Circumcision at primary school - problems??

[forbetoel]

My DS7 tonight, while washing his foreskin in the bath commented to me how two boys in his school have no skin on their penis, that there was just the 'wee' hole part, but no skin on top.

He then told me how all the kids at school tell these boys that their penis looks 'ugly':(

Now, I will be truthful here and say that I am 100% against circumcision, but my heart just sank for these poor little boys.

I explained to my son that some people have their babies foreskin cut off when they are young because they think it is easier to keep clean, or because people in their religion have done so for a long time.
I made a point of explaining that it was not the boys choice, and that it was most likely the choice of his parents (assuming no medical issue) and that it was not nice to comment on anyones penis, or any other physical features for that matter either.

I said to him that mum and dad believe that a foreskin is very important for little boys to keep, but that he has to remember to respect other people and to tell a teacher if he hears any other children having a go at these boys.

I just felt sad I guess, that these little boys are being told that their penis is ugly:( That is just so sad.

I hope that whether or not we are 'for' or 'against' circumcision, that we will at least teach our children some tollerence and respect for the kids who are circed. What do you all think?

[prideNJoy]

I agree with you 110% 4B2L, sounds like you did a great job explaining it to your DS.

Those poor little boys, i can't imagine what long term damage that type of bullying may have on them. So sad. :(

[Myztik]

Poor kids :( Maybe bring it up with the teacher?

[mizmiz]

4B2L - :thumbsup: for explaining circumcision. Just satisfying their curiosity is enough to help them understand

LMAO- i love it when i hear others feeling "sorry "/pitying for circumcised boys....:laughing::laughing:

[forbetoel]

Good idea Myztic...I will do that tomorrow.

Your right Meljellybean.....it could have a major impact long term for them, and in so many ways.

mizmiz...I wasn't feeling pity because the boys were circumsised...but because they were being told that thier penis was 'ugly'....

[Lastcenturymum]

I guess there will always be boys who are 'different' just as girls get teased about the size of their breasts. Kids will always pick on something.

Yes you did explain it well, but saying that sometimes they have to for medical reasons would have been a good idea too, as it IS the case in some circumstances and it doesn't make it sound like it was just the parents choices - sometimes they have no choice and it may have been very difficult for them to have to have it done.

Gee male 'penis comparison' starts young eh? :rolleyes:

[forbetoel]

Lastcenturymum...I did mention about medical reasons too, but said that the main reason was usually the parents choice.....I did say in the OP 'assuming no medical issues.'

Obviously I gave a down scaled version of our 5 minute chat.:)

[NibbleCurlynBub]

I agree with you 110% 4B2L, sounds like you did a great job explaining it to your DS.

Those poor little boys, i can't imagine what long term damage that type of bullying may have on them. So sad. :(
:iagree: Well done, You explained it so well in so much detail.

Its horrible to be made fun of for appearance, but even worse for 'private' bits to be made fun of like breasts, bottoms and penises.. :(

Poor boys. I hope they tell their Mum's too and they have something nice and confidence boosting to say to them.

[Lastcenturymum]

Lastcenturymum...I did mention about medical reasons too, but said that the main reason was usually the parents choice.....I did say in the OP 'assuming no medical issues.'

Obviously I gave a down scaled version of our 5 minute chat.:)

Yeah no probs, wasn't sure if the brackets were spoken or your thoughts IYKWIM.

Bath time is a great time for chats too! :thumbsup:

[mizmiz]

I guess there will always be boys who are 'different' just as girls get teased about the size of their breasts. Kids will always pick on something.



Gee male 'penis comparison' starts young eh? :rolleyes:


True - my sister was called "Vinegar Tits" when she was in year 5 - she started developing early and had the small perky types.

[twisted sister]

My son was done when he was in primary school for medical reasons.

It was horrible and traumatic and he had to have a GA, stitches and a week off school.

Bascially his foreskin became contorted and was 'choking' his penis.

We kept it very quiet and didnt tell his school as I didnt want any problems for him when he went back.

I shouldve had it done when he was born IMO and I wouldnt have put him through such a traumatic event as an 8 yr old.

