We have no money?

[tara]

I don't have WIC but my SIL's do and they are only allowed 100% juice. Maybe it does vary state to state but I was under the impression it was a federal program, very strange. I would question why other states only allow 100% juice but she can't get it, seems like someone screwed up somewhere. Now WIC is giving vouchers for the farmers markets along with checks.... I love that idea, along with farmers markets now taking food stamps- a long way to go but a step in the right direction.

[eire]

Our WIC was giving farmer's market vouchers 14 years ago. It was great because the fresh fruit and veggies were cheaper. WIC is a federal program, but it's up to the states to administer it. I would still imagine they have to follow some federal guidelines though. I think the what is included and what is excluded is based on price. I remember my ex once bought the "wrong" kind of eggs and we heard about it. The ones he bought were more expensive and that's why. I offered to give them back the difference, but they wouldn't take it.

[theqtpie1981]

FMLA!!!!! It's a great program - they shouldn't do away with it... but come on! Verify it's being used legitimately! I work with people who come in and leave after an hour on FMLA - or take 2 weeks vacation, and call it FMLA... or are off every Friday and Monday for FMLA - it's just irritating. Okay, I'm done venting, LOL

[visions5251]

If you want to cut governemnt spending, start with the frickin ridiculous salaries that people in the white house make, reps, congress, etc! What makes me mad about that is that they VOTE themselves in raises, duh!!

The other thing we should lose is worthless deaprtments, like the dept of education! Telling parents what will be taught to their kids, and parents have to shut up about it. Some of it, like sex ed for gradeschoolers is ridiculous.

Another dept that needs to go? Food and drug administration, in bed with all the pharmaceutical companies, so only the ones that "donate" the most get to charge those high prices for prescriptions. What a joke we are with this to the rest of the world. We can truly die in this country from not being able to afford these prices!

Grrr.. don't get me started!

[tara]

I don't disagree but I have to know....

Where exactly are they teaching sex ed to grade schoolers? Seriously, I want to know is this true? does it really take place, and if so where? I keep seeing it thrown around but have yet to meet anyone who has been or has children that have been taught sex ed in grade school. Maybe things are different elsewhere but my child is in public school and I have the right to take her out for any subject I don't want her to learn about in school.

Maybe we just have different ideas of what sex ed is. I know in grade school some school reinforce what (I hope) parents should be teaching their kids anyway, that if someone touches them inappropriately that it is okay to tell mom and dad or another trusted adult. Maybe it's me, but I am okay with that and anything else implemented to help keep my kids safe when they are out of my sight. I guess I think of it more as common sense than sex ed. However if they are showing videos of people going at it liek rabbits and teaching 1st graders how to give a blow jobs and handing oyt condoms, it's a different story, so I really want to know where this is happening and would love a link or two.

When I was in school I remember the movie about puberty and periods. It was shown after parental permission for everyone and those who didn't have it went to a different activity. My friends daughter just saw the same movie in 5th grade. It was 6th for me but we stuff our kids full of hormones and preservatives in everything we feed them (particularly meat and milk, that are full of things like growth hormones that 99% of people would never in a million year give to their kids) and wonder why they are maturing earlier. Maybe living in cow town has it's advantages I would way prefer they teach my kid about safe sex and puberty than someones twisted version of God any day.

[Connie]

Oh sex ed is such a subject! Parents should never be told to "shut up" about it.. if that's the case.. I would like to see a link as well. It should be the parent's job. However we don't always have parents who are willing to teach it and in reality all parents have a different idea of when and how it's appropriate to teach it.. some leave it to the schools, some teach it at different levels.

There was one day I found my FIVE year old in tears because her friend told her (also five) that babies get out of their mommies tummies when the doctor takes a knife and cuts the baby out.

Well, my now eight year old is positive that she will never have a baby.. she will adopt.. it was pretty traumatic for her. From the other moms perspective.. this is how babies come out.. all her kids were born c-section.. it was something I never DREAMED of telling my five year old..

I also realize it IS a fact of how babies are made and since I didn't take an active roll and explain that there is more than one way for a baby to be born.. she got the wrong idea from a "friend".. seriously, the friend didn't mean to scare her.. but she did.. is that the schools fault, my fault, the little girls fault? It's my fault..

If you want your kids to learn something.. teach them..

[tara]

The first I heard of this was the sleazy John McCain, the one that basically sealed my vote the other way. I would be very interested in knowing just what elementary schools are teaching sex eds to grade school kids at all, let alone not allowing parents to opt out. I don't believe it, and I wont until I see it because it's ridiculous. If it were true I think we would see the lawsuits everywhere. I think people heard the ad and ran with it, they did not bother to find out what it meant exactly or they would know it's BS. Instead it gets parroted around like a nasty high school rumor.

That is just it Connie- they hear it in school but half truths from other kids. Short of never letting them out of your sight it is awful tough to control what other kids may say in front of your kids. But, it sure is stretching to say your 10 year old who learned about sex on the bus from some other curious kid is teaching sex ed in school. I know I had a lot of misinformation from my friends at that age ( and my mother to this day will not discuss any aspect of that dreaded S word) , kids are curious. I thought for years babies came from kissing boys- I wouldn't even give my dad a good nioght kiss for years in fear of being the only pregnant 10 year old in the world (boy I was naive back then huh?) My sex talk came from a friends mom, I can still see her laughing but trying not to when I told her about the kissing. To this day I am very thankful to my friends mom for being able to talk to her.

Me personally? I think it is my place to teach my own kids but, if my child were to go to another adult including a teacher with questions that she may not be comfortable talking to me about (although I would like to hope she can talk to me about anything, I am not naive enough to think that will always be the case) , I would hope they were answered truthfully and age appropriately not given the run around or misinformation.

Now as for the sex-ed referred to in that ad- child molesters are a fact of life. I tell my children what is appropriate touching, and that if anyone were to ever try to do something that made them uncomfortable to tell me of course. However most child molesters also have means of keeping their special secrets..... I LIKE the idea of the school backing me up on saying it is okay and important to tell someone and give them tools and info to protect themselves. Most importantly their are parents that ARE uncomfortable or just don't think of it and say nothing at all. This is info our kids NEED to have from somewhere. I see nothing wrong with having to opt out, perhaps it will open the door for conversation with parents and children who think it's wrong to discuss in school, they will hear about it anyway- why not give them the correct information?

BTW Connie, the traditional way babies arrive, may not be less traumatic, lmao.