The Seualization of Early Childhood

While reading the article ‘So Sexy, So Soon’, I was deeply discouraged, saddened and a bit taken aback as the article was rather thought provoking.   Although I was aware of children being sexualized at a very young age, I never realized how big a problem it was.  Gone are the days when children used to play ring games in their backyards.  We now live in an era where children from a very young age are exposed to electronic gadgets and the media which bombard them with graphic, negative messages about sex/sexuality and as a result children are growing up too fast and missing out on their childhood as they are more concerned with adult issues. While I agree that children should learn about sex/sexuality, it should be done in a healthy and age-appropriate manner.  Levin and Kilbourne (2009) explained that there is a difference between sex/sexuality and sexualization.   According to them, “when people are sexualized, their value comes primarily from their sex appeal, which is equated with physical attractiveness” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, p. 4).   Therefore, with the proliferation of sexualization, from an early age, children are learning lessons which are neither normal nor good.

One example of the sexualization of children is the Barbie dolls that girls play with.  Barbie portrays an unrealistic body figure of long skinny legs, thin waist, long flowing and perfectly applied makeup.  She is really the epitome of beauty.  This gives young children the message that this is the ideal body and that they need make-up to look beautiful.

Another example of the sexualization of children is the television show ‘Toddlers and Tiaras’.  In this show very young children compete in a beauty pageant.  For this shows children are being dressed in skimpy clothing, wear tons of make-up and hair extension,heir skins are getting sprayed on tans and they are embodied with artificial beauty such as fake eye lashes and teeth.  In this shows I believe that children are taught a narrow definition of femininity and sexuality as it encourages them to focus on appearance and sex appeal.  As such they learn that their value is determined by how beautiful or sexy they are (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009).

  

A third example of the sexualization of children is something I witnessed.  I saw a very young child about 5 years gyrating to Mr. Vegas’ ‘Bruk it Dung’.  She was dressed in a very skimpy outfit.  At some point in her dancing she actually did a split and began gyrating on the ground while her mother was watching and cheering her on.  I was rather speechless, as these dance moves are not appropriate for children.

The exposure of children to such sexualized cultures can have a profound effect on their healthy development.  As Levin and Kilbourne (2009) noted “instead of children having the positive experiences they need for healthy development, many children are having experiences that undermine it (p. 4).  These experiences teach children that their appearance and sex appeal is more important than who they are as individuals.  More so, they lessons learnt through these experiences “will shape their gender identity, sexual attitudes, values and their capacity for relationships for love and connections that they take into adulthood” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, p. 2).

As Levin and Kilbourne (2009) suggested, these messages are very difficult for children to comprehend and often leave them confused and frightened.  Therefore, as early childhood educators we need to take the time to speak to the children about these messages so as to contradict some of these negative messages.  Likewise we need to be advocates for our children as well as the families as the incessant sexualization of children through the media can lead pathological sexual behaviors such as sexual abuse, pedophilia and prostitution (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009).

Reference

Levin, D. E., & Kilbourne, J. (2009). [Introduction]. So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8). New York: Ballantine Books. Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

We live in a society that is plagued with biases, stereotypes and prejudice which give rise to various ism. An ism is the attitude and actions that surround institutional advantages and disadvantages people experience due to their membership in certain social identity groups (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). Hence, as educators we are not immune to experiencing isms.  More so, we bring our own ideals, perspectives, values and experiences to the classroom.  As such, experiencing isms can not only affect our personal live but also our professional life.    This therefore can influence the way in which we interact with children and families.

An ism which I experienced happened quite early in my teaching career was ageism.  I remember I was teaching a Grade Two class at the time.  The parent came to a class meeting and was very astonished to know that her son had a very young teacher.  The parent being young herself, openly questioned whether I would be able to nurture her son, teach him right from young and get him disciplined if she was unable to do it.  Although that experience did not hinder my interactions with the child and we were able to develop a nurturing relationship if did take a toll on my relationship with the mother.  Whenever she was invited to a class meeting she would not come.  At parent-conferencing the communication would be one way.  However, being knowledgeable on the importance of parental involvement in the child’s school I decided to ‘go to the mountain’.  Whenever or wherever I saw her I would begin a conversation with her about her son’s progress.  Eventually, she realized that I was having a positive impact on her son as his behavior at home began to change.  Gradually she began coming to class meeting and visit the child in the classroom.  It even came to the point where she apologized to me for her behavior towards me.

We are all human and experiencing isms may cause us to falter as we may feel confused, hurt or develop poor self-esteem and identity.  However, as anti-bias educators it is imperative that we engage in self-reflection and get to know our true selves so that we can counteract these negative emotions and do what is in the best interest of the child; develop nurturing, positive, respectful relationships which child and family.   Likewise if ageism was experienced in the workplace because of senior staff members its negative consequences can be avoided by creating an atmosphere where everyone is comfortable to share and discuss issues, celebrate and respect each staff member, and partake in development activities (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).  If each staff member feels that he or she is of equal importance to the program then the environment and climate created at the center will transcend to the families we serve.

