to feel sickend that 8/10 year olds knew in fair detal about abortion?

[quechelle]

the other day i was walking my girls round the local park and a group of kids between about age 8/10 mix of girls n boys wer all "mucking about" in the park one of them put a football in her t-shirt while another was punching it out and a couple of the kids (the younger ones) wer all laughing and shouting about how shes having an abortion n the other one was getting rid of the baby for her. me and my partner wer gob smacked and moved my girls along a bit sharpish after seeing that.

i was actually a bit sickend by the thought that kids so young understood the meaning of aborting a baby at a junior school age. my children arnt in school yet, they are both fairly young so i dont know what they get taught in schools but i assume thats probably not a topic that would come into convosation with children until they are in the higher years of senior school(if at all ??).

it kind of worried me to think that either a parent or older siblin had explain somthing like that to these kids and obviously not well enough for them to understand its not somthing to joke about expesh while they are around alot of younger childern. or posably they had seen something on telly. i dont know but surley as a parent you wouldnt be letting your child learn about abortion that young and if you knew they had some sort of knowledge of it then you'd try to explain it lightly to them that its not somthing to go telling other children and certanly not somthing to joke about.

I remember distinctly having a conversation with some other girls about rape when I was in second year juniors (Y4). We didn't know much about it really, but someone had read something in a newspaper, and we discussed it in fascinated and horrified tones. Kids see stuff, and they talk about it with other kids - there's no way round that. That's why good sex education is so important.

The children in the park clearly didn't know much about abortion, TBH, given the way they were acting it out!

I am also a bit confused at the reluctance to tell children about this, and horror that they might know? I didn't realise there was such a squeamishness surrounding this issue. I would see it as a simple factual thing the same as the rest of puberty / sex type issues. Sex, contraception, relationships, abortion, these are all just facts of life aren't they? Why would it be awful for a child to know about any of these things? (Assuming they are emotionally ready - and if they're old enough to know about periods, erections and sex then they're old enough to know about contraception and abortion IMO).

Slighty off topic but its a bit sad that parents use crappy, mindless tv like Eastenders etc as an aid to discuss serious subjects like abortion.

I didn't think 10 year olds would know about abortion too. I have a 9 year old and I'm pretty sure she doesn't know. Of course if she did ask I would tell her. Not explain it as a "viable option", but as a procedure that is done.

Also that people think children learn it through Eastenders and such. Why would anyone let their precious children watch such trashy telly, even I as an adult can't bear to watch it.

Burnt, basically I wouldn't promote it as something "right" to her. Just as something that is done, she can make up her own mind on it as she grows up.

Surely none of these things should be presented as "right" or otherwise, but simply as facts with examples of the situations where they might happen.

It's been in the news that police allegedly assaulted a pregnant woman, causing her to miscarry, hasn't it?

Otherwise, I'd say the game has all the hallmarks of children listening to older siblings who like to hang out on 4chan, or similar.

Well I have two ten year old DDs and they know what an abortion is and a miscarriage. They asked me and I answered them simply and truthfully. I don't believe in brushing things under the carpet, we should answer our kids questions as they arise.

I think that's right sandyballs.

I've just remembered that after I had given a basic outline of what abortion was, she looked confused and said she didn't understand how anyone could get pregnant accidentally as if you didn't want a baby you just wouldn't 'do that sex thing' . Bless her, I then realised I had to explain that sex wasn't just for babies, it was something grown ups enjoy doing when they're in love.

Has your daughter been writing conservative party policy, sandyballs?

. She was a bit that people actually chose to do something so gross. DH hopes she continues to think that until she's about 25

If it were my DH it'd be 45

In answer to people asking at what age it is taught in schools, DS was taught about abortion in Science lessons at the beginning of year 7 (11 years old) and in Re lessons at the beginning of year 9 (13 years old). He was also taught about the impact of foetal alcohol syndrome in year 7.

I knew what rape and abortion was by that age, even though I didn't fully understand it in an adult way. You can't shield kids from this stuff, so you may as well be the one to explain it properly to them, imo.

it sounds like someone heard a rough account of what happens, but obv no detail as no baby is punched out during an abortion.

My friend is a teacher at a very rough secondary school in Dublin (abortion not available in Ireland), where there would be a quite high rate of teenage pregnancy. It has been known for the girls, once the pregnancy is common knowledge, to be beaten up, to beat the baby out of her. I couldn't believe this when my friend told me, I was absolutely gobsmacked in fact (still am really), but apparently it happens pretty regularly.

@ Valium I wasn't blaming EastEnders for me having a sincere chat with DD, actually I'm glad I got my explanation in there before she got some mangled picture of what abortion is about from her peers.

My jibe at EE was more lighthearted, coz it is A) often rubbish, anyway and B) too harsh/sensationalised for most kids primary age to rationally discriminate what it means.

I think DS1 was about 11yo when I explained what rape was... he had heard the word used a lot on news reports. Again, glad I got a sane sensitive explanation into his head before he heard weird wild descriptions and references from peers.

They had probably just picked up a lurks bit about abortion from a program or heard it in a conversation. They probably did not know the details.

Slighty off topic but its a bit sad that parents use crappy, mindless tv like Eastenders etc as an aid to discuss serious subjects like abortion

I didn't use EE to discuss abortion ( it was Emmerdale actually ) it might have equally come up due to playground talk/television that you don't deem 'mindless'/an article in the paper/ a book.

I will answer anything ds asks me in an age appropriate manner regardless of where he actually heard it from.