Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Kids today

Recently a friend overheard some grade 5 and 6 students playing at school and tossing around the word "rape". Putting it on fb, it soon accumulated many comments about how wrong it was. A few more examples were thrown in of young kids jumping off of things in the playground and saying "I'm committing suicide!" Seriously!!!! What is going on with our kids these days? Are we too permissive. Are we not talking enough with our children on these subjects. It used to be just about drugs and drinking: "just say no!" Now we need
to educate our kids on abuse (of many different kinds),bullying, suicide,rape, and many other adult related topics. The fact is that many kids today KNOW a lot more than we did, as kids. With the media being so available to everyone, there is no filter for our kids. They hear what the adults hear. We need to prepare them. Avoidance is not really an option anymore because what they don't hear at home; they will pick up at school.  Education and information is key. We don't want to scare our kids so the TIMING is everything.


 I often think of the European countries where they consider the human body nothing to be ashamed of. It's everywhere( billboards, commercials) and kids see it from an early age. When they do see breasts (that most of us have fed upon...hello); it's not really a big deal to them.It's part of the human body that they have seen many times and have grown up believing that it is nothing to be ashamed of. It's not a secret! I find the more secretive we make things....the  more kids want to know about it. And really; they ARE finding out more and more all the time. Another example is the availability of alcohol in Quebec. Their attitude towards it, is a lot more liberal and you can buy it in the corner store. When I was there at 18 years of age, I thought this was great!!!! You can buy booze right at the 7/11! The kids in Quebec, however did not find this all that exciting. They had grown up with it and it was no big deal to them. There has to be some good lessons to be taken from that. Of course all these things cannot be introduced all at once.We CAN however start within the home.


 No topic is off limits in our house. If you are old enough to ask about it, then you are old enough to know about it.If they are asking.........then it means they already have "SOME" information on it. You need to find out if they have the facts straight. I understand that kids are growing up way too fast these days and we want them to have a happy healthy childhood; full of great kid-like memories.  But we also need to remember that we don't have control over a lot of things and burying our heads in the sand and avoiding the big questions because we "think our kids are too young for that" is not going to help anyone in the long run. TALK to your kids about it all. Keep the lines of communication open. That's all I'm saying!

2 comments:

  1. I agree with much of what you said, thought provoking as usual! The lines of communication are open and that is why I know what is going on, however, my kids don't need to watch 2 and a half men, family guy, jackass or Saw 3D and put that crap in their heads in order to feel we can talk....so I will continue to be a prude on a lot of media issues. Hearing something and getting a visual is very different too. Research shows that the younger kids are exposed to images the more permanently it burns onto their brain. Ultimately it's out of my control, but I can do my best to uphold the standards Stu and I have agreed upon. Ironically I think those photos of the human body are kinda creepy....somebody get those models some carbs...LOL
    There is no topic off limit for discussion in my house either:)

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  2. I am not looking forward to that aspect of parenting. Can't my kids just be wise by 10? Nice new look by the way.

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