Also you can see where the stitches were as they left little 'lumps'

[Fuchsia!]

Poor little boys! Kids can be so cruel.

[Ashleigh<3]

The poor boys, they must be paying close enough attention whilst in the little boys room. :cool:

You'd think it would be ideal to just pee.
Perhaps their spending too much time in the restroom?

When I was in primary school they used to have a rule that groups of people were not allowed to hang out in the bathrooms for too long and during lunch breaks there was always a teacher standing out the front.

No matter how anti-circumcision I am, I would never support ridiculing a child because of their differing body parts. Especially a private part, that is just so invasive and out of line. :(

I do feel sorry for these boys, I hope they've spoken about it to their own parents and then their parents should be bringing it up with the Teachers too.

[Ashleigh<3]

I shouldve had it done when he was born IMO and I wouldnt have put him through such a traumatic event as an 8 yr old.

That does sounds very traumatic for an 8 year old.

Newborn babies do not feel any less amount of pain though. It's the same procedure, same pain.

[~Emmylou~]

Wow. I guess this will start becoming more of an issue in the next 5-10 years in the same way that uncirced boys were made fun of when we were kids and majority of boys were circed.

Well done 4boys though, you handled that really well. Your boys are so lucky to have a wise and sensitive mum :hugs:

[Fuchsia!]

Wow. I guess this will start becoming more of an issue in the next 5-10 years in the same way that uncirced boys were made fun of when we were kids and majority of boys were circed.

Well done 4boys though, you handled that really well. Your boys are so lucky to have a wise and sensitive mum :hugs:

yes, i read somewhere that back in the 70 -80's 2 out of 10 boys weren't circ'ed and now it is turned around and circ'ed boys are now the minority, 2 out of 10 boys are circ'ed.

This was just 1 small reason why we didn't circ.

[forbetoel]

No matter how anti-circumcision I am, I would never support ridiculing a child because of their differing body parts. Especially a private part, that is just so invasive and out of line.

.

I feel the exact same way Ash. It is really sad.

And just on the issue of too much time in the rest room...well as the mother of 4 children who have penis's, I can tell you that they only need to have their pants down for 12 seconds to make a penis joke or do a penis trick, or make an 'awesome' pattern with their fire hose while weeing......:laughing: :rolleyes: Oh the joys of having boys!:laughing:



Bascially his foreskin became contorted and was 'choking' his penis.

I shouldve had it done when he was born IMO and I wouldnt have put him through such a traumatic event as an 8 yr old.

Also you can see where the stitches were as they left little 'lumps'

Your poor son, I hope it somehow starts to heal. What a horrible thing for your son to go through. :hugs:


Wow. I guess this will start becoming more of an issue in the next 5-10 years in the same way that uncirced boys were made fun of when we were kids and majority of boys were circed.

Well done 4boys though, you handled that really well. Your boys are so lucky to have a wise and sensitive mum

Yes this is what I was thinking. I guess this is the generation where circumcised boys might have to put up with a lot of torment. :( When my Dh was a young boy, there was (in his words) half slugs/half soldiers...but now there is such a small number of boys done outside of the Jewish community, and my DS7 has only just seen one now, and my DS9 said he had never seen one.

And thanks for the kind words.:hugs:

[Lastcenturymum]

My son was done when he was in primary school for medical reasons.

It was horrible and traumatic and he had to have a GA, stitches and a week off school.

Bascially his foreskin became contorted and was 'choking' his penis.

We kept it very quiet and didnt tell his school as I didnt want any problems for him when he went back.

I shouldve had it done when he was born IMO and I wouldnt have put him through such a traumatic event as an 8 yr old.

Also you can see where the stitches were as they left little 'lumps'


Very similar here - he was 6 or 7. I think I felt the pain more than he did. We thought we were doing the right thing by not getting it done when he was a bub..but you never know, do you?

