To wonder what they're teaching in pshe

[OfMyself]

Dd 14 has never expressed an interest in babies, was unsure about being a mother at all

She says in pshe this week they did about teen pregnancy. She has learned that late teenage years is the optional time biologically to have a baby

Showed videos of newborns nursing and being cuddled

Told about the financial implications, obviously this is good but she said all the girls could talk about was the cute babies. And that miscarriage was much less likely at age 16/17 than 30/35

They watched a birth but it was from the mothers head end and not the ' business' end

I don't expect them to lie but I'm not really sure they achieved what they apparently set out to achieve

I think her hearing has been rather selective.

That sounds as though they were doing their best to cover a very fiddly subject and possibly missed a bit.

Maybe a swift trip to the baby formula section of Boots to hear a newborn cry, would clarify things?

Maybe so. But she's not a maternal type. Always said she may adopt a baby at some point but she's been talking about babies since this lesson, as have her friends

Sounds like selective hearing. Or the lesson is one of a series.

Biologically, the best time to be pregnant is 18/19.

Yes they were told optional time was late teens

But also told more fertile at 16/17 than 30/35 I assume in order to scare them from having sex as they are so fertile but I'm my daughters friend group it seems they've taken it as that's the best times

Don't get me wrong she doesn't want a baby right now but it's definitely piqued an interest that wasn't there before

Science and RSHE teacher here.
I would say your daughter has honed in on the positives. We talk about the financial, emotional and physical implications of teenage pregnancy, as well as the law, help available, what to expect regarding education etc. It is definitely factual and informative rather than romantiscising teenage pregnancy.

But sociologically 18 is an awful time
to have a kid, and you’re being very selective with information now.

I mean she’s 14. I didn’t want kids at 14 either. What she’s been taught is biologically factual. Kids are influenced by anything and everything at this age. I wouldn’t attribute too much meaning to it. As long as she knows teenage pregnancy is not aspirational.

Find someone with a new baby and ask her to spend some time with them - especially for witching hour and she'll soon see its not all cuteness having babies

I wonder if they were trying to empathise how easily you cN carelessly fall pregnant in late teens as its height of fertility....

Yes I think this was it. Just felt it was a bit careless to show a group of hormonal teenage girls videos of cute babies and say teenage years is biologically the best time

But I realise I only have my daughters and her friends viewpoint of the class

I assume you mean optimal time rather than optional in terms of fertility. I do think that your daughter and her friends appear to have not paid attention to the "lesson" being taught. Hopefully as the next part of the sessions she will have to take care of an 8lb melon on a 24 hour a day basis and the novelty of cute babies will wear off.

I'd agree with younger is better than older. I flew through my pregnancy and birth at 21 my 30s was a very different experience.

Kids will take what they want from a subject.

My DS had some kind of lesson whereby they wore goggles which were meant to mimic feeling drunk with the intention of putting them off. He loved it and now desperately wants to get drunk 🙄

😂😂

Dd is very sensible so I dread to think what some of the others took from the class 😂

I was 19 when I had dd and 30 when I had her brother so I do know that biologically it's easier, I was just a bit 😳

After a video like that, I imagine they may have some trouble getting near any of the boys.

Well it was only the girls watching but I don't mean to say they're about to try and get pregnant at 14

Our year 7s have these lessons. I think the earlier the better in terms of talking about parenting.