Levin and Kilbourne (2009) write that "children growing up today are bombarded from a very early age with graphic messages about sex and sexiness in the media and popular culture" (p 2). What shocked me most about the article was not so much the fact that children inquired about sex but that they thought that it was alright to engage in sexual acts and language as early as elementary school. I grew up in Germany and talking about sex openly is not frowned upon. In Germany, sexual education does start in 5th grade and you are introduced on how babies are conceived. However, I would have never dreamed about performing sexual acts at such a young age.
After reading the article, I began to realize how much exposure children have at a young age to highly sexualized materials or shows that are passed as acceptable. Shows like "Toddlers and Tiaras" or "Dance Moms" show children dressed up with styled hair and tons of make-up. They look more like adults than children. They are put through tremendous amounts of pain such as waxing, eye brow plugging, fake teeth, etc. and are told they need all this to be beautiful. If they do not win, they are often crying and feeling worthless because they did not win.
Barbie dolls have been around for a long time and portray a false body image. Now children don't only have access to Barbie but also Brats dolls, Tinkerbell, and other toys that portray girls in clothing and makeup that most adults would blush to wear.
As an early childhood educator, I believe that we can work against this false image and teach children to be children again. In order to achieve this, we have to make sure that the toys and materials we display are child appropriate and teach them that being beautiful comes in many shapes and has nothing to do with make up or clothing. We can give them opportunities to experiment with make up by having face painting sessions during which they can experience make up as something fun rather than having them believe they need make up to enhance their natural beauty.
As an early childhood educator, I believe that we can work against this false image and teach children to be children again. In order to achieve this, we have to make sure that the toys and materials we display are child appropriate and teach them that being beautiful comes in many shapes and has nothing to do with make up or clothing. We can give them opportunities to experiment with make up by having face painting sessions during which they can experience make up as something fun rather than having them believe they need make up to enhance their natural beauty.
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
Anna,
ReplyDeleteYou made such a great point. I do believe we can work against this false image and teach children to be children again. I believe that face painting, shows and other activites can be done in a kid like fashion. I believe as adults we just have to monitor what children do and make sure they have a complete understanding and meaning of what they are watching and hearing. Great Post!!!
Anna,
ReplyDeleteYour post is very insightful and informative. I agree with you that we can give children opportunities to experiment. The idea of using face painting like make-up was a good one. Thank you for your ideas.
Anna, I totally agree with you. Children are increasingly sexualized and the fact that they are performing sex acts so early is heart breaking. I agree with you that we need to teach children to be children again. I just think we can do it but we need lots of support.
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