I don't know how his is now - hasn't let me look at it for years!:p

MizMiz - where did they come up with that? Mind you in high school we used to slang off at a redhead guy and call him ginger **** :eek: It was all good natured..I won't dare tell you what he called us back:D Teenagers!! *rolls eyes*

[Ashleigh<3]

And just on the issue of too much time in the rest room...well as the mother of 4 children who have penis's, I can tell you that they only need to have their pants down for 12 seconds to make a penis joke or do a penis trick, or make an 'awesome' pattern with their fire hose while weeing......:laughing: :rolleyes: Oh the joys of having boys!

:laughing:
I can only imagine.

As long as kids know when and where to draw the line. :)

"Oh look, you have a penis, so do I- SEE!".

Not...

"Oh, look at your Penis, that's weird looking, you're weird! Eww".

Lately I've noticed DD has been getting very curious when she's in a restroom with me.
Only a matter of time before she starts asking questions. :o

[forbetoel]

:laughing:
Lately I've noticed DD has been getting very curious when she's in a restroom with me.
Only a matter of time before she starts asking questions. :o

Mmmm yes...I have a friend who was in a public toilet with her daughter when she cried out "Oh my God mum! Your bleeding!!!":eek:

I have been thinking about this thread....I am sort of wondering if the kids are being cruel or just curious??? I am not at all defending them, it is just plain wrong.....but I am putting myself in the shoes of a 7 year old boy who is witnessing for the first time a penis that looks nothing like he has ever seen before. Yes the wording is bad calling it ugly...but maybe it is just a bit of shock coming from the kids:detective:
My son is now a little more educated on the matter, so won't even think about doing the same, so maybe that is all the kids need...a bit of education. I don't know....

[Ashleigh<3]

Yeah good point 4b2l.

I think it needs to be approached in a way that the kids will understand.
I think you explained it to your kids as well as it should be for their age bracket.

The principals*/teachers have probably had experience in dealing with this sort of issue before, therefore they may have a particular way of dealing with it.

I am guilty of bullying in primary school, but I was also a victim. It's very easy to hate on something that you do not understand and the only way to stop is to have someone step in and set the record straight. I never felt like I was being punished, but I did learn something from it. It teaches you how to respect another's feelings. They use the whole, "How would you feel if someone said that about you?". Really makes you think twice.

[forbetoel]

Yep I agree with you.

I know some kids are just nasty for no other reason than wanting to be nasty, but now I am sort of wondering if it (the ugly word) was more used as a just a statement, with no real venim behind it. Boys in general at that age are not really verbally nasty, so I really am thinking that it is more of a "wow....my goodness, look at that"

I do hate to think of how it might be in the locker room as a teenager though.

[shed]

Oh, those poor little boys. This is one of the reasons why we thought it more important for DS to look like the majority of boys in his generation rather than looking like daddy.

I think we have made the right decision.

[forbetoel]

I agree Shed. The old argument of looking like dad doesn't really stand up when you don't look like any of your mates.

[SorenLorensen]

And just on the issue of too much time in the rest room...well as the mother of 4 children who have penis's, I can tell you that they only need to have their pants down for 12 seconds to make a penis joke or do a penis trick, or make an 'awesome' pattern with their fire hose while weeing......:laughing: :rolleyes: Oh the joys of having boys!



oh thank heavens, so it IS normal :laughing:
my nephew (just turned 4) LOVES to do the patters and see how high he can get it.
the other day mum was at my car saying good bye and i had to yell at her when she was just turning around to walk away from my car becasue he decided he needed to pee (it is 'normal' for them to just go on the grass isn't it :detective::p) he was going from side to side and all around the place :rolleyes: and she was about to walk right into the stream.



but the poor boys, i hope they have told their parents and have gotten some reassurance that their penis in not 'ugly'

[forbetoel]

SL..yep very normal:laughing:

[delirium]

I really think the bottom line is that kids can be mean about a whole range of things. They tease b/c a child has a big nose, a girl develops breasts early or late, that they don't have 'popular' clothes, that they don't have the latest toy, etc etc. This is just another thing.

As for the 2 out of 10, that's debatable. We live in the country and the majority of young boys I know are circed. My dr told me that in our area, circs sit at about 60%.

