It's time for growing and changing!
I have a fifth grader and in our district 5th Grade is the year students learn about their bodies and what's going to happen soon. I love the Growing and Changing classes, we should have them from K-12, not just in 5&9. I asked Q-12 about the classes last year, wondering if there was stuff he learned that we hadn't talked about. There might have been a few things, but it seemed like I got all the major issues covered, so I felt good. I asked if there were kids who knew more than he did in his class and he just rolled his eyes and laughed.
Me: You're kidding? Parents are always telling me how they don't need the growing and changing class for their kids because they've talked about it. Personally, I think if you want to exempt your kid from the class you have to be able to accurately label a diagram of the female and male reproductive systems.
Q-12: They don't tell their kids anything. I knew the most out of everyone. By a lot.
T-11: I don't think that's going to happen in my class. All the kids seem to know about it.
Me: Good, I hope people are talking about it with their kids. Puberty shouldn't be a surprise.
...one day later
T-11: You were right, those kids don't know anything. One didn't even know what sperm is.
(I knew it. Parents, do your jobs!)
I feel bad because there's one poor kid who's not allowed to take the class and the kids are under strict (and BS) instructions not to talk about it with anyone.
Me: You're kidding? Parents are always telling me how they don't need the growing and changing class for their kids because they've talked about it. Personally, I think if you want to exempt your kid from the class you have to be able to accurately label a diagram of the female and male reproductive systems.
Q-12: They don't tell their kids anything. I knew the most out of everyone. By a lot.
T-11: I don't think that's going to happen in my class. All the kids seem to know about it.
Me: Good, I hope people are talking about it with their kids. Puberty shouldn't be a surprise.
...one day later
T-11: You were right, those kids don't know anything. One didn't even know what sperm is.
(I knew it. Parents, do your jobs!)
I feel bad because there's one poor kid who's not allowed to take the class and the kids are under strict (and BS) instructions not to talk about it with anyone.