Grade 5.
They start to teach Family Life.
Complete with a grinch look-a-like teacher and large diagrams hanging on the board. Diagrams which Mark described as "Nasty". Full male/female anatomy. Yep, you got it.
They keep all the girls and boys in one classroom and so, allegedly, there was a whole lot of giggling going on and the grinch answered all the questions (which were in a box so they were all anonymous) with a straight face AND with all, and I mean all, the correct lingo. He now is aware of much more than I was in Grade 5. Girl and Boy issues.
Imagine my surprise when Mark hops in the truck and the first thing he says is "I'm glad I'm NOT a girl. I wouldn't want menstrual periods!" (Well, right on boy! I'm with you there.)
Jade yells out "What are...whatever you just said"
Mark "It's when girls bleed...." I stopped it right there and told him Jade didn't need all this info right now, we'll talk in private later on.
Jade moved on to the question she asks every single day "Can I have a friend over?" Whew!
And then we move on to Jade's lesson of the week. It started out with a timeline she had to do for school that had to include important things in her life for each year of her life. No problem.
In her 0-1 year, she prints that she was adopted and took her first plane ride from China to Canada.
The teacher asks lots of questions, which Jade doesn't know the answers to so she would like to bring in pictures and stuff to show her class. Well, we are looking at all our pictures and Jade comes across the one of her finding place. This picture is tucked way at the back of the book because to me it is difficult to see, let alone explain to her. I told her that it was where she was found before she went to the wonderful orphanage where the nannies took great care of her. She looked up at me all confused and said "I was lost?"
"Only for a minute" I said. And believe me, I was starting to sweat but she didn't ask anything else. Whew!
I had to pull teeth to get Jade to tell me what was said about all her Chinese stuff. She took me 2 things: That everyone said Ahhhhh really loud when she told them she was found at a vegetable market. And she told me that the teacher said in China they don't like girls. Quickly I told her that that was soooo untrue and that Ms. ___ has no idea how much they love the little girls. I went on and on and on (probably way too long, knowing me) and I think she understands now.
I hope I didn't screw anything up with these 2.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The Birds and the Bees.
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4 comments:
Wow! That's alot for one mom to process and respond to in one afternoon ... but you did great! I think I would contact the teacher about that comment ... I just think that is totally unacceptable.
I think you're right. I will do that.
I hope this is something she won't have to deal with over and over and over again.
I would definitly talk to that teacher as well. And perhaps if there is another time this comes up, Jade will , after her conversation with you, be able to share the proper information and educate the teacher!.
As for the other conversation...ohh that brought back memories!! I remember that first Family Life book when it came home from school. After Matt went to bed I read the whole thing and wanted to take him and go into hiding for a few years. You will get thru it and you can never screw anything up Sherri. Listening to what they say, Talking honestly and from your heart to your child is always the right way. You are a greattttttttttttttttt Mom!!
And you are a great mom too!
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