Sex Ed in Kindergarten

I consider myself fairly progressive in terms of access to birth control, marriage equality, minimum wage, etc. But sex education in Kindergarten is where I draw the line. While many of today's children are growing up faster than parents would hope, lawmakers in Arizona have pushed for sex-ed in Kindergarten. Is there an age-appropriate form of sex instruction for five and six year olds?

In a recent airing of PBS Kids, four-year-olds were taught a lesson on sexuality, love and relationships. President Obama is also a proponent, citing it 'Is the right thing to do.' In the Netherlands, sex education begins in Kindergarten and part of the overall controversy surrounding this topic is whether or not kindergarteners grasp the topic of sex. After all, their comprehension and attention span stretch as far as juice boxes and cookies!

In a recent airing of daytime television program The View, the hot topic was Sex Ed in Kindergarten. The panel was split on whether or not an introduction to the birds and bees at this age is beneficial. Should we leave it to the schools to discuss such a serious topic, or is this an area -- and age -- where parents step in, especially given the number of kids having kids later in life? Personally, I do not want my 5 year old learning about sex. However, The View proponent panelists brought to light some valid arguments. Perhaps this education is not speaking about sex per se, rather touching that is appropriate and inappropriate at home, in an effort to alert others if children are being violated. And while many parents - myself included - believe such controversial topics should be reserved for a more appropriate age, are we merely stigmatizing the topic? Perhaps if the curriculum is shared with parents beforehand and parents have the right to opt in or out, more would be accepting of the subject matter. Only time will tell...


-Leslie Osmond


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