Re: relationship curriculum

January 29, 2010

I applaud you for wanting to address this. Many parents think it is " so

cute " for their child to hug and kiss everyone. While, on the surface,

it may SEEM that way, it can set them up for disaster. Plus, it is not

exactly appropriate for a grown man or woman to greet everyone with a

full-on hug and kiss. By the time they get to high school, it's not so

cute anymore. We've had to put some of our kids on " handshakes only " as

greetings to address this issue.

A.

Special Educator

Simon Kenton High School

(859)960-0224

cynthia.jones@...

" Deaf People Can Do Anything Except Hear! " (I. King Jordan)

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From: MosaicDS [mailto:MosaicDS ] On

Behalf Of Sharon_Boucher

Sent: Friday, January 29, 2010 10:30 AM

To: MosaicDS

Subject: relationship curriculum

My daughter, Grace, is 5 years old and she is the most affectionate

child ever. I think it's adorable, but now that she is getting older, I

feel we need to set some boundares. She will go up to complete strangers

and want to touch or hug them. I try to explain that that is not right,

but she just doesn't get it. I know that most down syndrome kids are

very affectionate and that is one thing that makes them so special, but

I would like to teach her when it is appropriate to hug and kiss someone

and when it is not. I was told about the Circles curriculum and wanted

to know if anyone has used its concepts at this age? I've read that it

is for ages 8+, but it does sound like it could be adapted for younger

kids. I love the concept of the colors that is something that she

understands. If anyone has dealt with this, please let me know what you

think. Any help is appreciated!!!

Thanks!

Sharon (mom to Nick-11, Grace-5(MDS))

January 29, 2010

Sharon, My son does this also. It concerns me greatly. And I have to tell him in

front of other people not to do that. They act offended sometimes.

For one, my son has an immune system issue and we never know what virus or other

illness someone he hugs might be carrying. We try to keep him well.

On the flipside, you always know something is wrong when they do not reach out

to hug that other person (as was our situation when he was abused by a

parapro---only person he did not do that to--red flags went up everywhere). So,

I guess there was a benefit that time.

Does this curriculum you are talking about teach about this?

Never heard of it.

>

> My daughter, Grace, is 5 years old and she is the most affectionate child

ever. I think it's adorable, but now that she is getting older, I feel we need

to set some boundares. She will go up to complete strangers and want to touch

or hug them. I try to explain that that is not right, but she just doesn't get

it. I know that most down syndrome kids are very affectionate and that is one

thing that makes them so special, but I would like to teach her when it is

appropriate to hug and kiss someone and when it is not. I was told about the

Circles curriculum and wanted to know if anyone has used its concepts at this

age? I've read that it is for ages 8+, but it does sound like it could be

adapted for younger kids. I love the concept of the colors that is something

that she understands. If anyone has dealt with this, please let me know what

you think. Any help is appreciated!!!

>

> Thanks!

> Sharon (mom to Nick-11, Grace-5(MDS))

>

January 29, 2010

And you know, thinking back, a child with Down syndrome did this to me in my

son's eye doctor's office. He was literally all over me and he was at least

teenage (or older). The dad stood there and did nothing!!! I was very

uncomfortable (not because he had down syndrome, of course, but because I felt

like he was an adult groping me). I had to say to him, " That is not appropriate

for you to hug on everyone, ok? " before the dad said *anything* to him. It was

not that he did not see him, he was standing beside him and grinning the whole

time.

I did not like it on the other end of the *hug* and so I discourage my son from

doing this. I cannot catch every one and since he is still young, other people

still hug back. But it gravely concerns me that he would just hug and *go with*

anyone.

>

> I applaud you for wanting to address this. Many parents think it is " so

> cute " for their child to hug and kiss everyone. While, on the surface,

> it may SEEM that way, it can set them up for disaster. Plus, it is not

> exactly appropriate for a grown man or woman to greet everyone with a

> full-on hug and kiss. By the time they get to high school, it's not so

> cute anymore. We've had to put some of our kids on " handshakes only " as

> greetings to address this issue.

>

> A.

>

> Special Educator

>

> Simon Kenton High School

>

> (859)960-0224

>

> cynthia.jones@...

>

> " Deaf People Can Do Anything Except Hear! " (I. King Jordan)

>

> Confidentiality Notice - This email is intended only for the person to

> whom it is addressed and may contain confidential information. Any

> unauthorized review is prohibited. If you are not the intended

> recipient, kindly contact the sender by reply email and destroy all

> copies of the original message. If you are the intended recipient, but

> do not wish to receive communication through this medium, please advise

> the sender immediately.

>

> From: MosaicDS [mailto:MosaicDS ] On

> Behalf Of Sharon_Boucher

> Sent: Friday, January 29, 2010 10:30 AM

> To: MosaicDS

> Subject: relationship curriculum

>

> My daughter, Grace, is 5 years old and she is the most affectionate

> child ever. I think it's adorable, but now that she is getting older, I

> feel we need to set some boundares. She will go up to complete strangers

> and want to touch or hug them. I try to explain that that is not right,

> but she just doesn't get it. I know that most down syndrome kids are

> very affectionate and that is one thing that makes them so special, but

> I would like to teach her when it is appropriate to hug and kiss someone

> and when it is not. I was told about the Circles curriculum and wanted

> to know if anyone has used its concepts at this age? I've read that it

> is for ages 8+, but it does sound like it could be adapted for younger

> kids. I love the concept of the colors that is something that she

> understands. If anyone has dealt with this, please let me know what you

> think. Any help is appreciated!!!

>

> Thanks!

> Sharon (mom to Nick-11, Grace-5(MDS))

>

January 29, 2010

Sharon, I found the curriculum , which looks really good, BUT it is a bit

pricey!! I cannot afford it.

Here is the link:

http://www.stanfield.com/circles-main.html

January 29, 2010

Not just the awkward factor but the safety factor aswell. There are so many

sick people out there that could take the loving pureness and do horrible

things. It scares me to death to think of anything ever happening to one of our

children and being so openly loving kinda opens the door for predators. Just

freaks me out. Sorry if that scares anyone but better to be addressed than

ignored.

Sent from 's iPhone

On Jan 29, 2010, at 12:56 PM, " agirlnamedsuess21 "

wrote: