Debate flies over 'sex play' in kindergartens
 

A specialist in early childhood education in Oslo is giving new meaning to the term "sexual games," and stirring widespread debate.
Norwegians woke up Tuesday morning to news that a respected Oslo pre-school teacher, backed by child psychologists, thinks children should be allowed to openly express their own sexuality, not least through sex play and games in the local day care centers known as barnehager, or kindergartens.

The vast majority of Norwegians send their children from the age of one to the kindergartens, where they spend their days until they begin school at age six.

Pia Friis, leader of the popular Bjerkealleen Barnehage in Oslo and a well-known pre-school educator, told newspaper Dagbladet on Tuesday that children should be allowed to express their own sexuality at day care centers. She doesn't want to stifle what comes naturally.

Children, she said, should be able "to look at each other and examine each other's bodies. They can play doctor, play mother and father, dance naked and masturbate.

"But their sexuality must also be socialized, so they are not, for example, allowed to masturbate while sitting and eating. Nor can they be allowed to pressure other children into doing things they don't want to."

Friis said there's a lot of uncertainty around how day care center employees should handle children's sexuality.

"The only thing that is absolutely certain is that children, sooner or later, will play sexual games and examine each other at the kindergarten," she told Dagbladet. "When the personnel are uncertain, that passes on to the children, and it can be negative."

The issue is the topic of an article in the latest edition of the magazine published by Norway's industry association for privately owned kindergartens, PBL-nytt, and Friis thinks it's important. So do child psychologist Thore Langfeldt and family therapist Jesper Juul.

"Children must learn about sexuality, otherwise things can go very wrong," said Langfeldt. "Children can't object to something they don't know about, and children can more easily and readily report assaults if they already are aware of their own sexuality."

Juul conceded that "many are disturbed by children's sexuality, but I think it's important to put it on the agenda. That, in fact, is what we're doing."

While Norwegians are known for being liberal and tolerant, the issue already has sparked heated debate on radio programs and in online opinion forums. And some politicians are outraged, not least those on the conservative side.

"I thought at first that this was a joke," said Karin Ståhl Woldseth, a spokesman on family issues for the Progress Party.

"Sexual games don't belong in a kindergarten," she declared. "Children don't need more exposure to this in kindergartens. We think it will damage their health."

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/lo...cle2050710.ece

Good to know they won't be allowed to EAT and Masterbate at the same time - that would be soooooooooooooo anti-social.

Wait..... what other way is there to do it? :confused::confused::confused:

no comment....just that one should never talk while the mouth is full..........

And I thought Dr. Spock was a bit out there...

Birds and Bees. Heck kids in this day and age know more about sex and Computers than most people older!

The Norse people ahve always been further advanced than others.

What does this mean?

Wow people are going to try to have a field day with this one.

I actually don't have a problem with what they are attempting to do. Its execution is key though. Its not like they are going to have kids in baby orgies or anything. At least I pray they don't. I view this as super early sex ed. I mean its obvious no one in the states wants to teach their kids about sex but yet they don't want anyone else to teach their kids about sex either.

I may actually try to keep up with this.

plenty of us have had discussions with our children concerning sexuality and sex education. i would much rather inform my children of the facts and statistics and my views and feelings on the matter than have an educator at their school share their views. we also discuss politics, religion, world events, sports, history, etc. with our kids.

i think that the norwegian woman is loony. it is not her place to make the decisions she is proposing for children unrelated to her. that is the parents place.

What "decisions" would the staff actually be making?

Wouldn't they just not be stopping the kids from doing what they would try to do anyway? By this I mean, it sounds like the article really is pushing just allowing kids to do whatever they want in terms of expression, even if it involves pseudo-sexual behavior, with only the proviso that it must happen at appropriate times (i.e. "free time").

That doesn't sound particularly revolutionary nor scary - and it certainly doesn't mean the staff is "teaching" your kids about their sexuality. To feel so is somewhat reactionary, don't you think? The term "learning" does not always mean there is a teacher . . .

Hmm, interesting article. I think that allowing children to explore their sexuality is an important step in learning. We get so "bent out of shape" about our kids expressing themselves in this way because we have pretty much all been acculturated to thinking that sex play is bad or dirty. And I think that maybe boundaries will be learned and enforced in these kindergartens, and that is a good thing. If you receive the message from a very early age that you must respect others' wishes, then I think you will be more likely to carry that message with you throughout life. I could see great strides possibly being made in the area of respect between the genders.

I read your post, and then read the article again, and it is a lot less "sensational" then people want to make it. I still don't know if I agree with it.

I agree. It doesn't sound like they are introducing anything new...as much as just letting the kids progress through the natural stages of development. My only concern would be that they monitor it so that kids aren't being forced into it anything that they aren't comfortable with by other children. However things like masturbating...making dolls kiss...playing mommy & daddy are all pretty normal.