The Sexualization of Early Childhood Week 6 EDUC 6358

 The Sexualization of Early Childhood

While reading the book excerpt, So sexy so soon (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009), there were many things that I found alarming even though I am aware that the various types of media use sex to sell products to even the youngest of consumers. Even with the realization that companies use sex to sell their products, it was still shocking to read the examples of how it has affected our children and how young it occurs. “Children growing up today are bombarded from a very early age with graphic messages about sex and sexiness in the media and popular culture” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, p. 2).

I have observed sexualization of early childhood in my own personal and professional experiences. I have raised four girls and now have three young adults and one still living at home. I have witnessed the progression of sexualization and how it has affected my own children. My oldest child is now 23 and went through the Bratz doll stage. She also liked Britney Spears. Luckily, we had open communication and often had talks, mostly about how body-conscious she was compared to her friends. Because she felt safe to talk to me, I was able to guide and support her through the confusing world she lived in. Fast forward to my youngest and I can see a huge difference especially in how much younger she was exposed to sexual messages. We contributed some of this due to having three older sisters and we would have family talks about what they were allowed to do and say in front of our youngest. I feel having the early experiences with our older girls and seeing what I have seen in my professional life has helped me to raise our children to see sex and violence so prevalent in popular culture. In my professional life, I have seen girls as young as 4 have their hair highlighted and wearing clothes that are not age appropriate. I did not witness boys expressing any negative views but I did witness other girls idolizing or looking up to the girls who had highlighted hair and “sexy” clothes.

“Gender roles modeled for children have become increasingly polarized and rigid” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, p. 2). Like the example above where the two girls dressed and accessorized their hair as a teenager or adult might do, girls learn that the way they look and dress equals to success (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009). Boys learn to judge girls based on this ideal and become insensitive (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009). The messages they receive about their gender roles and the sexualization related to these roles deeply affects later relationships, attitudes, and identity (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009). Without proper nurturance and guidance, children grow up lacking “healthy attitudes about themselves and their bodies, and to have caring relationships in which sex is an important part” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, p. 4). After reading this, I can remember examples from my youngest daughter that she tells me about friends at school being sexually active or wanting that type of attention from boys. These kids are around 11 to 12 years old. I am happy that she talks to us about what she hears so we can help her understand what she hears and why it is unhealthy. We also let her know that we are saddened to hear what her friends are going through. It is really difficult to tell her what to do or to tell her that it is unhealthy for her to maintain close relationships with friends who exhibit sexual behaviors. We also tell her how important it is to report things that seem unsafe or abusive to school officials.

Another thing I have noticed in my professional life is how young children seem to become attracted to others by saying things like “he/she is cute” and “I like him/her”, or wanting to kiss another child. I have never looked at this as harmless and have done what I can to curtail such behavior by letting children know that these things are not appropriate for them to say and do. After reading So sexy so soon (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009), I have a deeper understanding that they are repeating what they hear from popular culture, advertisements, television, and movies.

 Curious about what more I could do besides having honest conversations with my own children, making my classroom environment safe, and having honest conversations with families in my program, I looked on the So sexy so soon website for more ideas. While the suggestions are for parents, I feel some of them could apply to teachers in early childhood programs. What I found to be most important is to go beyond saying no because it can be harsh, does not tell them why it is wrong and can cause harm through shaming them (So Sexy So Soon, 2010). Their tips to help parents and teachers to work together include, “Build parent-teacher relationships based on mutual respect and collaboration, share concerns with each other when problems come up in the classroom with individual children or a larger group, work to create a school-wide community that makes dealing with the sexualization of childhood a community-wide affair, and to ask your children’s teachers and school to keep parents informed about issues that come up in school related to the sexualized culture and what is being done about them” (So Sexy So Soon, 2010).

