Anonymous
asks:
Q:
Is it really necessary to teach children under the age of 10 about drugs?
My second grade daughter's elementary school recently had a drug education week that included a different school-wide activity each day, including having the children sign a "Pledge to be Drug Free" document, wear their shirts and backpacks backward ("Turn Your Back on Drugs Day"), and hang ribbons on the school's fences, etc. Parents were not given the curriculum being used in the classroom in advance, and it's not clear to me (yet) if the event was organized by the PTA, school leadership or the district.
Regardless, I wasn't expecting to have to have this kind of discussion with my daughter this early in her education. In fact, she didn't even know what "drugs" were when I was preparing her for the week at school.
Have drugs really become such a problem in public schools now that we need to start propagandizing to children under the age of 10? What is the focus of anti-drug education this early? Any messaging parents should be using at home to complement the learning without scaring our children (or giving them information that will be too complicated for them -- like the politics of the drug war; illegal vs. legal drugs, and use vs. abuse)?
Thanks for any insights you can offer.
In Topics:
School and Academics, My child's growth and development, Communicating with my child (The tough talks)
Regardless, I wasn't expecting to have to have this kind of discussion with my daughter this early in her education. In fact, she didn't even know what "drugs" were when I was preparing her for the week at school.
Have drugs really become such a problem in public schools now that we need to start propagandizing to children under the age of 10? What is the focus of anti-drug education this early? Any messaging parents should be using at home to complement the learning without scaring our children (or giving them information that will be too complicated for them -- like the politics of the drug war; illegal vs. legal drugs, and use vs. abuse)?
Thanks for any insights you can offer.
> 60 days ago
What the Expert Says:
Additional Answers (4)
I teach a whole unit on drug prevention to my preschoolers. 2 is not to young. It is called 'Healthy Alternatives for Little Ones'. It teaches the importance of not taking medicine on your own, not drinking alcohol or smoking. I don't use the word bad or wrong, but teach the children that those things are never ok for children. Children need to learn at a young age that sometimes they will be ask to make choices and that those choices need to be healthy choices. They have a chance to 'play act' good guys and bad guys, someone from school offers you a pill, or has a gun or cigarette, what would you do or say.
> 60 days ago
I don't see how this can be a problem? Most parents want the school to do more about being drug-free, I think this is a very good thing to take this from such a young age so that they can be aware. I think they are thinking it's either now or never because at thins age students are more to listen, than when they are 10 years old you have to really think about where they are coming from with this instead of thinking about the bad things about most schools would not even achknolegde it be proud that your daughter is so egrer to learn what is not so good about drugs!!!!!
> 60 days ago
I don't see how it can hurt. Honestly schools need to take a part in drug prevention too , because many parents don't. Many parents shelter their kids and wait until it is to late. I think talk about drugs should start early and often (discussing what a child can understand at that age). I want my children to be prepared for life and I want my messages to be stuck in their heads. One conversation won't do that. It will take multiple conversations over the course of their childhood. I monitor what my kids watch on tv very closely, but I know they might hear things on tv or from older siblings when they are at friends homes. Many tv shows depict drugs and alcohol abuse as being funny and acceptable. I want my kids to hear about drugs and alcohol from me first, so there are no misconceptions for them.
> 60 days ago
