I tell my kids, when they ask.

I can remember finding out about sex, when I was about seven, and all I was worried about was working out the angles!

The point of these adverts is that these things do happen to young teens and sometimes even younger. We need to let them know that drinking alcohol can make them more at risk of making bad decisions, and we need to talk to them before they find themselves in those situations.

I can't find the story about the six year old, but I'm hoping it's a myth.

Good point Blizzie.  This ad was produced because it needed to be.  Society has changed so much our 9 yr olds are being fed sex through pop videos & TV programmes.
I don't agree with the wording of this ad but we do need to give our kids the skills they are going to need to cope.  Saying No and sticking to it is the major one.
Lots of kids today never hear the word No even at home. 
The fact that we are discussing this means we are aware of the dangers but there are kids out there whose parents don't have the skills, ability or interest to do so.
These are the ones that fall through the cracks and the ones this ad was aimed at.

Yep... I totally agree with this.

If they don't have the "skills ability or interest" will they pay attention to the advert?
Kinda cancels out the argument BUT i take your point

TUFTY!!!!!!   

I was in the Tufty Club... I'd forgotten about him!

*pogo's off with "Charley says" by The Prodigy going round head* 

The kids might Renton.

TAYTO - the advert is aimed at adults - it shouldn't be up to lil children

Its this one that haunts me...

no............


you can protect them all you like........but they still need to know the dangers out there...............it's no good hiding from it and pretending it doesn't exist.....or that these things never happen...

my 2 were told from about 8 when they started walking the 5 minutes or so home from school on their own about the dangers around..........in my opinion you have to make kids street savvy......or what happens when they transfer to secondary school which maybe.....an is in my daughters case 8 miles from home??...they won't have a clue how to handle the situation or themselves.

as for the advert....i don't see anything wrong with it?....kids(and it's aiming at 13/14 yr olds plus) shouldn't be going to parties like this someone said earlier......well they do..in some cases they'll lie and say they're staying at a mates...only to bugger off to a party you don't know about.it happens....and there's no point denying it.......sometimes it's not only at parties..it can be anywhere...that's reality.

they should be told about drink,drugs and sex.......they will drink..i don't know any teenager who hasn't tried it.....a sensible talk to them makes them realise alcohol has to be treated sensibly.....you don't tell them and the 13/14 yr old toddles off and necks booze like it's water

i honestly think hiding things from kids doesn't work....you tell them...you talk about it....you make them aware.......in my opinion a 13/14 yr old with no clue will end up more frightened and unaware of how to deal with peer pressures if they have no idea....than a kid of the same age whose had the issues discussed with them.

How times have changed

I talked to my children when they asked questions and explained without frightening them to death.Or if they were going into a situation where I thought something could happen I prepared them for it. I think a lot of parents opt out of the responsibility and expect schools to do it. It beggars belief that people still can't talk to their children about important things.

Its aimed at talking to 9yr olds ABOUT wots gonna happen wen they are teens

yes it's talking to 9 yr olds telling them what may happen when they're 13/14.......but it's not exclusive to 9 yr olds is it?....do you really think children should be kept in a plastic bubble and not told things??.......some kids maybe facing these things at 11/12.....

Thinking back I think it was a letter to the paper.

I'm  v v much doubting that there is any truth in said letter

i agree with the point made earlier that issues should be tackled in as natural as possible-
I don't want to hide our children away from the horrors of the world (thats impossible) but lets be sensible and raise well rounded children built upon careful and considerat parenting based upon values, apporopriate behaviour and love and NOT showing a six yr old sex scenes that have traumatised them

Seems an odd thing to make up and write to a paper about, perhaps its just easier to explain it away as a lie.  I think an interesting point was made in The Big Question this morning.  We need to teach more about relationships not the mechanics of sex.

Ok... example of the world we are living in... and stuff that goes on...

Jelly bracelets (also known as snap bracelets)...

I found this definition: Jelly bracelets or "Snap" bracelets are a trend sex game that young teens play. Snapper means the individual who snapped a colored bracelet. Breaking or "snapping" a colored bracelet means that the individual has to perform a sexual act on the snapper. The act is determined by color of bracelet 

and I found this... one of many keys to what each colour signifies (I have heard of different versions to this)..

Colored Jelly Bracelets Meanings:
blue= oral sex
black- regular “missionary” sex
red= lap dance
purple= kiss a person of either sex
glitter purple= french kiss
pink= give a hickey
yellow= give a hug
glitter yellow= kissing & hugging acceptable
clear= willing to do anything the snapper wants

These bracelets.. this Snap bracelet craze were just starting to appear at my sons primary school last year!!   And have been rife in most secondary schools.

Its this kind of stuff that we are up against.   Thats why we have to talk to them throughout their upbringing... not just a one off sit down lecture at a set age.

Its about judgement calls...  knowing enough about your kid and their environment to know when telling them about something is right or its needed.

 

Indeed

BAN the snap bracelets - a school decision to protect the kids
It was ignored and allowed to flourish - easily sorted with minimal effort really

See this hits the nail on the head for me, i believe that teaching kids to make the right decisions  starts when they are learning social interaction skills at a very young age, i feel you dont have to fill 8-10yr old heads with what goes on at alcohol fuelled  parties, not unless they are attending them and tbh if thats the case then there are bigger problems.

Obviously there comes a time where you have to give your child extra tools to make these decisions  ie when they are getting a little more independent  and they could find themselves in situations where these things happen but until then i dont see the point in info they dont need.

Oh and someone mentioned music videos!!! They make me angry, maybe a little ott but i have the infomation  box up covering the screen if the kids are around and i ant to put the music channels on Some of them are really bad!

I think most schools do ban them! 

its still going on though!

I remember 'conkers' being banned in my school way back then, did it stop us playing conkers- Hell No

It was tippex that got banned in our school...

You sniffed it didnt you?

JENSTAR - lets me and you run away to a tropical island

I didn't! 

I did get caught using it to graffiti a desk though!

Umm lets not

You've knicked dittys tippex aint ya

 *walks away crestfallen - towards a night of drug fuelled depravity and sex*

That's the point Renton.  It shouldn't be up to lil children.  It's up to us the adults to help them out.

Sorry TAYTO - you sed "the kids might" get the message so i sed the kids should not have to.and you sed thats the point
Don't get your point there

Renton I don't believe in showing kids any kind of adult images.  I also don't believe the story about the 6 yr old.  Teachers have more cop than that.  
I think the best way to protect them is to forearm them so they can make sensible decisions.  I also think discussing things with them leads them to think they have worked it all out themselves - that and lots of prayers.  

I thought I would look up the letter.  It was from a woman in Lincolnshire (full name and address supplied).  It was her neighbour who was picking up her six year old daughter.  If it was a made up story I doubt you would give your name and address.  The film was in full colour.

Our eldest told us that at the "big" school they have lessons on how to roll a condom onto a banana at the age of 12/13

yeah.. they do teach them how to put a condom on.... and use a banana to demonstrate how to do it.

its to try to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies, and try to curb the ever rising sexually transmitted disease infection rates.

That sounds appropriate to me, part of the strategy to reduce teenage pregnancy and STDs.....Think it's important to remember here that sex education in schools is either as part of the science curriculum or PHSE with a strong focus on healthy relationships

Now that I don't agree with.  (condoms & bananas)  First of all it isn't working to stop the rise in teenage pregnancy or STIs and more importantly it makes underage sex ok.
Back to the old ways in my opinion - respect for themselves.

12 is too young for my liking

It's the parents that need educating on how to be parents! imho...