My views about the effects of sexualization presented in media and popular culture have broadened because while I did understand that the issues I raised in the blog are troublesome, I did not fully understand the complexity and severity of such issues. I also have a better understanding of how to deal with issues that arise in an early childhood setting. Just like any other issue in the classroom, we cannot brush them off because we are unsure of how to deal with it in the classroom or how to handle later conversations with the families. We need to be able to provide our families with resources on this topic just like we do with many other topics.

References

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

So Sexy So Soon (2010) Proactive Parenting Tips for Counteracting the Sexualization of Children and Teenagers. Retrieved from: http://sosexysosoon.com/tips.html

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

As an early childhood professional, I need to consider any “isms” that may impact my personal life because they can affect my work with young children and their families.  In preparing for this blog, I reflected on the many “isms” that surround both my personal and professional life such as sexism, classism, ableism, and ageism. These “isms” along with the other “isms” such as heterosexism, racism and religion-ism, make maneuvering through society harm-free quite difficult due to the “biases that are built into the system” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 3) that provide either advantages or disadvantages depending on where you fit in. The dominant culture in the U.S. that is mostly depicted in the classroom, as well as public policy/laws, is “middle-class, White, suburban, able-bodied, English-speaking, nuclear family” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p.3).

When I assessed myself based on the “My Social Identities Portrait” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, p. 31), I discovered that I identified with half of the groups that experience discrimination and institutional prejudice. The one “ism” from my social identities that I am most passionate and conflicted about is ableism. Ableism classifies a person with any form of disability-physical, mental, emotional stability; learning; behavior controls as being less advantaged than able-bodied, healthy individuals (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 31). I am passionate about this “ism” because I am labeled/classified as a disabled veteran and because of my work with people with varying abilities. Because I do not appear to have a physical disability, some people feel comfortable stating their negative, biased views about people with disabilities in front of me which further drives my compassion as well as my feelings of conflict. I am conflicted for two reasons: I did not always openly identify as a disabled veteran or openly admit I have a slight physical limitation and the gap between inclusion and placement of children with varying abilities in the education setting.

My passion and conflict around the fair treatment and inclusion of all children, especially children of varying abilities, directly impact my work with young children and their families. While I fully believe in the inclusion of all children and their families in my classroom, I feel conflicted in my capacity to help them and what is expected through policy. While I am willing to and do accept all children in the classroom, policy directs me to assess the child, inform the parents, and possibly have the child placed in a special needs classroom and that is where the conflict arises. How can I teach inclusion, acceptance, and social justice when the institutional bias/policy outweighs these concepts? My solution is to keep these children in my classroom as long as possible, to openly and compassionately communicate with families about their children, and to work together on a plan to ensure the success of all children in the classroom. As cited in Ballard (2007) “research strongly suggests that being part of ordinary classrooms and schools results in disabled children showing more academic and social learning and more integration into school and community contexts than disabled children placed in segregated special education classrooms and schools” (Crawford & Porter, 2004; MacArthur, Kelly, Higgins, Phillips, McDonald, Morton & Jackman, 2005; UNESCO, 2005). I hope to see policy change to reflect the findings of this research so others like me who feel the conflict of addressing ableism in the classroom can work towards the social justice of all children we so desire.

References

Ballard, K. (2007). Education and imagination: Strategies for social justice. The Herbison Lecture presented to the National Conference of the New Zealand Association for Research in Education, University of Canterbury, 4-7 December 2007. Retrieved from: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.511.3922&rep=rep1&type=pdf

