governor of ohio removes abstinence-only program from budget

actually, my point was that most kids don't learn to masturbate, they just do it. they brush against something and get a thrill and keep doing it.kids learn to mis-treat women from their parents, you're right. they don't learn it from the media, even though everyone wants to blame the media.kids don't learn sex from the media either. they learn it from their own natural desires.i can't see it because it's not about what's going on in the world, it's about the fact that people no longer parent their children.

I know. This is so obvious, it's rather silly that people decided to comment on this obvious fact, and ridicule me, while totally missing the point.Sex is good, sex is grand, but the question is, what kind of sex?Example, in a rap MTV video, the women seem to be treated as objects, part of the rappers bling. What message is that sending to our children?

What's your point? I wasn't saying anything about whether or not they should... only that they're going to want to, whether they're exposed to television or not. Yeah, that movie's a stirring insight into biology. I remember when I lost my virginity, and reality warped around me so that all my friends could run in and sing Age of Aquarius.That being said, I didn't say everyone loses their virginity the second they get horny. Only that the fact of being a teenager makes a person hornier than every episode of Lilo & Stitch combined (or whatever they're showing on the Disney Channel these days). Having been a teenager who had sex with other teenagers? Sure.

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"I know some of you are going to say 'I did look it up, and that's not true.' That's 'cause you looked it up in a book. Next time, look it up in your gut."
-Stephen Colbert

What if your kid WANTED those CDs? Do you really think that you forbidding his exploration into the musical stylings of 50 cent or Ja Rule is going to actually stop him? Maybe you have some kind of relationship with your son that I just don't understand but IMO the moment you said, "...as long as it..." you treaded immediatly into that territory of proscriptive parenting that I described earlier. Again, that may be okay for you and your family. I am just expressing what I think was not okay for our family and what I noticed NOT working in other families of close friends as I was growing up. While I don't totally disagree, I think there is a propensity in any given generation X to do things that the generation X-1 thinks is leading society into the pits of hell. If you can recognize that you can temper your disdain for new aspects of culture that you son is growing up in that you disagree with.I think little girls who idolize people like Paris Hilton as going too far. But I have to wonder how much of that is due to parents not caring about what their children do or parents who keep such a tight grip on their kids that they rebel behind their backs. It seems to me that if parents of these "outrageous" kids would have investigated the popular appeal of whatever behavior we think of as destructive that many of the actual outcomes would be different.The key here is that I feel like lording over your children is just as bad as tossing them to the wolves. My approach to teaching my son is as that of a Father-Friend rather than a Father-Master. I don't know if it is going to work out in the end but it did seem to work for me and my siblings.If I were you, rather than return or throw out those CDs, I would take you son to the CD store, have him buy a couple of the ones he wants the most, listen to them together, and talk about what is appealing about the music and if you really dis/agree with what the artists are saying. After that, if he still wants to listen to that kind of music, let him. To each his own though and I hope that however you handle the situation it works out for the better.

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Of course, biblical creationists are committed to belief in God's written Word, the Bible, which forbids bearing false witness; --AIG (lest they forget)

Great advice Jazzns!Speaking as a parent of 2 adult children, that is pretty much how I raised my kids. I didn't censor anything they read, listened to, or watch other than to try and watch or listen with them when able.I taught my kids from a very young age about the mechanics of sex and was available to answer any and all questions as honestly as I could. I had questions concerning oral sex and prostitution a lot earlier than I had hoped but the questions were sincere and my answers involved logistics as well as my own views on the topics.My kids picked up on my views very early and ended up with a great distain for music and movies that portrayed anyone as objects. Neither one would be caught dead in the "latest fad" clothing or in items that cost an arm and a leg solely for the privilege of doing some designer's advertising for them.My kids are not promiscuous or into drugs or alcohol. One is a college graduate with a 3.7 gpa and one is in college currently holding the same gpa. They are well adjusted, healthy, intelligent individuals.I attribute all this to an open, non-restrictive relationship with my kids. The friends who looked on in horror as they realized that my 4 year old knew what a vagina was or that my 10 year old knew what a blow job was ended up with kids that snuck out and did all kinds of things behind their parent's back...all while wearing A&F outfits that their parents couldn't really afford.

Its good to know that those approaches to parenting work elsewhere. I mean, I have not read any parenting books to base my opinion on, to me it is just common sense. I guess that could be one criticism of my opinion.I suppose that as my child gets older I will probably take an interest in more formal representations of my UTP (Universal Theorey of Parenting). For right now we are working on blowing kisses and NOT throwing your sippy cup off your of high chair when it is empty.

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Of course, biblical creationists are committed to belief in God's written Word, the Bible, which forbids bearing false witness; --AIG (lest they forget)

that mtv rap videos are made for adults and that their parents should be controlling the inputs their children are exposed to.

also, just because masturbation was an issue for you doesn't mean it's an evil addicting thing for the rest of us. what is it about masturbation that's so not okay?

i miss my sippy cup and everything it stood for.

Sweet internet Jesus, does that post need a different title.

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"I know some of you are going to say 'I did look it up, and that's not true.' That's 'cause you looked it up in a book. Next time, look it up in your gut."
-Stephen Colbert

Yes, teenagers are horny, thanks for pointing out the completely obvious. If you care to read the rest of my posts, you'll understand the point.

Masturbation is ok, I never said it wasn't.I mean in the grand scheme of things, it actually calms things down a bit. It kept me from sleeping around too much when I was younger. Who knows, maybe I would have AIDS by now.
I was raised being told it was ok. But the thing was, when I stopped for awhile, I noticed a big difference in my life. Now I don't do it nearly as much as I did before I experienced it. I think my spirit fights with my flesh over it.

WOW Brenna, you've got to be kidding me.
So it's ok for a Public school teacher to give my 12 year old that same rap, yet I can't let him listen to it, or see it?

no, i said it's ok for mtv to show nasty music videos. i said nothing about your teacher issue.

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I am willing to bet that if you removed all music, TV, video games, and advertisements from our culture and replaced it with classical music, Sessame Street, and Canasta that you would still have the exact same problems with teen pregnancy today as long as parents, or the school system as a surrogate, are taking a hands off approach to REAL sex education.

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While I definitely agree with your assesment of abstinence-only sex ed, I have to disagree with your assesment of the effect of culture.There has definitely been a trend in recent decades to sexualize younger and younger children. Have you seen the clothing that is available for girls these days? Low-rider jeans, shoes with heels, and even padded bras for little, little girls. We're talking for 6 or 8 year olds. And there is also the trend of having things written over the backside area of sweatpants for women that I have also seen on clothing sized for 10 year olds. Those words on your butt are meant to get people to look at your butt. I mean, do they want people looking at their pre-pubescent daughters' butts?And here's what one feminist mother in the comments section of the link above had to say about the Bratz clothing line for little girls: Check it out: I want to make it clear that I am all for shame-free sexuality but I am fairly certain that your average 6 year old girl hasn't yet developed hormonally or physically in that way.And can't we find a way for girls to be sexual beings in this country without screaming at them from every media and advertizing outlet "WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE (AND YOU'D BETTER BE SEXY, THIN AND BUSTY) IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE WORLD!!!"Edited by nator, : No reason given.