[forbetoel]

I think the natinal average is about 10%...I could be wrong. BUT obviously in some areas, like in an area higly populated by Jewish people, the number is going to be huge, while in other areas the figures will be less than 2%. I only know one person who has had their son done in the 9 years since I had my DS1.

The one person I know had to travel a fair distance to have it done....most doctors won't have a bar of it.

[mummyjessie86]

4B2L - Thank You so much for saying what you did to your son. My son is circumsized, and i hope that if he encounters the same problems at school (I hope to god he doesnt though!) that he will have children like your son considerate enough to ask with mothers like you who will explain it so well, and teach their children as well as you did. Your son sounds like a real gem - you should be proud! You have done well :D

[delirium]

Well I guess it does depend. 10% though? :confused: I remember a poll here on BH a while ago that showed about 35% of members that voted circed their sons. I always thought it was about a third, with higher rates in the country.... I suppose I'm just used to most boys being done, so uncirced are the minority still in the bush. But I would give my circed son a good tongue lashing if I found out he teased a boy because he wasn't :yes:

Oh and I forgot to add that whilst you are anti circ you explained things very well to your son. I like the fact you stand your ground on the subject but you aren't nasty ;)

[forbetoel]

4B2L - Thank You so much for saying what you did to your son. My son is circumsized, and i hope that if he encounters the same problems at school (I hope to god he doesnt though!) that he will have children like your son considerate enough to ask with mothers like you who will explain it so well, and teach their children as well as you did. Your son sounds like a real gem - you should be proud! You have done well :D

Thankyou so much :hugs:, and I hope your son NEVER encounters a single negative remark EVER. It is simply not fair.

[~Emmylou~]

As for the 2 out of 10, that's debatable. We live in the country and the majority of young boys I know are circed. My dr told me that in our area, circs sit at about 60%.

Not debatable. The national rate is between 10-12% and has been sitting around there for at least 10 years.

AUSTRALIA
Neonatal circumcision rate
By state and territory
(http://www.courtchallenge.com/refs/rate1-aus.html)

I would imagine country areas are slightly higher though.

[forbetoel]

Well I guess it does depend. 10% though? :confused: I remember a poll here on BH a while ago that showed about 35% of members that voted circed their sons. I always thought it was about a third, with higher rates in the country.... I suppose I'm just used to most boys being done, so uncirced are the minority still in the bush. But I would give my circed son a good tongue lashing if I found out he teased a boy because he wasn't :yes:

Oh and I forgot to add that whilst you are anti circ you explained things very well to your son. I like the fact you stand your ground on the subject but you aren't nasty ;)

The polls on BH are not that accurate IMO. Parents who circ thier sons will be more attracted to threads and polls on them, as are women who breastfeed will be more inclined to check out breastfeeding threads, and so on....

Thanks for the last part, I just felt sorry for the boys in question.

ETA..Emmylou, yep I thought 10% was about right, and when you take into consideration the Jewish population and Country areas, it is not surprising that in some areas (like where I live) circumcising your son is barely heard of.

[delirium]

The polls on BH are not that accurate IMO. Parents who circ thier sons will be more attracted to threads and polls on them, as are women who breastfeed will be more inclined to check out breastfeeding threads, and so on....


Hmmm, well I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I feel that mums that don't circ are often very outspoken about that and will often respond to these sort of threads with the "no, I didn't circ because it's not my body so not my choice" type comments. From memory, there was a lot of these comments in the thread.

[neostudded]

That is so sad!
Poor little boy, I would be telling a teacher about this so they can do something about it. Also you handled it very well 4boystolove! :thumbsup:

[mummyjessie86]

Well I guess it does depend. 10% though? :confused: I remember a poll here on BH a while ago that showed about 35% of members that voted circed their sons. I always thought it was about a third, with higher rates in the country.... I suppose I'm just used to most boys being done, so uncirced are the minority still in the bush. But I would give my circed son a good tongue lashing if I found out he teased a boy because he wasn't :yes:

Oh and I forgot to add that whilst you are anti circ you explained things very well to your son. I like the fact you stand your ground on the subject but you aren't nasty ;)

:iagree: She did an awesome job with the way she explained it! And i too would give my son a good talking to for teasing someone for being different.

