The
Sexualization of Early Childhood
Paying attention to the diversity creates a strong
foundation for children to succeed in school and life-and to fully become who
they can be which becomes a vital part of anti-bias education (Derman-Sparks
& Edwards, 2010). One topic deals
with gender identity and fairness.
Building strong partnerships with families becomes essential to finding
ways to create gender-equitable learning environments that are also culturally
sensitive (Derman-Sparks & Edwards).
I fear having to deal with the topic of sexualization among
children. I was more or less kept in the
dark as a child having to deal with my identity and feelings on my own. However, I don’t want that to be the case for
my daughter. My hopes have always been
that she would feel comfortable talking with me about anything. With that being said, I will need to be
well-informed and at ease in order for this to happen.
After reading the book excerpt, I admit feeling
shocked and uncomfortable. I do believe
our children have knowledge of sexualization far too young. Unfortunately, this becomes another issue an
educator may encounter. As a teacher and
a mother of an eight-year old girl, I am very concerned about what my children
are seeing and learning.
Young children are being exposed to highly sexual
environments in the following ways:
television/movies, magazines/books, video games, and finally their
surrounding environment. Many times
children are allowed many hours of unsupervised time with these elements. However, even children that are raised in a very
controlled environment may be exposed on an everyday basis. They can simply pass by a rack of magazines
in the grocery store, watch a supposedly appropriate cartoon, or even hear stories on the playground. In addition, our society deals with this much
more openly than in the past. We have to
be educated and willing to help our children maneuver through these sensitive
and sometimes overwhelming topics.
Children encounter these issues at much younger ages than in the past,
long before they have the ability to understand or deal with them (Levin &
Kilbourne, 2009).
As parents
and educators, we need more resources available on these topics. We need to be ready and willing to discuss
issues with our children. Teachers,
families, and community leaders need to work together on these topics. As a community, we are responsible for making
our children aware and giving them the skills and tools to gain knowledge, be
safe, and ultimately successful. From
this assignment, I have realized how uneasy I feel and how unprepared I truly
am on dealing with today’s issues. I
need to become much more informed.
References
Derman-Sparks,
L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and
ourselves. Washington,
DC: NAEYC.
Levin, D. E., &
Kilbourne, J. (2009). Introduction: So sexy so soon: The new sexualized
childhood
and what parents can do to protect their kid.
Pages
1-8. New York: Ballantine Books. Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf
Hi Cindy,
ReplyDeleteI agree that we live in a highly sexualized environment. Children are exposed to sexualization everywhere and at a much younger age, it seems. As adults, parents, and family members, we must be able to communicate with our children and have discussions, as well as answer questions they may have about the things they see and hear. I had the same hope you have with regard to your daughter feeling comfortable talking to you about anything. I am very happy to say that Jasmine, my daughter, did. We could talk about anything, and even with her being 23 years old now, we still do. Hang in there! I'm sure you will be well equipped with the knowledge you need to help your daughter, and other children, navigate the sexualized culture and environment that we live in.
Cindy,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you wholeheartedly that our children have knowledge concerning sexuality far too young. I believe children are forced to grow up much to fast because of media exposure to topics and images that are adult oriented. I believe that as early childhood professionals we are advocates for children and the consequences of damaging media representation should be taken seriously—this should not be allowed for corporate gain. As you stated it is vital to talk to our children and help them to develop critical thinking skills concerning this issue. It is also important to stress other attributes besides physical beauty and promote interest in hobbies and other extracurricular activities.
Hi Cindy,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post and I can relate to feeling uneasy when it comes to dealing with the issues of the sexualization of our young children. The world is sexually complicated for all children but our job is not to shy away from it. Rather, we need to make sure we speak, listen, and guide our children every day so they can make sense of their sexualized world. You stated that you need to become much more informed. There are lots of resource materials available and this week’s resource material includes some good references for additional resources. What I have learned from dealing with my grandchildren is young kids really don't care a whole lot about sex, they just want their curiosity quelled and things put into context for them. As parents, we neutralize the onslaught of this highly sexualized world for our children when we answer their questions and act proactively by helping them make sense of the sexual messages they encounter.
Hi Cindy,
ReplyDeleteI really do believe that our children are exposed to way more than they should be. It's really scary to talk about how much they've been exposed to. Of all the topics that we deal with, I think sexualization is one that I also have difficulty dealing with as well. As we know, young children are like sponges. They pick up so much from the world around them. For this reason, we really need to make sure that we are providing them with positive examples and toys that age appropriate. We need to talk about these issues with the families we work with and show they how to select more appropriate images with their children.