Shouild Same-Sex Parents Be Featured In School Books?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10171005/Same-sex-parents-should-be-featured-in-school-books.html

Would this type of thing be beneficial to children as young as five, or only create confusion?

[Peter Pedant]

aog I have never called you a white supremacist.

I am shocked
shocked that it should even have crossed your mind

I know that if I were to call on you for tea with one of my black nephews, you would be the first to give a slobbery kissy wissy on the cheek.

niece I mean niece.... sorry

[Zeuhl]

/What could be more confusing to a child, to have brothers and sisters that have a different dads to themselves?/

who said anything about brothers and sisters with different dads?

you just made that bit up aog


/I have personally seen this happen/ (the voice of experience lol)

[kawakiri]

Perhaps the publishers could call the books 'Joe and Luke'?

[LoftyLottie]

I really do not think children of 5 have any problems with accepting most things. They do not have to understand in depth and they won't be traumatised by the thought of same sex parents in any way. Their parents might be though and this is where the problem lies.

[Baldric]

If the OPer is looking for a diversion, can I just remind him he has used my Dogs lack of a tail previously, and it didn't work then!

[Peter Pedant]

Adam and Steve....

[dave50]

How does a your child cope with growing with having two daddies or two mummies who sleep in the same bed? Do they get bullied at school? Has there ever been a study done? Or is that of secondary importance as long as the adults get what they want?

[LoftyLottie]

No they won't get bullied at school unless the parents of those who bully instill prejudices into their five year olds. 5 child old children are not naturally prejudiced - they learn from their elders. A sad fact.

[jim360]

In general lack of stability in a family is going to be confusing or even damaging for children. That much ought to be uncontroversial.

But also what ought to be uncontroversial is that children have to learn about the world around them, and their formative years can be very influential. If you teach a child that children of different skin colour, or parents of the same gender, or even people with visual disabilities, are normal or at least not to be frowned looked down on, then the child will not look down on or be suspicious of them. On the other hand, if the issue isn't addressed at all but left until later -- this is the sort of thing that leads to discrimination, or lack of comfort when spending time with people who are different.

Moreover, for all that you get offended at the idea that children are projecting their parents' homophobic views -- well, that's the sort of thing that does happen. A few years ago there was a massive fuss about an amputee presenter on CBBC. What seemed to happen was that children would ask their parents, "Mummy, was hasn't that woman got a hand?" and a lot of parents didn't feel at all comfortable answering the question. Is the child afraid of the amputee? No, just curious. The child will be afraid if the adult acts like there is reason to be. Conversely, if the adult had answered calmly then where would be the problem?

Like it or not, same-sex marriages are here to stay. The absolute worst thing we can do now is to try and hide this from our children and hope that it will all turn out OK. Instead we should teach them to be tolerant, accepting, and to keep their noses out of other people's family life.

[Zeuhl]

/Do they get bullied at school? /

dave50

I hope you are not supporting the rights of the bullies over those of their victims

[daffy654]

I was never bullied because of my mum being gay, nor were my 6 siblings.

[LoftyLottie]

We have a same sex 'marriage' happening in our family next year and there will be lots of little children attending. These children won't be kept away from the service because their parents aren't prejudiced or worried about what their children think. They already know and love the two people involved.

I suppose AOG you would suggest keeping young children away because it might cause confusion.

[LoftyLottie]

I am not surprised at all Daffy.

And good post Zeuhl

[Zeuhl]

/I suppose AOG you would suggest keeping young children away because it might cause confusion. /

they should all be off doing National Service anyway

[anotheoldgit]

ummmm

/// Not everyone that starts a new relationship has a baby. ///

I agree since that is obvious, but there are many who do, and do you also agree with that?

[jd_1984]

And will sex education now have a seperate part discussing Gay and Lesbian sex? Does it need to??

[LoftyLottie]

I don't know what ummmm will say, AOG (although I can guess). But what is wrong with two people who love each other bringing up a child?

It is sad fact that lots of children are brought up without two people who love each other and who love and cherish their child too

[LoftyLottie]

Personally, I don't think sex comes into this topic. That's a different issue surely.

[anotheoldgit]

Peter Pedant

/// aog I have never called you a white supremacist. ///

And I never said you did, but I apologise if I mistook your incineration.

/// I know that if I were to call on you for tea with one of my black nephews, you would be the first to give a slobbery kissy wissy on the cheek. ///

/// niece I mean niece.... sorry ///

I most likely would, because I am always nice to people, that is until they do something that turns me against them.