Also, with the statistics part - My son was done the day we left hospital, and the 4 other newborn boys that were also there were all being done too.

I think it kind of works in a circle, of not being done and then being done. For e.g. Back in the day they were doing it so those Men would circ their sons... then after a few years they weren't doing it so those Men probably wouldn't... Then it would come back around to their sons having sons and they would do the same as themselves again... IYKNWIM? Its just goes around in a circle of more kids being done for a while and then more kids not being done for a while and so on...

I don't know... thats just what i have noticed?

[forbetoel]

That is so sad!
Poor little boy, I would be telling a teacher about this so they can do something about it. Also you handled it very well 4boystolove! :thumbsup:

Thanks Neo...and you even went to the trouble of typing my full name, awww :o:D

[delirium]

Well if your doctor told you it, it must be true.....

:confused: and maybe it could be true too, right? Given that I actually live in my area, wouldn't I have a better idea than someone that else?? I have only seen 2 boys that aren't. There is no need to be like that. We have opposing views on the subject, just because my thoughts or stats don't reinforce your POV doesn't mean it's untrue, and visa versa. I find it interesting that anti circ research is seen as gospel, but pro circ stuff is always scoffed at and debunked. :confused:


Why would that be?

Becuase obviously if 60% are done, then 40% aren't.

[Blueberry Crumble]

The thing is, it isnt just about penises.

Kids will bully and tease about anything that a child has about their body or appearance that is different to the norm. And if they cant see something they will find something. I remember what Primary School was like.... I remember we used to tease a poor girl because her second toe was longer than her big toe!!

You can choose to not circ your sons because u dont want them to be in the minority at school, but the truth is you cant change their freckles, big ears, curly hair, height, shape of nose, size of toes etc... lol

[forbetoel]

You don't need to tell your son to tell his teacher. What's his teacher going to do? Scream "Don't talk about penises" to the kids?

The explanation of why they are different is enough.


:confused:..Excuse me? How do you know how the teacher will react. Sorry but if a child is being bullied about his penis I would expect the teacher to take appropriate action. The teaqchers at my kids school are wonderful, and wouldn't just 'scream' back at the kids to not talk about penises:confused::rolleyes:

[RHJ]

Oh, those poor little boys. This is one of the reasons why we thought it more important for DS to look like the majority of boys in his generation rather than looking like daddy.

I think we have made the right decision.

:iagree:


4B2L- well done on explaining it all to your son so well! It is lovely that you can talk so easily with him about this, and help him through his curiosity towards it!:yelclap:

[Sheer Bliss]

Oh, kids can be so mean!! I remember in about yr 11 at school (you'd think they'd be more mature about it!!) the boys talking in physics (i was the one & only girl) about having 'beanies' or no 'beanies' pmsl. The beanie boys were teased for having them, and joked around about being dirty. Silly, silly boys. It didn't seem to bother them that much though. It was a running joke for a while.

Good job on explaining 4B2L.




Also, with the statistics part - My son was done the day we left hospital, and the 4 other newborn boys that were also there were all being done too.

I think it kind of works in a circle, of not being done and then being done. For e.g. Back in the day they were doing it so those Men would circ their sons... then after a few years they weren't doing it so those Men probably wouldn't... Then it would come back around to their sons having sons and they would do the same as themselves again... IYKNWIM? Its just goes around in a circle of more kids being done for a while and then more kids not being done for a while and so on...

I don't know... thats just what i have noticed?

I think there might be a bit more to why the stats are changing. It used to be routine, done in hsopy to a newborn baby, and very easy to access. Now, as far as I am aware, it is a cosmetic surgery, offered by private drs, who charge cosmetic surgery rates. More research into it's necessity has been done, and that is more of a reason why it has changed so much. IMO it is only a small superficial group that use the 'becuase his dad is done' mentality. Both my BIL's are circ'd, they both have sons, who are not circ'd, as they thought about if the procedure was necessary, rather than how their son's penis compared to their own. There are some that still do it based on their own appearance, but i beleive them to be in the minority.

