tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23020174.post5548654287735441790..comments2023-12-02T05:36:17.832-05:00Comments on Sexuality and Religion: What's the Connection?: “Click” reproductive services back into our healthcare (and education)!Debra W. Haffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03018331891805010135noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23020174.post-86240422279866182202009-08-06T10:33:58.306-04:002009-08-06T10:33:58.306-04:00As a pre-k teacher I've had the "joy"...As a pre-k teacher I've had the "joy" of addressing "good touch - bad touch" and what body parts it's not ok to show in class while walking on eggshells trying not to teach anything parents don't want their 4-5 year olds hearing. We have had some kids in the class get very exploratory about their (and each others) bodies. A certain level of curiosity about bodies is appropriate for this age, but the way they express their curiosity seems to directly correlate to their ability to speak about their bodies using actual terms rather than the variety of misleading slang terms for body parts. I agree with those who say it should be the parents job to determine how much their child is ready to know, but parents have to teach what their kids are ready to hear, or it will fall to someone else (which often as not means peers who don't really know what they're talking about). Also, resources need to be available for children and parents to explore together, when the child is ready to learn. By excluding "private parts" from educational materials we aren't helping children or parents, or teachers who are trying to provide appropriate expressions for curiosity about bodies without offending parents.Rebolokehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14596517608366115894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23020174.post-7213196539899532472009-07-23T21:50:12.665-04:002009-07-23T21:50:12.665-04:00Kate, my suggestion is that you go public about it...Kate, my suggestion is that you go public about it. Write a letter to your local paper. Do you have local bloggers? Tell them about it. Email all your friends -- and the parents of your son's friends. Yes, some of them will be shocked but I'd bet more of them would be as concerned as you are. Who's in charge of the library, I mean really in charge, a library board? Write to its members. Let the Friends of the Library know too.<br /><br />But first, speak with the children's librarian and/or the reference librarian, whichever you think made the decision to do things as you describe. I can imagine this resulting from a default in the program that was never overridden and I can imagine it resulting from a lower-level librarian making a decision without running it by the library director.<br /><br />Your community actually has a chain of command at the library. It's useful not to go over people's heads unless you have consulted them and had no joy, then go up the ladder a notch. Your local politicians are not supposed to be involved in censoring the library, but the council (or whatever it is in your community) may be the director's employer and are thus responsible for these decisions.<br /><br />I'm not a First Amendment junkie, but I don't think "community standards" of obscenity are legal these days. In this century, simple body mechanics shouldn't be an obscenity issue for anyone.<br /><br />In response to Cassandra. There's a difference between wearing clothes and having the right to learn about your body. Learning about hygiene is a good enough reason for a four-year-old to learn about his penis. If you've been around many animals, you may have noticed they need no instruction from books to know what to do with their penises. A reference book never corrupted anyone.Diggitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16416825000872117152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23020174.post-49503340786044699562009-07-23T13:27:42.215-04:002009-07-23T13:27:42.215-04:00Cassandra, including reproductive organs in a chil...Cassandra, including reproductive organs in a child's game such as the one Kate describes doesn't mean the game teaches about sexuality. But by not including all parts of the body, the game sends a message that some body parts are shameful. As for why we keep them covered, well, that's partly because we are socially conditioned that way (rightly or wrongly). But I would just as soon people keep their bellies and feet covered as well -- not because there is anything "private" about them, I would just rather not see them!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23020174.post-49927498608389829402009-07-23T11:29:28.784-04:002009-07-23T11:29:28.784-04:00Sure, we have reproductive organs, but why do we k...Sure, we have reproductive organs, but why do we keep them covered? Why not just let them all hang out? It isn't that reproductive organs aren't to be discussed. As a parent myself, I would want to discuss this when *I* feel it is appropriate based on my child's awareness. I appreciate the library would respect that I am my child's primary educator and allow me to decide when to discuss sexuality with my child since every child is different.Cassandranoreply@blogger.com