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
