At what age should children learn about homosexuality?

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St.Claire

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At what age should children learn about homosexuality ?
**How exactly would you explain homosexuality to your children? **
 
I have heard the term, ‘age of reason’. This can be somewhat different for each child. However, around the age of 9 should be the time for this discussion.

Just make sure that you teach them the Church’s statement ont his subject and Not let them be influenced by the secular education system.

God IS with Us!
Edwin
 
I voted 8 and up, but really - to me- it depends on each child and if it comes up before then. Also, at 8 I might give a very brief explanation if it came up, but perhaps a more detailed one at 12.

God Bless, Nicole
 
My young friend was having trouble with being Catholic, raised in a secluded old fasioned town, this ismy memory of a repeated conversation…

Mom “Well there has been alot about the church in the news lately,”

Daughter “I know”

Mom “What does it make you think”

Daughter “It makes me not like the Church as much”

Mom “Why”

Daughter “The priests and that they don’t allow gay marriages”

Mom, “Yes, it is terrible that some priests have sinned”

Daughter, “Ya”

Mom, “what do you say that about gay marriages?”

Daughter “Well its just furter proof that the catholic church dosn’t believe in happy marriages”

My friend’s mom never realized that her daughter had no clue what a homosexual relationship was…my friend thought that the church opposed happy “gay” marriage…
 
My eight-year-old boy doesn’t know about sex, much less homosexuality. I certainly wouldn’t discuss it with him at this tender age.

When he was only 5 years old, some older kids called him “gay” when he was hugging a friend of his. My son came home and asked me what “gay” was. I said, “happy.” He said, “No, mom. The way these boys said it was very mean.”

I then told him that gay was a mean word when used like that and that in our family we don’t call people names.

I certainly wouldn’t have regaled him with a story about homosexual sex.
 
Funny this should come up. Just yesterday my daughter asked what gay means (she’s 9). I said well sometimes it means happy. She said yeah I know but it can mean something else right. I’m sure she’s heard it talked about in a negative way. I said it can also be used like someone or something is dorky. I know, great response but it meant that when I was growing up. I couldn’t bring myself to tell the other meaning. I wasn’t even sure if it was appropriate for her age. She homeschooled other wise I’m sure she would know already.
 
If it came up before a kid new about sex Id just say “most men/women choose to spend their life with another man/woman. but sometimes, people choose to spend their life with someone who is of the same gender and they are called gay.” most kids will probably shrug it off. one funny story to tell is that my neighbor who was like 8 at the time and really clueless asked her mom what gay was and her mom said “well you know most people choose a partner of the opposite gender. gay people choose someone of the same gender.” and my neighbor said “well im gonna choose a dog as my partner because i like them” haha!
 
I firmly believe that parents should provide their children age appropriate explanations of things that the child will hear discussed on the news or from classmates. As Catholic parents, we should make opportunities to discuss our values in the context of our Catholic faith. We should explain in very general ways such things as abortion, homosexuality, sex, out of wedlock pregnancy, illegal drugs, rape, and similar. It is not necessary to go into inappropriate detail but rather provide a sense that we as Catholics believe certain behaviors are pleasing to God and other behaviors are sinful. When my child was in first grade, the TV news had unending detail about Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Although we didn’t watch TV, the kids at school talked about the scandal. I explained to my child that President Clinton was doing things with another woman that God wanted him only to be doing with his own wife. Regarding homosexuality, children can understand that God wants us to marry someone of the opposite sex but some people think they love someone of the same sex.
 
When they start asking questions or its obvious by their reactions they have noticed something “not quite right”.

This also applies to sex or drugs or what ever. But if your try and tell them when they are to young, all you will get is a"blank stare"

Like any issue,only the parent knows when the time is right to tell children about such things. My own son who is 11 didn’t even know anything concerning the abortion issue until this years Right To Life March. We have NO abortion clinics in my town (Praise God), and NO planned parenthood, (Amen to that), so does not hear of this issue, we so rarely watch the news. 👍 When he watched the March with me, he asked TONS of questions 👍 , I was open and honest and at times, graphic, Now he fully understands and hates the thought of abortion and believes that EVERYONE involved should go to jail. Don’t be to hard on him, he is still just a kid, but he’s not to far off from being totally right.
 
I voted for 8 and up but I realized after I voted that maybe it would be better to explain to children when they’re exposed to it like I had to do with my children just a few months ago.

This last September 2004 two active (practicing) homosexual men enrolled two of their four adopted children into our parish school. The men are openly Gay, they wear wedding rings, live in the same house, attend Mass together and bring their children to school together. The men are visible and active in the school and church. One of the men was volunteering in the kindergarten class and the other heads up the school website. Both of the men are affiliated with Gay Advocacy organizations.

I feel now that we as Catholic parents have an obligation to explain to our children that marriage can only be between a man and a woman. If we fail to do this then it won’t be long before our children begin to believe that having two moms or having two dads is okay. This is how society changes its way of thinking. Things are slowly introduced :hmmm: until nothing is shocking and who is the most impressionable and easiest to influence? Our very young children are.
 
I clicked OTHER;

At the same age parents teach their children about the birds and the bees.
 
GloriaPatri4 said:
** This is how society changes its way of thinking. Things are slowly introduced :hmmm: until nothing is shocking and who is the most impressionable and easiest to influence? Our very young children are**.
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Unfortunately, you are absolutely right that this is how our morals and values become undermined. And this is why it is essential that we as Catholic parents remain ever vigilant to what our children are exposed so that we can counter those influences which are contrary to our faith and values.
 