[circangel]

Perhaps your child could find out the ones doing the teasing and then have the teacher write a letter to the parents of these children. A stern talking to might do wonders.

[indigoin0z]

:yelclap:sounds like you dealt with it spot-on 4B2L:yes:



i agree with what Ashleigh was talking about...
how groups of kids werent allowed in the toilet together...
i would expect that to be even more appropriate nowadays wouldnt it???

a child can be traumatised for life in under 2 minutes with a 'supposedly harmless' prank.
i assumed 'duty of care' would be even more important for things like this in school these days?:confused:

[delirium]

I doubt it.
No where in Australia is 60% "done".

I think you may be living up to your username.

:laughing: Now now, no need to be like that, I think you might be getting a bit wound up.

I don't need to justify my personal experiences to you. Nor the stats of my dr. Maybe if he had of said 2% you would of believed it because it proves your beliefs on the issue. I frankly couldn't care less whether you doubt it or not, it's the truth.

It's a shame that you have to be so rude. You could easily put your POV across without being like that. When this petty stuff comes in, people stop listening (or reading). Your cause would be so much better served by using intelligence and respect. ;)

[PaperTiger]

When this petty stuff comes in, people stop listening (or reading).

Oh I don't think that's the case delirious.
I honestly think it makes people more inclined to read it. Everybody seems to throng around the threads with a bit of a ding-a-ling going on judging by the number of views on them.
JMHO ;)

[rainbow road]

Thankyou for lecturing me on intelligence.

And i reiterate.. There is no where in Australia that the circ rate is as high as 60%.

Not even 20% actually.

Well I would like to argue with you there.

In Caulfield, Melbourne I think you will find circumcision rates probably around 80%.

In Auburn, NSW, you would find probably about 70%.

In the country town where delirium lives (assuming it's a country town delirium!) the rate is about 60% as she has repeated said.

In my house the rate is 100%.

It's a little thing called demographics. If there is a concentrated percentage of a certain demographic that believe in circumcision then you WILL get higher rates of it.

Yes, the national average is 10% or whatever. That's not disputed. But no matter where you are, there will always be pockets where the rate is much higher.

There's no need to be rude because someone is saying something that doesn't directly correlate to your POV. I can't believe how riled up people get in the circ section!

[rainbow road]

I think you (and delerium) may be deceiving yourselves.

Firstly, it has been abandoned in Australia for more than 20 years.

Secondly, the ethnic enclave argument doesn't stand - because:

1) Islamic ethnicities are the only people who do it in Australia (Jews aren't really *noticeable*)

2) They don't do it to babies, they do it to young boys.

No where in australia is it above 10%-20%,


This is my last post in this thread and it's only to give you a little insight into the Jewish faith. (And I am not ignorant or deceiving myself thankyou, I am Jewish and know full well the practices of most Reform and Orthodox Jews.)

1) Jewish babies are circumsized on the 6th day of life. No earlier, no later. Unless it's a Saturday in which case they make an exception and it is done on the 5th.

2) The Jewish population should go *unnoticed*? I'll be sure to tell them that next time I go down to Melbourne! The Jewish population in Melbourne is not only large but also extremely vocal and passionate. In one block in Caulfield there are 6 Jewish private schools and every single little boy who attends would be circumsized, I can assure you of that. All Orthodox Jews circumsize their sons and that is not a generalisation, it is a basic fact of Jewish Orthodoxy.

3) I would confidently estimated 70% of Reform Jews in Australia (and it's more likely to be 80% in reality) continue to circumsize their sons because it is a part of the Jewish tradition. They may not necessarily be regular practising Jews but for anyone who is Jewish or knows Jewish people - Jewish tradition and culture is absolutely engrained in us, it is an inexplicable pride and that is coming from a completely secular person who happens to have a Jewish family. (My own brothers are circumsized predominantly for this reason and I ask that if any wants to earbash that decision of my parents then do it amongst yourselves, please don't involve me.)

