Last week, my 10-year-old son walked in and proclaimed, "Well, I learned some pretty inappropriate stuff in class today." Like most fifth graders, my kid rarely complains about hearing something he's not supposed to, but as it turned out, he was right ... or was he?
That day, a drugs and narcotics officer spoke to the class, which was all well and good. I'm sure I signed off on that lesson at some point. Though I don't recall signing off on a discussion that involved club drugs, pill parties, and roofies.
Yep, you heard me. Apparently, this lesson covered everything from the usual substances to why you should never leave your drink unattended in a club. Really?
Evidently, Officer Bill found it necessary to give fifth graders instructions on nightclub substance-of-choice etiquette. Are a lot of elementary school kids hittin’ the club circuit these days? One would think bouncers would be tipped off by their smooth baby faces, curveless bods, and the fact that they're around 4 feet tall, but who knows, maybe fake IDs nowadays are better than the ones floating around when I was 10.
Officer Bill went on to show graphic pictures of meth addicts that had scratched their arms down to the bone, and told tales of heroin users who stuck needles in their eyes ... because, well, as my son said, "She didn’t have any more good veins." "Well duh," I replied, trying not to act too shocked by the conversation I was in with my child.
Truth be told, that was the most animated and informative description I've gotten about school the entire year. Maybe ever. Point for Officer Bill: I can see why going into gruesome detail works. Yet, I still feel much of this lesson was a wee bit advanced. Officer Bill might as well have ended his talk by hurling condoms and syringes at the students while yelling, "And remember kids, keep it clean and covered ... never share needles or STDs!"
That said, I have to wonder, am I the naive one? Is this what my 10-year-old will soon be up against? Have elementary and middle school kids traded spin the bottle for pill parties?
Maybe, since I'm told they've already traded "Seven Minutes in Heaven" for "blow-job lines." (This totally baffles me, as I don't even like waiting in line for the ATM!)
Whether this lesson was the result of the world we live in, or simply a lesson more suitable for a 10th grader than a 10-year-old, I vow to be more prepared in the future! Yep, by Friday, I'll be ready to explain "key parties," threesomes, and why boys love the phrase "just the tip." Don't judge me, they get THAT sex talk next week!
What do you think? Was this TMI for a fifth grader?
Image via erix!/Flickr
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Comments 23
I agree with the fact that our children should be informed about drugs, but this was WAY too much information for a 5th grade class to learn about!! Totally inappropriate if you ask me.
Eh, it sounds a lot like the Dare program when I was in 6th grade....
Middle schoolers have unsupervised parties where there is alcohol involved and it is dangerous to leave your drink (whether alcoholic or not) unattended there. They also try out drugs, some even available legally without ID to purchase like aerosols etc.
All this doesn't happen everywhere or everytime. But it does happen more often than naive people believe. I firmly believe in teaching children about life and the world from an early age. Coddling them until 18 or they leave home does not help them.
In this specific instance, there were enough adults who see the real world who thought this would be a good thing to tell your child about.
unfortunately, kids are getting into things like this a lot younger than we think... Perhaps it was good to give them this info now, so that they know how to protect themselves later.
High school? Sure, but not a ten year old.
And it isn't someone else's right to tell my child something like this. I would complain to the teacher.
I agree with Foxychick, we learned stuff like this in the DARE program when I was in the 6th grade. I believe that it is smart to teach kids about these topics while they are young, because if you wait until 10th grade, or even just "High School", you've already lost the battle. So many middle schoolers experiment with drugs and alcohol, that you may as well not teach the kids at all by HS.
So...drugs - available in EVERY parents' medicine cabinet and used at parties ALL THE TIME are a no, but graphic sexuality - the normal and abnormal - is just fine?
Parents can be so freaking stupid.
i learned this stuff ib 6TH grade ans the worst thing i saw was a meth addict ,he had this disgusting brown thing on his teeth