Clinton News Record, 2015-03-04, Page 44 News Record • Wednesday, March 4, 2015
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editorial
Parents need to talk to their
kids about sex, but many won't
Peter Epp
QMI Agency
Nowhere in the new
curriculum on sex
education does the Ontario
government tell parents they
can't be involved in their
child's education, or can't sit
down and chat with their
child about sexual issues.
Yet to hear some people
and politicians talk, you'd
think our children were in
danger of being hauled away
to a secret location, their
heads filled with a corrupting
indoctrination.
The new curriculum pro-
vides, within a structured
classroom setting, informa-
tion to children that is neces-
sary within a culture as tech-
nologically driven and
sexually -charged as North
America's.
On Monday, some details
of the curriculum, to be
introduced in September,
were made public. The
instruction would begin with
kids as young as Grade 1, and
in that grade they would be
taught the correct names for
sexual body parts. As they
become older, children
would also learn about gen-
der identity and sexual orien-
tation, puberty, and as they
become even older, issues
revolving around sexually
transmitted diseases and
pregnancy.
Of special interest is the
inclusion of sexting, an
issue that didn't exist in
1998 when the sexual edu-
cation curriculum was last
updated.
But nowhere are parents
being excluded from the
education of their children
as it relates to the new cur-
riculum. And for those par-
ents who are concerned
about the moral or religious
perspective, their role
hasn't changed -- they are
still the parents and they
need to sit down with their
children and talk about
those issues if they believe
them to be important.
Part of the reason for the
new curriculum is the new
technologies that have
engulfed our culture in
recent years. As Education
Minister Liz Sandals said
Monday, students have
"instant access to quite
explicit information from
unreliable and inaccurate
and often offensive
sources."
Some might argue it's up to
parents to provide this
instruction, and in a perfect
world they would and
should. But for the most part
they won't, and many don't.
Yet the stakes for our chil-
dren are higher now, with
new risks and dangers that
didn't exist even 15 years ago.
They need this information.
If there is any criticism, it's
in the way this government
has introduced the new cur-
riculum. There have been
complaints about a lack of
public consultation and
parental involvement. But
that's a complaint that could
be lodged against the Liber-
als and other governments
for a lot of issues.
What parents need to do, if
they have concerns, is to main-
tain a conversation with their
children about the issues
being discussed in the class-
room. And if they haven't
started that conversation, now
might be the best time.
f
www.clintonnewsrecord.com
column
Appreciating our own backyard
Tara Ostner
The Clinton News Record
During this time of year it
is common for people to
get out of town for a week or two
and take a vacation. For some of
us, though, getting out of town
isn't so easy but this doesn't
mean that we can't enjoy our
hometown.
Recently I read an article enti-
tled "The Wonders of Home"
written by psychology professor,
Jaime Kurtz, that discusses just
this. In the article Kurtz
describes three things that peo-
ple can do at home if getting out
of town isn't an option.
First, she suggests that people
imagine what it would be like to
have to move away from their
homes very suddenly. If you had
to leave your town, she asks,
"what would be on your bucket
list?" As she puts it, "abandon
the 'I can always do it later'
mindset and just do it now:'
Another way that people can
enjoy their own backyard is to
host out-of-town guests, Kurtz
says. When you host other peo-
ple in your town their enthusi-
asm for the newness of it all rubs
off on you and this allows peo-
ple to have a renewed apprecia-
tion for their area.
Finally, in order to appreciate
your own backyard, Kurtz sug-
gests that people find new expe-
riences in their hometown.
"Some things to consider," she
describes, "include getting a
guidebook of the area, taking a
guided tour of a local attraction,
letting your kids plan an entire
day, camping in your backyard,
and getting up to watch the sun-
rise." As she states, these are
"easy, inexpensive things that
we seldom do:'
What's more, however, is that
in the article Kurtz draws our
attention to the theory of the
hedonic treadmill.
What is the hedonic treadmill?
Itis the theorythat states that
human beings continually adapt
and become accustomed to cer-
tain things and experiences. For
example, if something good hap-
pens to us, no matter how strong
our initial response is, our
response will, nevertheless, sub-
side over time and the experience
will eventually feel ordinary and
unremarkable.
The downside to this adapta-
tion, of course, is that it can lead to
our inability to see and appreciate
beautiful and exceptional things
that lay right before our eyes.
I think that it is important that
we tryto prevent this from occur-
ring. Hedonic adaptation is a psy-
chological process within us, no
doubt. However, knowing about it
gives us the chance to alter our
responses to our everyday envi-
ronment so thatwe don't become
blind to the beauty and wonder
that exist around us everyday.
Even though it has been bitterly
cold these past few months,
which has perhaps made it diffi-
cult to appreciate our area, spring,
a time when we definitely should
not be blind to the wonders
around us, is just a fewweeks
away.
As Fyodor Dostoyevsky states,
"Man is a pliant animal, a being
who gets accustomed to any-
thing:' Fortunately, however, man
can also change his habits and
this just might be one habit worth
trying to change especially as
springtime arrives here in Huron
County.
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