Late Afternoon Blogging...

Hello. Excuse me for a moment while I step up on my soapbox. I hope everyone is ready for a little "serious" blogging. If you don't know it already, I am an abstinence teacher. I teach a national abstinence only program in local middle schools. This week I happen to be at a very interesting school. I won't mention the name but I will tell you a little about it. It is in a pretty wealthy community. There is quite a mix of kids. The racial ratio is similar to national averages. There are kids from other nationalities and different religious backgrounds. It really doesn't effect how I teach abstinence because I don't teach it as a moral issue but a HEALTH issue. So, I go to this school on Monday and my first period class goes very well. I can tell there are a few sexually active girls in the class. It is funny, middle school girls fail to recognize I AM a girl and I do understand the universal "eye contact" language that girls use to talk with out saying words verbally. All you men know exactly what language I am talking about. I try to use it on Jake but he never understands. But that is another topic for another day... So these girls are all but telling me I have my work cut out for me. I love a challenge...bring it on. So second period rolls around and this girl, Alex, comes in and asks who I am. I tell her I am there to teach RSVP. She says, "Great...I had this last year at my old school. My mom doesn't even want me to be in this class." I tell her if her mother doesn't want her to participate that would be fine she just needs to fill out the form stating that and bring it in. She explains that is doesn't matter anyways. She says, "Oh, it won't matter if she fills out the paper, they make you stand for the pledge of allegence even if you don't believe in God!". O.K. Here is my challenge. Hmmmm. I say, "Well, this isn't about God (although it can be) but it is about health. That is why I am in your health class." She says, "Well, you could just tell kids to use a condom." Oh My...here we go. I tell her it is obvious she has been given misinformation and I think she is going to learn a lot from my class. Oh, the humor and the sadness. So the class starts and we are talking about abstinence from drugs, alcohol, tobacco and sex. I tell the class there is only one 100% effective form of birth control for teens. Of course, they all knew I meant abstience (middle schoolers are smarter than you think). Well, Alex raises her hand to disagree and says "What about abortion, that would be 100 % effective. I am speechless. Not for long...you know me. Well, let me expain something to you. I have my opinions about abortion. I don't plan on discussing the legal or moral issues involved. In a classroom I am very careful what I say and don't say...you have to be. I mean you can't even say Christmas I am sure I'd be in trouble for going down the abortion road. So, I tell her, "Well, Alex, when I say birth control I mean...is there any way to prevent a pregnancy from happening. An abortion happens after fertilization occurs which means the woman would indeed be pregnant. Yes, abortion is one legal way to end a pregnancy but you have to think of the consequences of an abortion. It costs money, you have to let your parents know, there can be serious health consequencs and you may have regret or guilt afterwords." Now she is speechless. She didn't argue anymore that day. So, yesterday we are talking about our goals. Each kid has to tell me 2 goals they have for their future. I get to Alex, she says, "I am NEVER getting married." That is a strange goal. Almost an Anti-goal. Okay... Some other kids said they'd like to have a nice car. She announces, "Oh Great, with your monster SUV, polluting the air and sucking down all our gas." Where is this coming from. Yes...SUV's are gas gusslers and we have all heard all kinds of stuff about them but this girl in in 7th grade and very opinionated. Today she came in with a huge chip on her shoulder. I gave her an assignment where she has to talk to her mom about dating and get her dating rules. She said her mom won't do it. I told her she would have to have her mom write a letter explaining why not if she wanted to get her points for the homework. I suspect she won't do either. Either way...my point of all this is not about abstinence, abortion or SUV's but about the influence you have on your children. Kids are a product of their environment. Do you have any habits or behaviors you are ashamed of? Well, rest assure, your children are going to school and mimicing them. Do you think your kids don't listen to your opinion about drugs, religion, sexuality, etc... You are wrong. I am not saying shove it down their throats...that is almost worse than saying nothing at all. You have to be open and honest (well, it isn't necessary to be THAT honest). And when it comes to things like sexuality don't just rely on the info you got back in Hight School Health class...get up to date. Things have changed. Condoms aren't as effective as they were when we were growing up because there are newer and stronger STD's. Some are from skin to skin contact. Not all are curable and most have devistating consequences (can lead to cancer and sterility). Studies have shown kids who feel loved and security from their parent(s) are more likely to be abstinent from drugs, alcohol and sex. As for Alex, I have one more day with her. I feel like she is so anti-establishment and anti-God that she might have sex just to proove she isn't religious. Isn't that sad. Hopefully, something I am saying will sink in. I know, if nothing else, she will remember the information.

If you want more information on STD's go to this web-site. It has all the gorey details.

Well, it is time for me to step down and go get Elise who just woke up from her nap. Have a good one.