your kindergarten child being taught what drugs/alcohol are? Do you think they are too young to understand? Do you think that might confuse a 5 year old rather than teach them not to do it? Why not wait till DARE in 4th grade at a more appropriate age? Would that heighten their curiousity to try drugs at an earlier age?

thoughts..opinions..comments please!

Where is this happening?

My child's school had the DARE program in 5th grade, btw.

Not much information Mo..ya know as far as WHAT..they are saying, how much details.. I personally don't think it's too young for some knowledge. They hear the TV, they hear adults talk..maybe even see some behaviors in their families.
Geez, with all this new stuff coming up about schools, shots..I'm really grateful I don't have little ones any more.

My son's elementary..just want to hear other parent's opinions, etc..

thinking of doing a formal complaint tomorrow, Red ribbon week starts next week (anti drug and alcohol) My son had all the fliers and info for signing a form pledging to be/stay drug/alcohol free and what he does to stay drug/alcohol free...just think it's kind of ignorant for kindergartens to learn about that or be involved..too young of an age to understand. I know there are many opinions on this topic.

I understand what you're saying...and yes they can hear or see it anywhere..he doesn't view that in my house nor does he have any concept of what drugs are or alcohol is. I will agree that its not too young to educate, but a 4th or 5th grader might understand it better. thanks for the opinion.

I think it could be possible to do drug/alcohol education to grade K. However, signing an agreement, in my opinion, is a little beyond their scope and understanding. A simple book read at story time about it would have been effective, followed up by a discussion of healthy behavior such as eating right and exercising.

My son at least has a general sense that drugs and alcohol are bad! And he is in 1st grade. Because this has been discussed with him at home.

Oh, now I know what you're talking about. My child's old school did that - Red Ribbon Week. It also included no smoking.

I remember that my child really didn't have a clue as to what it was about at 5 yrs. old. lol

I'd like to know what they are telling them. Mo, you should be able to opt your child out if ya feel strongly about it. I think it's even easier to do that here in our state. I have done that with my boys here..much easier than when I was back east..

That would be a great idea..I am going to talk to his teacher tomorrow and most likely the principle just to make sure what's going to happen next week.

When I was growing up Kindergarten was all about fun and learning, not learning about drugs, lol! What did you do to opt out of that here? And if they went to class during lectures or teachings on it where did they go since they were opt out?

Yeah it's so different now. I have a friend in Springville who retired early because it broke her heart that she had to push the little ones so hard. She was a 1st grade teacher. She said they just don't get to be kids.
I opted my 2 younger boys out of the mandatory shots all together. I went through a bit of a run around..but it ended in my favor. I pulled my oldest out of a class about the LDS history and a required report on the subject..I didn't think it was appropriate he have to be taught and graded on it. He was in 4/5 grade and he did a study hall sort of thing and did his report on something else. You need to go talk to the teacher, or principal if needed and let them know that you object..they can't force you to do this if you don't want to.

I think beyond the basics of reading , writing, maths, and social etiquette, parents should be left to decide what to teach their kindergarten age children about 'the world.' At the very least, a topic that adult should come with an option for the parents to decline and allow the child to do something else.

Parents actually do have much say in such matters...they generally don't tell you that unless you ask. This just being my own experiences I'm basing my opinion on..

I think some topics take life long learning so to stress to even kindergarteners that drugs, alcohol, and tobacco or lighters are no touch unsafe material seems age approriate. Signing a behavior contract is not age appropriate.

I really think there should be more focus on reading, writeing, numbers, language, and learning than so much value education which should be the parent's responsibility.

I fear some of this go for broke drug and alcohol edcation only creates curiosity and will back fire with children getting hurt and involved in trying to parent dysfunctional siblings and parents.

Sadly, there are many 5-year-olds that have seen drugs and alcohol in their families' lives.

I think it's good to start teaching children that drugs, etc., are bad at an early age. I do think that 5 is young though. I'm wondering if they're doing it because the rest of the school is doing it - like a school spirit week. That's how I saw it at my child's school. They also make the information age appropriate.

I don't smoke and my ex didn't
So I brought up the kids with the notion
"You smoke you die." period
They are in the third grade now

when they were K my Ex brother in law ( A good for nothing soul) was smoking and kids were in horror and said "Uncle Ed you smoke you die"
He was quite put out but who cares the kids learnt a lesson which was intended. The same goes for drinks and weed and so on

This is LA the rap music is full of it, the streets are full of it the whole place needs a clean up and we are trying to bring up upright kids in this crappy place

Hopefully i'll find that all out tomorrow. Clarify for mean what you mean when you say "age appropriate?"...what do they teach 5 year olds about drugs that is age appropriate?

Robert, same here..i don't smoke nor drink or do drugs. Now his 'no longer in his life deadbeat father' never felt the same. My son watched him drink, several times and I swear to god, one time I dropped my son off to him while he was at his friends house, it smelled like pot and they were all acting high. I approached all of them right then and there and they all denied it so I called the cops, but by the time they arrived all the people were gone, the cops were angry at me for making the call.

I am so afraid he'll try to come back into his life and just screw it up and make MY SON like him, I never ever want my son to be who his father is, one reason why I'm scared to have know about the drugs/alcohol during class, I want his curiosity to be about good things..not things that will hurt him.

However, my son does watch his grandma smoke cigs and she and I tell him often that they are bad for him, they can make you sick and die....so now he sees people smoking and says that's bad. I just don't want him to be in the situation where he comes to me to tell him someone he was around was doing "drugs"...it's so hard to put into words on the keyboard what exactly i'm trying to say. Not sure if you understand.

I'm trying to remember what my child did then. I'm thinking that it wasn't much. I remember one of those rubber type bracelets (red) and a red ribbon to put on their shirt. I think that my child just heard that drugs, drinking and smoking were bad. The school had a big red cloth draped over the door saying, "Red Ribbon Week". I think there was a school assembly but my child's school had the little kids in a different building then the big kids.

I found this: http://www.imdrugfree.com/index.html

Do you have time to ask the teacher about the itinerary for the week? I've always been able to call the teachers at home if I need to talk to them.

I don't have her personal phone number, but I had planned on talking to her after I pick up my son from school. The school doesn't even list an itinerary on any of the flyers they sent home, just says what students can wear to promote red ribbon week. And some ballet on Wednsday now that I remember!