kissing each other, all I thought as a young child was that they LOVED each other, as did my own Mom and Dad. It was not until I was much older did I understand the sexual part.
You cannot shield your children from reality, especially in today's society. There are no gay couples in the neighborhood? Joey and his Two Moms did not live in isolation. There were other families all over the neighborhood. Joey was never going to play with other children? He was never going to talk about his Mom Lisa or his Mom Sue? He went to the same school as other kids from his neighborhood. These other children were going to hear or see both Moms. They did not have to READ it in a book.
Yes, it is about different types of families. It is a teaching experience about life.
While I understand the OPs concern this is a good opportunity to say "Honey you can do anything you want to do when you grow up" and let it go at that. Female empowerment sort of thing.
Exactly, why is the OP making this into such a huge freaking deal? Tell your young daughter that when she grows up she can marry anyone that she wants and leave it at that.
My daughter and SIL had new pictures taken of their Newborn and 2 year old son. As my SIL was taking down the old pictures of him, he said to my Grandson, "I am putting these away so someday your Wife or Husband can put them on the walls of your own home". Very sweet but just floored me his matter of fact attitude. Ah, those Millenials changing the world, for the better.
If this kind of attitude is imparted to very young children, they will think nothing of it when they can truly understand it. I grew up in Greenwich Village many, many decades ago and my own parents were also very matter of fact about sexual orientation. I knew from a very young age because I saw openly gay people all around me.
My 2 year old Grandson loves, loves, loves his Auntie "Aaaee" who is my older daughter. He is going to be the Ring Bearer at her Wedding to her Wife. Even his older in-law cousins (6 and 9) are not shocked and thrilled to be going to there Aunts Wedding.
If parents do not make a major deal about gay people, their children won't either. Children learn prejudice from the adults around them.
IMO, that is the source of the anger from the OP. They don't want their children to grow up with this simple matter of fact attitude. They want their kids to grow up seeing certain lifestyles as normal and others as abnormal, they want their kids to grow up prejudiced in the same way they are and freak out when they discover that may not happen.
Like exposing five-year-olds to information that parents don't want them exposed to because it is not age appropriate? You mean imposing your "point of view" in that very specific way that prompted the OP to start this thread?
By your own words, then, the school is prejudiced against parents. Call the ACLU. Parents rights are being violated. Oh ... wait ...
We have twisted words like prejudice so that they are tossed around in such a way as to distort their meaning.
I remember in 1st grade my teacher taught the class simple addition when I already knew multiplication. Should my parents have asked the teacher to ban teaching such low level stuff because I didn't need it?
Thank you, you've PROVED MY POINT. Your parents would have had EVERY RIGHT to discuss this with your teacher and find a more APPROPRIATE way for you to learn math. Perhaps another teacher, perhaps a tutor that would more APPROPRIATELY fit with your needs.
Why is this concept of AGE AND DEVELOPMENTAL APPROPRIATENESS so difficult to understand? Why are parents NOT PERMITTED to have control over their child's education?
Once you place your kid in a public school, you lose all rights to question what gets taught and when. A classroom of thirty 8 year olds is basically a mob, and combined with their parent(s), a bigger mob. There can be no agreement by such a mob as to what is appropriate. "Age-appropriate" is a ghost with no meaning to a diverse group of parents whose children differ widely in their abilities, development, and intelligence.
You have relinquished control to the State, and the State will determine what gets learned and when. You literally throw away your rights when you enroll your kids in public school and allow them to enter the building through that State owned door.
The solution is to home school or PAY FOR a private school that reflects your values and wishes.
Once you place your kid in a public school, you lose all rights to question what gets taught and when. A classroom of thirty 8 year olds is basically a mob, and combined with their parent(s), a bigger mob. There can be no agreement by such a mob as to what is appropriate. "Age-appropriate" is a ghost with no meaning to a diverse group of parents whose children differ widely in their abilities, development, and intelligence.
You have relinquished control to the State, and the State will determine what gets learned and when. You literally throw away your rights when you enroll your kids in public school and allow them to enter the building through that State owned door.
The solution is to home school or PAY FOR a private school that reflects your values and wishes.
Or if you have any subject you specifically don't want your child to learn, meet with the teacher when the year starts, let her know and ask that you be notified so your child can leave the room or stay home.
There is a reason why public schools have a set curriculum. If you don't like the curriculum then you can take it up with your local board of education. But I wouldn't hold my breath.
I'm not really understanding the controversy at all. It sounds like your daughter is being exposed to the fact that gay/lesbian people exist as well as same-sex marriages. I would simply answer her, "honey you can marry anyone you are in love with." and leave it at that. If she has further questions I would just say "sometimes two men are in love or two women love each other."
If parents hardcore object to this portion of the lesson I assume they don't support the existence of gay people, believe sexuality is a choice or don't think same-sex couples should have the right to marry at all. To me it seems like these parents are against the "normalization" of gay people. Should we never show images of interracial parents/families to children in school because some racist parents think it's morally wrong?
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