Comments on: …wondering if I’d be arrested in Wisconsin

By: Bec

Bec — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 10:56:03 +0000

To be honest, I was a little shocked when I read the excerpt from the news article, but reading on I guess I agree with you. I hope that I’ll be open and honest with my daughter, at the very least I hope I’m not embarrassed like my mum was.

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 22:00:35 +0000

The insanity of this fine country never ceases to amaze me. I suspect that if that mom instead took out a gun and demonstrated how to use it to kill “bad” people, she’d be some sort of hero.

By: Inarticulate Fumblings

Inarticulate Fumblings — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 18:32:45 +0000

Right… so tell me, what’s worse?

My parents never talking about sex, calling a penis a ‘wiener’ and a vagina a ‘peach’ and then having their children ‘fuck their way across the USA’ as soon as they left home, completely uneducated, potentially exposing them to AIDS, HIV, STD’s, and possible pregnancies (none of them, thank god

OR…

being available to talk about mastrubation, and making sexual acts ‘normal.’

Tell me. Which scenario is more harmful?

By: dana

dana — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:11:16 +0000

I’m very upset that Wisconsin, the state I live in, and a proclaimed (in Madison) “Liberal State” would even think of penalizing this mother for being honest about sex.

It makes me sick. Parents are scolded for not teaching their children about sex — sexual education teachers encourage kids to talk to their parents about sex — and then when a parent DOES talk about, she gets probation because she was too honest? The boys were 12 and 16. I think that’s mature enough, especially when boys that age are having sex.

What a ridiculous charge.

By: Shash

Shash — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 03:15:50 +0000

Wow. I just had a chat with my 13 year old son that began with “Mom, what’s a threesome?” and ended with me explaining about safe sex and monogamous relationships, BECAUSE APPARENTLY HE WANTED TO KNOW.

They’re learning and hearing more about sex at a younger age, and I want my son(s) to know the right answers to questions they may have. I also want them to feel comfortable coming to me and their father about any sexual questions they may have.

So I guess this means I won;t be moving to Wisconsin anytime soon.

Shash

By: OMSH

OMSH — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:33:41 +0000

I don’t know the full story either, but I’m flabbergasted at the time courts will spend on things like outlawing sex toys and yet there are horrible, evil, painful, obviously UNLAWFUL happenings every single day that are disregarded.

I want to go back to the time of duels, where you’d think twice before you charged somebody with something b/c it could cost you your life.

By: Suburban Oblivion

Suburban Oblivion — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:46:55 +0000

Harmful material = sex toys. How do I know this? The state of Alabama outlawed them for awhile in the last few years. Seriously.

By: Violet the Verbose

Violet the Verbose — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:30:04 +0000

Omigod. “Raise your children right - ACCORDING TO US!” WTF? Like you said, who knows exactly what the mom told or showed her kids, but that scares me - I often wonder what Sweet Pea tells her teachers about me - I wonder what she will tell who when she asks about sex. Yikes. But like you, I am not going to censor myself because I’m afraid of getting thrown in jail. But y’know what? We live in CA. We probably won’t get thrown in jail for being honest with our children.

By: ExpectingExecutive

ExpectingExecutive — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:45:15 +0000

I could not agree with you more. It is my opinion there there is an important parenting distinction between protecting your children and preparing your children. It sounds to me like the state of Wisconsin innapropriately interfered with a parent’s right (and obligation) to prepare her children.

Count me in for a financial donation to The Queen of Spain legal defense fund.

By: chris

chris — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:16:42 +0000

IF the kids asked about these things..then yes. It’s b.s. that she was arrested.

IF they did not, and she volunteered this type of information and any type of demonstrations..they maybe it was inappropriate.

I guess my point is that this is one of those cases that could be spun either way and there is no way of telling.

I am very open and honest with my kids and intend on staying that way. However, I don’t think that I would show my 12 year old a sex toy. I personally think that is something they should wait to learn about until they are older. I also don’t think you should be explaining sex on the same terms to a 12 yr. old and 16 yr. old. But much of this should be based on a child’s maturity level and etc.

Guess I’m playing devils advocate here a bit, but I just don’t think I can defend this woman without some more information on what she did and if it in fact was inappropriate or not.