Ugh, more snow. And it is still snowing. I was hoping we were done for the winter. At least it is pretty. The schools are open today but are running 2 hours late and are on snow routes, which means we have to hike out to the highway for pickup and drop off.

I'm grateful we didn't lose power last night, though we had several surges.

Tonight is supposed to be the night when parents can go review the AIDS/HIV curriculum that will be taught soon but it may be cancelled. By Washington state law you cannot excuse your children from the course unless a parent has reviewed the material. I just want to know what they will teach so I can mitigate the information with our religious beliefs and family values.

I taught Rose about puberty, sex and pregnancy when she was 9, but we haven't really gone into STD's and prevention of STD's and HIV/AIDS. I wasn't really ready for that conversation when she was 9.

I just hate that my kids have to grow up so fast in certain areas. I know that if they don't, though, they are at greater risk. We can teach them abstinance until the cows come home, and that sex should be saved for marriage according to our religious beliefs, but it depends on the child as to whether that is the route they will go and that not everyone waits or even saves sex for a committed relationship.

So if they do go and do something stupid as a teenager, it won't put their lives at risk if they know how to protect themselves. At least we've already had the some people are gay conversation, what our religion says about it, what society says about it, and what the reality is about it (as in cousin so and so is gay and so is Mom's old friend L), so if that is brought up in the course as a risk factor its been covered.

I can't be the type of parent who will bury their head in the sand and assume my kids are the ones not doing it when they are older. It's not worth my child's life, health or safety to not be straight with them. But gosh, its an embarrassing conversation, talking about how HIV is contracted through sex (which they aren't supposed to have) or blood and how to prevent it for sure (abstinance)or how to mostly protect against it, (maybe) through safer sex. And how it can be contracted through injectable drugs (which they aren't supposed to do) and sharing needles (which they really aren't supposed to do.

My daughter still believes in Santa Claus (or says she does, she might just be greedy for the stocking). I am so not ready for talking about hanging another type of sock to help prevent this disease.

I'm sorry this is so off topic. Though financially, it does tie in. HIV/AIDS treatment is horrifically expensive. So is teenage pregnancy. And drug use and rehab. Avoiding these things, will save money. It'll save more than money. Not talking about them will cost more than we can ever bargain for as parents.