I put 6-8, only because that is when each of my children started asking THE questions. We have always given them truthful, honest answers. By third grade, they have all known the basics, including that some people choose (wrongfully) people of the same sex to be intimate with. We explain that this is against God’s will for us and hurts God. FWIW, they have also known what abortion is from about age 3-4. Our parish has a very active prolife group, and many of the men include their children of all ages in various activities.

Knowledge is power.
 
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Catholic90:
I put 6-8, only because that is when each of my children started asking THE questions. We have always given them truthful, honest answers. By third grade, they have all known the basics, including that some people choose (wrongfully) people of the same sex to be intimate with. We explain that this is against God’s will for us and hurts God. FWIW, they have also known what abortion is from about age 3-4. Our parish has a very active prolife group, and many of the men include their children of all ages in various activities.

Knowledge is power.
Click to expand...
Why on Earth should a three-year-old know about abortion?! Do you plan on giving them nightmares or do you want them to start picketing and a letter writing campaign. My goodness, I wouldn’t let my children at that age see anything about Bin Laden, the Twin Towers, the Holocaust, etc. I think they have time enough to learn about the evils of the world, and I don’t understand why you would mar their naivete, wonder and innocence if you don’t have to.
 
I checked off 8 and older, however I have given it more thought and I think it is when they ask questions or are exposed for some reason or another. Family situations are all different as well as kids being all different.
 
I clicked other for lack of experience in childrearing. I’ll let you parents decide but be guided by the Church as always.
 
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Fitz:
I checked off 8 and older, however I have given it more thought and I think it is when they ask questions or are exposed for some reason or another. Family situations are all different as well as kids being all different.
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I had the same thought. There are some children who are exposed to homosexuals at a very young age so maybe if the subject comes up give an explanation. But I wouldn’t bring it up without a good reason. I learned later in life that our next door neighbors were homosexuals. We just knew them as Joe and Bill. I was seven years old and frankly unless someone makes it an issue I suspect most seven year olds just do not think about adults’ sex lives. We knew them as two men who lived in the same house. Big deal. No detailed explanation was necessary.

However there are some places where you will encounter a lot of homosexuals. If your child decides she wants to show horses she will see a plethora of homosexual males involved in this world. I’m thinking of a girl in our barn who started riding at about age 6 or 7. The trainer was a homosexual man but thankfully has kept his private life OUT of his profession. So she never thought anything was different about him than other horse trainers. The subject of the man’s sex life didn’t come up in conversation and isn’t that a really nice thought? I wish it were as easy to avoid all the homosexual exposure on TV, radio, advertising, not to mention schools.

Silly me growing up in the dark ages, I had no CLUE what a homosexual was until I was in my late teens. We did know some men seemed effeminate and my gym teacher, I learned later was a homosexual. But we never thought about it. She was just the gym teacher who wasn’t married. We had lots of unmarried teachers. In those days we just didn’t obsess over everyone else’s sex life. Why do we think we need to know?

Lisa N
 
Lisa N:
I had the same thought. There are some children who are exposed to homosexuals at a very young age so maybe if the subject comes up give an explanation. But I wouldn’t bring it up without a good reason. I learned later in life that our next door neighbors were homosexuals. We just knew them as Joe and Bill. I was seven years old and frankly unless someone makes it an issue I suspect most seven year olds just do not think about adults’ sex lives. We knew them as two men who lived in the same house. Big deal. No detailed explanation was necessary.

However there are some places where you will encounter a lot of homosexuals. If your child decides she wants to show horses she will see a plethora of homosexual males involved in this world. I’m thinking of a girl in our barn who started riding at about age 6 or 7. The trainer was a homosexual man but thankfully has kept his private life OUT of his profession. So she never thought anything was different about him than other horse trainers. The subject of the man’s sex life didn’t come up in conversation and isn’t that a really nice thought? I wish it were as easy to avoid all the homosexual exposure on TV, radio, advertising, not to mention schools.

Silly me growing up in the dark ages, I had no CLUE what a homosexual was until I was in my late teens. We did know some men seemed effeminate and my gym teacher, I learned later was a homosexual. But we never thought about it. She was just the gym teacher who wasn’t married. We had lots of unmarried teachers. In those days we just didn’t obsess over everyone else’s sex life. Why do we think we need to know?

Lisa N
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I agree. That puts the blame on us who dabbled with it. It wasn’t the brightest idea but I think we can all get over this and return to normal.

Ugh. Vacation’s winding down I have to go to work tomorrow.😦
 
It’s a tough question.

On the one hand, it is vitally important to preserve our children’s innocence.

On the other hand, by never discussing issues like this with their children, parents can be ignorant of things they vitally need know know. Case in point: I know of several people who had homosexual encounters before the age of 10 that their parents were never aware of.

Like I said: tough call.
 
I believe children should learn about homosexuality BY THEIR PARENTS. Since public school systems seem want to shove it down people’s throats, and there are sexual predators out there, I think they should learn about it when they are about 5 years old. They don’t need to know the details of it- they just need to know the facts of life, and they need to know that some people are attracted to people of the same sex- but that sex belongs in marriage and marriage can only be between a man and a woman.
 
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