Kindergarteners doing drugs and alcohol?

[fabumouse]

My DD age 5 just came home with the itinerary for next week - a big "red ribbon" anti - drug and alcohol program for her school. Her school is pre-K through second grade.

All the parents received a "pledge" to sign to keep our kids off of drugs and alcohol - and otherwise keep them "healthy".

Am I wrong to think that it's a little confusing for kids this age to have this discussion? A friend of mine said her daughter refused to go to the "drug" store for months after she experienced Red Ribbon Week.

 

[SillyMe]

Well, considering that the older elementary students are being caught with drugs in school...it's a wise decision to teach the little ones what drugs are and the dangers of them.

 

[disneydancer1969]

My neighbors kids got those things. our schools here are k-5.
but still i still leave a ?

 

[Not so Dumbo]

my DS6 just had the same presentation at his school. I think if they catch them before it's even an issue, then they stand a better chance of being able to turn them down when and if the issue presents itself. If not at this age, then at what age? And at what point does it become either less effective or sadly too late?

 

[disneydancer1969]

Well, considering that the older elementary students are being caught with drugs in school...it's a wise decision to teach the little ones what drugs are and the dangers of them.

they are? the schools around where i live have students who don't even bother until 6th grade in mid school. i have never heard of that?

 

[SillyMe]

they are? the schools around where i live have students who don't even bother until 6th grade in mid school. i have never heard of that?

6th grade is still elementary in our schools. A few years ago two 6th graders got caught with marijuana in school. They got it from the one kid's father. I don't know if he stole it from his dad or what, but he took it to school.

 

[EEYOREMAMA]

School's in this part of Florida believe that the younger you tackle an issue the better off the children will be. They have to have the facts to understand why it's wrong to do "the wrong things."

The schools know a lot of parents wait to have these talks, and sometimes it's too late. We've known kids in the younger grades who were using - WITH their parents. They didn't know it was wrong, because obviously, mom and dad didn't think it was.

I'm not sure there is actually a "too young" to know anymore policy. How sad is that?

I see it every day in middle school. It breaks my heart to see young lives wasted before they have a chance to begin.

 

[SplshMtnLvr28]

Alrighty.

We had a lockdown & drug search today at my school... when I get home my dad asks if they had one at my brother's elementary school. I found it funny, but it's kind of weird that they're sending those kind of letters home with kindergarteners... But you know is it hard to keep those little buggers off the pipe...

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Oh yea..it is "Red Ribbon Week". 10yodd is supposed to wear red on Monday.

You know I find it to be good to opening up discussion between kids & parents.

The dialogue never ends....

 

[Tigger&Belle]

It's Red Ribbon Week at our elem school next week, too. I explained it to my 1st grader on a very basic level. I don't know that he had a clue what I was talking about, however.

I do have a funny story about this, though. My 16yo was babysitting for the kids next door and the 8yo had to write a poem for Red Ribbon Week. Her poem said something like, "I tried drugs once, but they turned me into a monster...". My son didn't want to correct her and figured that her parents would work with her, but then when he got home he suddenly started to worry that her parents would think that he helped her with the assignment and that he told her what to write. I did talk to them another day and we got a good laugh about it (and they did have her change her poem ).

 

[DISUNC]

My DD age 5 just came home with the itinerary for next week - a big "red ribbon" anti - drug and alcohol program for her school. Her school is pre-K through second grade.

All the parents received a "pledge" to sign to keep our kids off of drugs and alcohol - and otherwise keep them "healthy".

Am I wrong to think that it's a little confusing for kids this age to have this discussion? A friend of mine said her daughter refused to go to the "drug" store for months after she experienced Red Ribbon Week.

How can a 5 year old comprehend drugs and alcohol abuse? MOST ADULTS have problems understanding this!
I agree with you Op. Definately toooooooooo young! Maybe just mention it in passing , but not devoting a week to it

 

[dmslush]

They did that with dd when she was little. That and the aids discussion. The drug discussion included smoking, over use of prescriptions, everything that you can think of. It gave us the opportunity for many discussions, as I was a smoker at the time. I could tell her first hand what an addiction was like.

