In Yr2 kids same sex relationships lessons

[yasminluv]

Hi
In Year 2 they have a day where kids learn about samesex relationships
It’s after Easter apperantly is that nationally and is every school different

If this to happen How can I as a parent address this with the teacher the fact that I don’t want him to participate

[jaimelannistersgoldenhand]

Kids (often younger than 7) will have heard of the term gay in the playground used as an insult. I think that learning what gay means (man loving man/woman loving woman) isn't going to make anyone gay.

[kcact]

I dont think taking him out of the lesson is a good idea. My view is you are teaching your kid your religious values - trust your teachings and religion to guide him whilst staying in all mainstream lessons and not singling him out. Your religious teaching and belief if that strong should stand out above. My personal view is that its very important for kids to learn this early on in this day and view it as normal and acceptable for their own sakes and for the sakes of others. Not sure if my ramble makes sense but there you go!

[roguedad]

This thread makes me realise how great schools can be in fulfilling the need to expand kids’ education from the narrow mindset of some parents. It also reminds me how carefully we need to monitor faith schools for undermining that goal and why religious home schooling should have even greater scrutiny. headinhands said the rest of what I think especially in relation to the confounding of “god says” with genuine morality.

[Chrisinthemorning]

I’ll just leave this here
m.youtube.com/watch?v=wu0fxuaa4-A

[catkind]

X post bonbon, looks like we're thinking along similar lines :)

[catkind]

I don't think anyone's suggesting teaching it as morally anything to be gay, just that it exists. I don't think they teach heterosexual relationships as a moral positive either really? Adult relationships are more just part of the furniture when you're 6. Some kids have a mum and a dad, some just have a mum or just a dad, some have two mums or two dads. Perfectly normal sort of thing to come up when they talk about families in year 1. You make sure that children are aware of the full diversity of humans out there. Just like you make sure they're aware that disabled people exist and people with other skin colours, even if it happens that the school don't have any.

I think the mistake here is in the school informing parents at all. Makes out it's a big deal. It's not RS, it's not actually something parents have any right to withdraw kids from. It appears that school correctly surmised that some families would have avoided mention of it so wanted to give a heads up there might be questions.

[bonbonours]

As so many other people have said, there is no reason to make a big deal about this for kids. My kids have been aware of same sex relationships as long as opposite sex ones. Making it something you need to talk about separately or specifically, or hide from them until they are older just promotes the idea that same sex relationships are wrong or not normal, which in this day and age is both ridiculous and harmful.

Kids don't judge or think things are 'wrong' unless they are taught that by adults. They know that grown ups love each other, sometimes have kids, get married. Without prejudice from adults they accept what they see, for example that people can marry who they like, and some families have two mums, two dads etc. If your kids don't have contact with any same sex families or relationships that is more of a reason to introduce them to this possibility as another normal thing that exists in the world.
If you lived in a very white area, would you try to pretend black people don't exist because you would rather they didn't learn about 'that' until they are older? If that sounds ridiculous and racist then you should realise that saying that about same sex relationships is just as offensive.

[ChesterBelloc]

"It is legal for men and women to marry people of the same sex. Whether you/your religion likes it or not. And your child should grow up knowing that this is the case."

Fine, no dispute about that (though at what age is another question)

"@yasminluv - it doesn't matter what religion you belong to or were referring to. Teaching that homosexuality is wrong, is wrong. And if you want to keep following that teaching, by removing your child from lessons, then I'm sorry but that makes you homophobic."

Nope.

Teaching that homosexuality is 'right' involves a value judgement, in exactly the same way as teaching that it's 'wrong' does. Both positions are subjective.

You are conflating teaching the legal situation with also promoting homosexuality as a 'moral positive'. One can do the former without also doing the latter.

[ChesterBelloc]

"homophobia
NOUN

mass noun
Dislike of or prejudice against homosexual people

Hope that helps clear things up."

BIWI - nothing the OP has said has expressed dislike of or prejudice against homosexual people.

I do wish that people were not quite so free to sling those kinds of insults at anyone who doesn't 100% toe the party line. Puts me in mind of the whole trans situation.

[ChesterBelloc]

"Religious people have a right to live and believe as they choose, as you do you, the key here is accepting different views and not forcing what you believe is right or wrong on anyone else."

No-one else see the irony of that statement..? Hundred of posters lining up to to insult the OP, call her names, and INSIST that she does not dissent from the current prevailing liberal mainstream view. Doesn't sound to me as if her 'different views' are being accepted, at all.

Same-sex relationships are legal in this country, though they are certainly not statistically 'commonplace', as someone up-thread stated. That should be the beginning and end of the curriculum on this subject, at this age.

[50sQueen]

If she doesn't want her son to have the lessons the that's her choice it doesn't make her homophobic. She has the right to decide when her child is educated about certain things.

[millimat]

I've only just seen this and am amazed at responses to OP.
My DS is 10. There are no same sex relationships in his class. I'm a teacher and in my school - not a church school - they're is one as from September. So I'm amazed how many people think children will have come across this.
Last autumn, I had to explain to my son about susan on strictly because he didn't understand why she was married to a woman. He's 10 and a well educated child.
OP I'm sorry there's been such negativity towards you. I totally understand where you are coming from.

[Vickster99]

I'm not sure a 7year old has clear concepts of the different types of love and relationships between e.g. friendships, boyfriend-girlfriend, parents, parent-child etc etc. as a frame of reference.

Exactly this. My 7 year old asked me recently what it meant if someone was gay and I tried to explain but she seemed confused by different types of love. In the end I said, "you know the way so and so at scholl has two mummies" and she went " Oh ok" :)

[headinhands]

All children are brought into the world by a mummy and daddy, their natural protectors and nurturers.

Parents have hurt/raped and murdered their own children so there's no 'natural protection' factor that we can rely on.

Children thrive when they have loving and supportive adults regardless of what genitals or sexual orientation they posses.

[Ragusa]

It is half term. D- for essay demonstrating polemicism.

[beingsunny]

I'm not sure what the issue is?
My 5 yo has just started kindy last week and I went to a meet the teacher night last night and they had all the parents of the class introduce themselves and there were a couple who are both mummies.

This is relevant as they are doing a project on families and family history, isn't it better that our children know that families all look different?

[headinhands]

This is why children need to go to school so that their parents aren't the only source of information.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

Wow. That post is quite something. I’m not sure which is my favourite part.

[WiggyPig]

PMSL at tertullian. Great big lezzer here, happily cohabiting with my female partner, delighting in every day we spend raising our lovely daughter.

The whole "gays be sad because childless" trope is so 1975.

[Ragusa]

@tertullian what the what now?!

Sadness of non-family life? No need of mumsnet?? If you teach your children that you might as well go the whole hog and teach em the earth is flat. Because, y'know, some of The Gays are quite happy and even have families. So what you say is factually incorrect. Unless you live in the kind of society where The Gays are stoned to death.

[Loveache]

'We would deal humanely with the sadness of the few who choose the non-family life'
Wow @tertullian. Just wow. One of your kids could be gay, have you thought about that?

There's no harm whatsoever in kids learning that not all families are nuclear. I very much doubt they're discussing the best lesbian sex positions for mutual orgasm.

[Qvar]

Holy Crap tertullian, did you get a Masters in pomposity?

[headinhands]

I'm ok that they can believe what they want as long as they follow UK Law.

They can think what they want in their own head yes. But they tell their children it's wrong to be gay. And some of those children are gay so it's not a harmless belief. Live and let live is fine if you're not potentially screwing your child up.