Reference

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Observing Communication

Young children are very curious and inquisitive and ask many questions as they try to make sense of the world around them.  Our role therefore, as parents, teachers, adults, and the wider community is to guide their ideas as we instill in them positive concepts (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).

This week, while at the supermarket with a colleague, I decided to focus on an interaction between a child (around five years) and her mother.  They were at the fruit and vegetable stall at the time.  The child had seen a huge pumpkin and was questioning her mother about it.  “What is this?  Can I hold it?  Can I smell it?  Can I bite it?  Do people eat the skin of this?  Would it harm them if they did?”  The child was also curious about what was on the inside of this large ball.  The mother was very patient and answered every questioned that was asked.  She took the pumpkin and allowed her daughter to touch it, know it gently as well as smell it.  She then told her that they would have to purchase one so that she can see what was on the inside as well as to taste it.  

In this interaction, I feel there was effective communication between child and mother.  As Ms. Kolbeck suggested the mother was listening and not speaking for the child, she allowed the child to feel that she was being listened to and that she (the mother) valued what she (the child) was asking (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).   Likewise, the mother acted as a facilitator rather than a dictator (Rainer Dangei & Durgin, 2010), she allowed the child’s interest to guide the conversation. 

This child most definitely learned from this interaction. She most likely felt that her questions and ideas were important, respected, accepted and heard.  She felt valued and important.  As a result she most likely feels that it is safe to ask questions and voice her opinions as she has become grounded with herself (Laureate Education Inc., 2011). 

As an educator I try to always engage in effective communication with my students.  However, we are all human and sometimes I falter.  As Stephenson (2009) explained, listening to children can seem rather simple.  However, when engage in a multitude of tasks simultaneously, trying to listen to a child can be challenging.  As such I sometimes do some pseudo-listening.  One on one, I can say that I am an active listener compared to when in a group.  As such I need to practice to truly acknowledge the presence of every child (Kovach & Da Ros-Voseles, 2011) and take time to listen and effectively communicate.

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Kovach, B., & Da Ros-Voseles, D. (2011). Communicating with babies. YC: Young Children,

 66(2), 48-50.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Communication with young children [video]. Strategies for Working with Diverse Children. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Rainer Dangei, J., & Durden, T. R. (2010). The nature of teacher talk during small group activities. YC: Young Children, 65(1), 74-81.

Stephenson, A. (2009). Conversations with a 2-year-old. YC: Young Children, 64(2), 90-95.

Creating Affirming Environments

According to Pelo (2008) it is imperative that operators of child care facilities honor diversity among the children and families that they serve.  Likewise, an environment in anti-bias education fosters creative discovery and supports the notion that children have the right to develop to their fullest potential (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).  Therefore, if I was to open my own Family Child Care Centre, I would ensure that my visual and material environment was inclusive of the children and families that are enrolled in my program so that my families can feel like an intricate part of my program.

Firstly, drawing from the ideas of Adriana in the video file, I would establish a welcome and greeting room where I could greet and welcome my children and families as the children are being dropped off on mornings.  The room would also have the schedule of the day’s activities so that parents can know the activities that their children will be engaged in.   Likewise, the room would contain pictures of the children and their families (Laureate Education Inc., 2011).  This I believe would create a welcoming environment and help make families feel important to the program.

The main learning area would be made up of several sections/rooms (depending on structure of building).  In the reading section, there will be varied genres of books, with the characters and illustrations reflecting diversity.  The books will also be in the varied home languages of the families that I serve.  In the dramatic play area there would be clothes and costumes from various cultures; dolls of various ethnicities as well as those that are disabled; housekeeping items; puppets reflecting diversity; puzzles, blocks, and toys all of which would reflect diversity.  Other materials would include paper, paint, crayons of various colors; skin color bean bags (Laureate Education Inc., 2011).  All these materials would help promote creativity and critical thinking and enhance motor skills.  Throughout the rooms there will be pictures and posters depicting various cultures, family types, religions, abilities/disabilities, celebrations etc.  I would also make use of persons dolls (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010) as I believe this to be an effective way to get children to think and talk about diversity and highlight and discuss their biases.

Drawing again from the idea of Adriana, I would create a Superb Family Corner where every week a child and his/her family will be celebrated through the use of family pictures and artifacts of their culture.  Likewise a family member would be invited one day during that week to share with the children information on their culture or story.   Additionally, there would be an area/room designated to family time.  It will be furnished with sofas, lounge chairs, television etc. and would basically be a place where all families can gather for game night, movie night or any social activity that we deem necessary.  This I believe would help to forge partnerships among the families and the program and help each family realize that they are of equal importance to the program.

All in all, I would ensure that my visual and material environment depict diversity and anti-bias learning since as Derman- Sparks and Edwards (2010) noted “the toys, materials and equipment you put out for children; the posters, pictures, and art objects you hang on the walls; and the types of furniture and how you arrange them all reflect what children learn” (p.43).  Ultimately, my goal is to ensure that every child reaches his/her fullest potential.

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Welcome to an anti-bias learning community [video]. Strategies for Working with Diverse Children. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Pelo, A. (Ed.) (2008). Rethinking early childhood education. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.

Welcome to EDUC 6358

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