The aids talk.. I can't say that I agree with the way that was conducted. She was taught about it being contracted through blood and body fluids. And they were given certain safety lessons, if you see someone bleeding, don't touch the blood. So, all of a sudden, she stops eating chicken. Now, chicken is a huge part of our diet, I mean we each chicken two or more times a week! And she refuses.

It took MONTHS before she told me that she was afraid that she would catch aids from the chicken meat! Turns out, the teacher didn't elaborate and tell them not to touch HUMAN blood, but rather just told them not to touch blood. Well, when I would be preparing the chicken, she would see blood on the carving board and thought she would catch aids from it

But, besides that little glitch, she is now almost 15 and none of these talks that were given to her in school have harmed her!

 

[singingpixie]

I think we started covering topics like that in early elementary school when I was young. I remember being somewhere around 2nd or 3rd grade specifically, and talking about drugs in the "use (like taking medicine by following the directions), misuse (like taking medicine but not following the directions) and abuse (like doing illegal drugs)" categories, so as not to make us refuse to take tylenol. I don't really know what good teaching kids about not doing drugs does (I certainly knew enough who grew up to experiment extensively) but I don't see the harm in doing it young. By 3rd or 4th grade, some kids are "too cool" to listen to authority figures, but most kindergarten or 1st graders think their teachers know everything.

 

[Not so Dumbo]

By 3rd or 4th grade, some kids are "too cool" to listen to authority figures, but most kindergarten or 1st graders think their teachers know everything.

Yes!!! I think you just hit a home run.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

I'll tell ya my kids went through the same program starting in kindergarten and they are very anti drugs and smoking 8 years later. I'll take it!

 

[fabumouse]

By 3rd or 4th grade, some kids are "too cool" to listen to authority figures, but most kindergarten or 1st graders think their teachers know everything.

Wow - that does make me sad (about how little time I may have left).

But if that's the case -I gues I'd rather have the conversation earlier rather than too-later.

 

[DisneyPhD]

I think we started covering topics like that in early elementary school when I was young. I remember being somewhere around 2nd or 3rd grade specifically, and talking about drugs in the "use (like taking medicine by following the directions), misuse (like taking medicine but not following the directions) and abuse (like doing illegal drugs)" categories, so as not to make us refuse to take tylenol. I don't really know what good teaching kids about not doing drugs does (I certainly knew enough who grew up to experiment extensively) but I don't see the harm in doing it young. By 3rd or 4th grade, some kids are "too cool" to listen to authority figures, but most kindergarten or 1st graders think their teachers know everything.

I agree. I also think it can be very effective at a young age if done right. 5 year olds don't need the same details and info as 5th graders do. H.S. need more info and details then 5th graders (names of drugs, nick names, signs of drug uses in friends, what to do if they think friends are using, where to get help if someone you know is using, risks and effects off.)

I talk to my 5 year old about cigarettes, and drinking, why not drugs? She does know she is never to take any medications unless mom or dad or a trusted adult gives it to her. I just haven't gotten ready for it, but this has gotten me thinking about how to introduce the topic, with the info she needs, but not more then she can comprehend at this time.

 

[singingpixie]

Wow - that does make me sad (about how little time I may have left).

But if that's the case -I gues I'd rather have the conversation earlier rather than too-later.

Don't be sad, it's certainly not every kid who "grows up" that fast.... but there definitely are some, and if there's some we catch that we wouldn't by waiting, it's worth it.

 

[Beth76]

My son is in K and his school is doing Red Ribbon Week too. I don't have a problem with it.

 

[Saphire]

This was always a problem in our house...my kids being taught that drugs are 'bad' while I tried to teach them drugs are good (when used properly). The problem is the schools don't go into great detail about that fine line. I had my third grader telling me I shouldn't be taking tylenol, because I was "taking drugs". That's when I knew there was a problem with the 'drug education' program at the school. I quickly got on the board of the 'Drug and Alcohol Education Committee' and became educated on why this was being taught in the early grades. I did learn a few things but still disagree with the introduction of such concepts at the elementry level. Kids that age see things in black and white, and it is wrong to introduce such gray areas to them, it misleads them. Anyway, I could go on and on, but I agree with the OP, it is confusing and too soon to be talking of such things. Save it for middle school, and let our kids be kids.