Just say no in Kindergarten?
 

question: Ok. So my 6 year old daughter comes home from Kindergarten the other day and told me I needed to quit taking my prescription because her teacher told her drugs are bad and people shouldn't take them. I was actually speechless. I think the idea of drug use is too abstract for a 6 year old to grasp. What are your opinions on this?

I think 6 year olds can grasp the idea of abusing something. You eat too much candy, you feel sick. A little candy, once in a while, is OK. Abusing drugs is bad. Taking medicine when appropriate is fine.

I think it's good of the schools to be presenting this stuff. They just aren't doing it properly in your daughter's case. The proof is that she misunderstood the lesson. I wouldn't hold this against your teacher. There is probably some state-wide program that dictates exactly what has to be presented to the kids and when.

Was this a school-wide assembly? Or was it taught in the kidergarden classroom?

just say no
 

It was in the classroom. I received no communication from the school indicating it was "red ribbon week" I don't hold her teacher responsible, as I am sure she is following some protocol. I just feel that the message was not properly communicated. At the age of six, I would rather be the one to negotiate the shaky ground of what is right vs wrong in her mind. My little person tends to think in black and white. I have no doubt as she grows up she will be able to see there are grey areas. I will try my hardest to help her with that. She was also absolutely tramatized whenever anyone lit up a cigarette. She was convinced at school that the act of smoking leads to death....not eventually, immediately. Do you see what I mean? There isn't enough explaination. I have reassured her that grandpa isn't going to keel over in front of her just because he lights up a smoke now and then.

It is a very bad idea. This way, the kids will learn at some point that all of the "just say no" stuff was exaggerations, and may tend to think it was even more exaggerated than it actually was, and therefore drugs are less dangerous than they really are.

It's seldom good to lie to kids.

She's smart. The kid raises a terrific point that should be discussed. So discuss.

That's amazing; my six-year-old stepdaughter (first grade) and I just had a conversation about this exact misunderstanding the other day. Except in her case, she was worried that she was going to go to jail because she knew we had given her medicine in the past.

But we talked about how there are different kinds of drugs--some for kids, some for adults, some for animals, and some for nobody--and after that she understood just fine.

As your daughter gets older, you're going to get even less communication from her teachers, and the things she learns will very often be poorly explained (I had a couple teachers presenting outright falsehoods in math, for example, simply because they were ignorant.) You should actually be glad to start a pattern now of "bring what you learn to me so I can help you put it in perspective."

just say no
 

Excellent ideas from all....We have a pretty open forum in our house. She is such a bright kid (I know that is what we all say huh?) and she is growing up so fast. I must admit I was totally unprepared for this and other topics of discussion that have come up such as sex, god, death etc. She keeps us on our toes. I guess I just want to give her the right answers. I want to take the best care of her I can. I want to make sure I am communicating on her level. I always tell her that whatever we discuss stays between us. I worry about the day she learns that smoking pot is akin to murder, as we have been known to indulge from time to time. Not in front of or near the children but let's face it, Even if you go outdoors the smell lingers, just like cigarettes. It has a very distinctive smell. Anyone faced or facing this situation?

The most important thing is to teach her, in that case, would be what will happen to her if she is caught with it at school or by the cops. Let her know that [insert whatever philosophy you decide to teach her regarding pot here] is completely and totally irrelevant in the eyes of the law.

It's always important not to wait until your child comes home to find out what the public school system is pumping into them. It is vital that you are knee deep in curriculum. Go to the teacher and request a copy of the curriculum. They have to provide you with a copy. That way, when you ask your child when they come home "what did you learn in school today" you already know the subject matter and are prepared to discuss. (I hate surprise topics.)

Also, it's important to monitor textbooks your child is using. I was appalled at some of the crap in my 5th grader's history textbook and my 10th grader's civics book. Many textbooks are available online, some in PDF format. This means my 10th grader doesn't have to lug 50 pounds of books home in his backpack (I'm not kidding.) If you find a mistake, you can correct with your child (I use post it notes, since writing in the book itself means you bought the book), and if you find something about how the KKK was an organization made up of righteous people who were interested in "securing the rights of whites over inferior negros" (I'm not kidding) then bring it up to the teacher and follow up with the school board, who are the people that select textbooks. Make sure the offending portion is removed or they use a different publisher.

The key is to get involved, and not wait for surprise questions. :)

The more I read about education, the more I am convinced I want to home school our child.

My wife and I both teach college. Most of the students we see have been so mindfucked by school over the years that they are really at a loss when it comes to thinking for themselves.

brrrr.

Despite that being an accurate mission statement for the organization, it is a bit unusual to find in a textbook for kids of your kids' ages.

Cite, please?

The last time I saw the word "negro" in a textbook, I was in the 6th grade, and had to say the word "black" every time I encountered it.

If your kids are going to school using textbooks printed before 1973, you're in the wrong school district.

You should also know that in some (all?) states teachers are required to report child abuse, which Nancy Reagan would say includes pot smoking. Teachers have a special relationship to kids which can easily be taken advantage of by the state.

A few thoughts:

A good school and a good teacher will let you know what topics are going to be covered on a week by week basis. If this was a school mandated program you should have been given a heads up.

Talk to the teacher and the principal. Find out the whole story. You need more information. Was this intentional? Was it school sponsored?Plus they need to know how this came across. If your child got that idea, you can bet that other kids in the class did too.

Home schooling is a big effort. If you can solve the problem through better communication with your child's teacher and school, you have saved yourself a lot of work.

In any case, you should be having ongoing conversations with your child's teacher. You cannot assume that your child will get a good education unless you are willing to be active and involved.

One more thing. I notice that you're in Utah. It may be possible that the teacher's personal opinions are coming out in his/her lessons. Make sure they understand that this is not acceptable to you.

It was in a textbook no longer used in Mississippi. My (now ex-)husband read me the passage over the phone, so I can't cite. Luckily my daughter is no longer in Mississippi.

My high school english intructor ended up being my 101 instructor in college many years later. She saw my consternation with my classmates and actually offered to move me to one of her other classes where the mean IQ was a bit higher. High school is turning out a bunch of barely literate retards these days. Parents need to step up or the kids will never be able to leave the house.