The Jewish population is small but still important in the community. They would account for a large proportion of circumcisions and I just love how you chose to discount them in your argument because it didn't quite work for you. Once again, I was merely rebutting your claim that no one area in Australia would have a rate of circumcision of more than 10/20% because it is blatantly untrue. I'm not disputing your numbers and figures in any arena other than this.


Peace.

[Mummaholic]

BTW I think it was explained beautifully OP, well done.

[FiveInTheBed]

I think you (and delerium) may be deceiving yourselves.

Firstly, it has been abandoned in Australia for more than 20 years.

Secondly, the ethnic enclave argument doesn't stand - because:

1) Islamic ethnicities are the only people who do it in Australia (Jews aren't really *noticeable*)

2) They don't do it to babies, they do it to young boys.

No where in australia is it above 10%-20%


Have you personally conducted a door knock:confused:


...anywhoooo

I think the way the OP post dealt with her sons question was marvelous!
How many mums would've been stuck for words and said something impulsive like, "um, tell those boys to get stuffed!":p

[delirium]

I think you (and delerium) may be deceiving yourselves.

Firstly, it has been abandoned in Australia for more than 20 years.

Secondly, the ethnic enclave argument doesn't stand - because:

1) Islamic ethnicities are the only people who do it in Australia (Jews aren't really *noticeable*)

2) They don't do it to babies, they do it to young boys.

No where in australia is it above 10%-20%

Wow, I'm not sure where to start on this one :eek: You seem to be the one not informed on the subject. it has been abandoned for 20 years??? umm, ok that's a pretty weird statement. So why do a third of the BH community circ? The figures of 10-15% are of neocates, newborns, these figures don't cover circ's over the age of 3 months to adulthood for a whole variety of reasons.

As for the ethnic enclave statement you made. Jews and Muslims aren't the only ones to circ. Also, as another has stated Jewish families circ their kids very early. Your statements are all made in absolutes. Never, always, no where. Again I bow out of another thread and ask you to respect other's opinions even if you don't agree.

[xkwzit]

My DS7 tonight, while washing his foreskin in the bath commented to me how two boys in his school have no skin on their penis, that there was just the 'wee' hole part, but no skin on top.

He then told me how all the kids at school tell these boys that their penis looks 'ugly':(

Now, I will be truthful here and say that I am 100% against circumcision, but my heart just sank for these poor little boys.

I explained to my son that some people have their babies foreskin cut off when they are young because they think it is easier to keep clean, or because people in their religion have done so for a long time.
I made a point of explaining that it was not the boys choice, and that it was most likely the choice of his parents (assuming no medical issue) and that it was not nice to comment on anyones penis, or any other physical features for that matter either.

I said to him that mum and dad believe that a foreskin is very important for little boys to keep, but that he has to remember to respect other people and to tell a teacher if he hears any other children having a go at these boys.

I just felt sad I guess, that these little boys are being told that their penis is ugly:( That is just so sad.

I hope that whether or not we are 'for' or 'against' circumcision, that we will at least teach our children some tollerence and respect for the kids who are circed. What do you all think?
This thread has drifted way off the topic. This is reminder of the OP, if you have something on topic to add, please do. Any further off topic posts and this thread will be closed.

Cheers

[FiveInTheBed]

My point is that here is a mother that has tackled the issue of bullying/circumcision with her young son and should be applauded for do so...majority of replies have been from circers and non circers...but both believe she handled it without bias...

[reAllytee]

I think you (and delerium) may be deceiving yourselves.

Firstly, it has been abandoned in Australia for more than 20 years.

Secondly, the ethnic enclave argument doesn't stand - because:

1) Islamic ethnicities are the only people who do it in Australia (Jews aren't really *noticeable*)

2) They don't do it to babies, they do it to young boys.

No where in australia is it above 10%-20%



This is completely wrong.

I grew up in a rather large community of Muslims & can tell you their boys are done by a few months old.

Can also state this now because one doctor we saw about the procedure for our DS2 after his problems was actually a Sheikh & he had all the Muslim families coming in with their newborns.

[Rainbowbrite]

Closed for cleaning :)

[xkwzit]

Further off topic posts have been deleted. This thread is now closed. Thanks to all who contributed in a positive manner.

Cheers