Is Gay kissing, On Emmerdale, before 7.30pm o.k. ?

[Oblomov]

It's just that Dh & I thought it was a bit 'full on', at that time, and were thankfull that ds was already in bed. Ds is 3.9 and normally goes to bed at around 7pm. But sometimes it is nearer 7.30 and he has seen glimpses of Emmerdale before.
The other night he was already in bed. And I know that gay scenes have been on other soaps in the past. Its just that I thought it was very explicit and I thought it was a bit too much for prime-time pre 7.30pm tv.
Or is that I should just make sure that any child is not exposed to tv at this time.
Did anyone else think it was a bit too much, or was it just me?

My mum gets irritated when she visits us because I don't allow the children in the room while she is watching the soaps - she is addicted to all of them. She thinks I am being precious and feels judged - I think she is being ridiculous, because who the feck wants children in the room when you are trying to concentrate on watching a programme. However, it is not sex which worries me, it is the general unpleasant social behaviour that people on those shows exhibit. I don't want my children thinking that Eastenders constitutes normal life, and if that makes me precious so be it.

I think its fine tbh but then neither dd not I watch any fo the soaps as I think they are way to violent and depressing for dd (and for me too). daddy's 'stenders is relegated to the tele in our bedroom. I'd rather explain to a young child about homosexuality than msot fo the rest fo the stuff they have on these programs tbh.

oh my dear god are you having a laugh???
"thankfull that ds was already in bed. Ds is 3.9" errrr whats so wrong with your ds seeing 2 men kissing? whats the problem with explaining to him tahts what 2 people inlove do whatever gender they are??? my niece is 2.9 and knows that my ds is gay and understands what this means. whats the problem???
how very strange to think this is wrong,im assuming you do realise that gay men and women kiss each other????

No, they don;lt really care, and it doesn;t confuse them.

I am a firm bveliver that if you get asked a question by a child, then you shoulk answert it as best as yuou can.

If he doesn;t ask about it, he probably didn;t even notice it.

Agree that the violence is the thing that would stop me letting my kids watch soaps.

To avoid any doubt, I am actually not that bothered. Am happy to explain. Just didn't envisage thinking about discussing it at such a young age.
But don't worry. No tv on after 7.
I will have a totally normal conversation, when the time is right, similar to the one that MascaraOHara had. But hopefully at a later date.

intergaltic walrus, have you turned into cod today or are you just typing to fast?????

oblomov. I bet your DS didnbl;t even notice. Mine wouldn;t have.

Smee, I always type like this. My brain is faster then my fingers.

i wish m brain was fast

If you allow your children to watch adult dramas, you do so knowing that there will be adult themes that you might have to explain. Soap operas aren't intended for a family audience and shouldn't have to cater for young children.

It wouldn't be a problem for me if my dd (6) saw a gay kiss. But the soaps are violent, aggressive, angry and depressing, and it's those things that I think children shouldn't be watching.

"I haven't seen Emmerdale but a similar topic came up on The Simpsons the other day. Dd started asking all sorts of questions. Questions that i really didn't want to answer just yet, she's only 6."

What sort of questions? I can't imagine what I wouldn't want to tell a 6 year old really.

"urrgh I don't want to watch it"

I would be really upset if my DD said that about two men kissing - I would wonder where she got it from. But mine is only 5 so maybe I'm just naive...

LongMeg, I agree with every word of your post! Totally agree. Soaps are just so unrealistic and skewed towards the sensational and incredible that they are probably one of the worst things a young child could watch!

Fio am lolling at your police outside the church

Te simplest and most natural way to explain to kids I found in a book called 'things my mummy didn't tell me ' or some such title. It basically says some women marry men, some marry women and some men marry men, Job done!!!

What else needs to be said??

I find it extremely easy to answer questions re gay relationships - I mean it's hardly going to be tricky when a child is so young that the concept of having sex isn't anywhere on the horizon. Just explain that they love each other and that's what people do when they're in love.

What I find tricky is explaining why people on TV are hitting/injuring/ killing each other especially as it flies in the face of the non-violent behaviour parents try (I hope it's not just me) to teach their children.

LOngmeg and Honoria are so right, soaps are not suitable for children but it can be tricky especially when you've got a neighbours habit that yopu've been trying and failing to shake for 20 or so years. Even that has occasional scenes of violence.

Don't be horrified Oblomov, use it as a chance to point out that different types of people love each other but they show that love in a similar way.

Fio - Lovin' your children

Morningpaper, maybe I am naieve, or have a PFB, but I suppose that everyone has different ideas about when they , have to have 'certain' conversations.
There is a time and... place, rather age for ....
Kissing
sex
periods
or even to talk to your child about strangers:
Now I may really regret bringing up this issue, but I do rememeber than on lots of the Maddeleine threads, particulalry adverts at the cinema, people had different ideas about whether thay wanted their child exposed to these issues, and at what age, and whether it was actaully them( as a parent) who instigated the conversation.
Sometimes we are forced into telling our children things we would rather not, becasue they hear it in the .... playground, or elsewhere, but ideally we would all like to be able to decide when these things are discussed.
No ?

I chould say combinations rather than types, there being only men types and women types, but you know what I mean!

To OP - your kids could grow up to be gay themselves.

It may be an idea to question your own attitudes towards homosexuality otherwise you're likely to put across a negative view to them.

My bf only came out to her parents at gone 30 , mostly because she had worked out from a young age that her mum was disgusted by lesbianism.

My own view is that from a young age children should know that some men love men and some women love women and that they could grown up either way, although will most probably grow up heterosexual.

Message withdrawn

what do you think right age is to talk about your examples
Kissing
sex
periods
or even to talk to your child about strangers
?
to me we discuss as they come up.

but obviously in age appropriate way