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?

[jim360]

There is no great skill in being nice to nice people. Being nice to nasty people -- that's the challenge.

[Zeuhl]

^

not all parents are biological parents

[ummmm]

As I have children by different fathers then obviously I won't see the problem. My children are loved, looked after, guided, they have manners and respect, they do not answer me back, they have great school reports and praise from their teachers etc etc...

My daughters father doesn't live in England but visited often and included my sons. He's even offered to have my sons stay with him (and his wife and their daughters) so I could go on holiday...

Your image of step families is limited.

[jackthehat]

1. Yes
2a. Yes
2b. No

[whiskeryron]

// AOG some of us 'younger generation' with young children have gay friends who are 'married' and have kids and they socialise and party with us like any of our other friends and their families.//

I don't know about 5 year old's, but I am totally confused.

WR.

[Octavius]

More confused than a 5 year old? Oh dear.

[Brenden]

Yes
No
Yes
I consider that at five years of age this would be a form of brainwashing - let them read janet and john etc, this type of sex education should come later on in the curriculum

[naomi24]

The real reason that people object is because adults associate both marriage and same sex relationships with sex – but little children don’t do that. I know a little boy who often asks me where my friend is. He means my husband – but in his mind, my husband is simply my friend – and I think that is how little children perceive relationships between adults. I know gay couples who are raising happy children – and I’ve never known any of the children or their friends to question the relationship between ‘daddy’ and ‘daddy’ – or ‘mummy’ and ‘mummy’. To a child, that’s just the way it is. I can’t really see the problem.

[Octavius]

It seems the oldies are confused ond objectionable because they think this is sex education for 5 year olds.

That is quite laughable.

[jd_1984]

Naomi has a good point.
My partners son (not my child) is 5. He thinks I am his and his mummy's best friend. No association with sex. He has a mummy, a daddy and then me. To him that is normal and all he has ever known (as his dad left when he was 3 months and he doesnt remember mummy and daddy living together)

[naomi24]

I don't know how old the objectors are - but they do seem to see it as a form of sex education - and, of course, it simply isn't. Little children just don't think the same way.

[Octavius]

Yes, that was probably unfair.

My mum is 74 and she wouldn't have any issue, nor see this as sex education. Perhaps it just comes down to knowledge.

[emmie]

not all oldies surely, what a dire word that is...

[anotheoldgit]

naomi24

/// I don't know how old the objectors are - but they do seem to see it as a form of sex education - and, of course, it simply isn't. Little children just don't think the same way. ///

*** There is evidence that giving young children access to picture books that show gay and lesbian characters in a good light can have “positive benefits” and promote equality, it is claimed. ***

*** “Part of that aim could include increasing the availability of LGBT literature to educators,” he said. ***

*** The union has designed lessons using such books that are being used in schools Norfolk, Portsmouth, London and Nottingham. It recommends books such as Bill's New Frock, The Boy With Pink Hair, William's Doll, The Different Dragon, Girls Are Best and Dogs Don't Do Ballet. ***

Seems like a form of sex education (ie education of a person's sex) to me, and anyone else who is at all "Knowledgeable".

[bednobs]

surely that's just semantics - when most people say "sex education" they take it to mean "sexual education" rather than "gender education"

[FredPuli43]

AOG, what world are you living in? Five year-olds now and in future will be at school with children who have same-sex parents. Do you want them to find that odd or weird or something to be mocked? They have to be aware of it. Sex education will teach them about reproduction in due course. The don't learn everything about how mummy and daddy created them now, but they know that most children have parents of each sex. Now they will be aware that some children have two male or two female parents at home.

[Octavius]

http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/15762

Sounds innovative to me.

[LoftyLottie]

Octavius. I am an oldie!!! Bloomin' cheek ;o)

[LoftyLottie]

Your post at O8.18