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

Observing Communication Week 3 EDUC 6358

Observing Communication

I decided to observe my daughter’s jiu-jitsu class to see if I could identify mindful communication between the coach and the children in her class. I was not disappointed. Coaching jiu-jitsu is much like teaching in a school/childcare classroom because both are trying to teach and show children skills that involve critical thinking, physical activity, and social-emotional growth. Her coach has demonstrated that he loves teaching jiu-jitsu to children not only for the physical benefits but for the cognitive benefits as well. During the class that I observed with effective, mindful communication as the viewpoint, I was able to witness how extraordinary he is in teaching children. The children in the class are at varying levels due to age, size, ability, belt level, and time/experience. The coach was working a skill through drilling the same skill over and over until all the children felt comfortable with it. He walks around and gives tips and helps as the children take turns with their partners. For as big as he is, he has a very calming voice and never yells. One particular child was born without a hand and only has a few small finger-like digits so some of the grips required in jiu-jitsu can be difficult. Noticing that the child is trying to figure out how to make the best of it, he walked over, got down on the floor, and showed the child another way to make the skill he was teaching work better based on her ability. He could have ignored the issue or let the child pass on not learning that skill. Instead, he understood her other strengths and adapted the skill to her needs and strengths. Watching this interaction between a 6’3”, 225 lb. man and a tiny but fierce girl not only gives me warm fuzzies but it also gives me hope. Their coach not only shows empathy and compassion but he also teaches them those same attributes to carry outside of the gym.

Watching this interaction between the coach and the child reminded me of Stepehnson (2009) saying we should step back, listen, and observe children problem solve. Their coach is always observing and waiting to see if the children can solve their own problems before stepping in or voicing points of trouble. When he saw the girl had issues, he did not immediately jump in. After waiting a short time, he did go over to work with her. He listened to what she was saying then asked her to show him again and what exactly she did not like. Then they tried different things together which allowed the child to problem solve with guidance rather than the coach fixing the problem for her which reminded me that when we step back and not overpower them, children will often find creative ways to solve problems (Stephenson, 2009). This interaction also showed the same qualities as effective teacher talk such as encouragement, positive feedback, responding to the child’s needs, acknowledging the child’s knowledge, and affirming her self-worth (Rainer & Durden, 2010).

This interaction between the coach and the child made her feel like she was just as able as anyone else in the class and increased her feelings of self-worth. It also helps her relationships with the other children in the class because they see the coach does not treat her more gently than he does with any other child. In class, they are equals which would give her the confidence and ability to demand that same type of fairness outside of class.

Watching this interaction reminded me of my own communication style because I also like to speak in a soft, friendly tone to convey my compassion and understanding. We both also like to relate to children by relaying back to the child what we hear. I think this not only helps in understanding the issue but also aids in allowing the child to problem solve.

One thing I would like to improve on is slowing down. Sometimes I feel hyper-focused on one issue or one child having an issue rather than how it affects the whole classroom. I realize problems affect the whole class but instead of feeling the urgency of it, I want to slow it down, take a step back, and look at it from the perspective of all the children.

References

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 EDUC 6358 Week 2

Creating Affirming Environments

If I were to open my own Family Child Care Home, I would want to make sure to include many things to ensure all children and their families feel welcome and respected. The classroom/childcare environment is vital to the way children and their families learn and feel and should be built upon mutual respect. The diversity of each family should be represented in the classroom. Teachers should spend time at the beginning of each year to learn about the children and their families so that the classroom or child care environment equally represents this diversity (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).

At the beginning of the year, I would have an intake meeting to get to know each family. Before the intake, each family would receive an email asking that each family bring in a family picture to display in the common area or classroom of the child care home. If they were unable to attend the intake, I would be sure to ask them for a picture at our initial meeting or on the first day of attendance for their child. I feel that family pictures not only connect the child to their family, but it also helps the other children to see the similarities and differences between families (Laureate Education, 2011). The child care setting would also be full of pictures depicting cultures from all over the world because children also need to see and appreciate the diversity that they do not experience in their community (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).   

Other than the diverse pictures, I would also have dolls, toys, and books that also represented the diversity in and out of my child care setting. Children should be able to see themselves represented throughout the environment as well as being able to explore other cultures and backgrounds (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010). Having all of these things that represent both the different cultures in and out of the classroom will give the children the dialogue they will need to speak up for injustices that they may see in the future (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).

Much like Adriana Castillo in this week’s media segment, I would also include an area for children and families to go if they need extra time to join the rest of the children (Laureate Education, 2011). I would have an area for children and their families to sit and read. This area would also include information about my child care policies and references to outside resources (Laureate Education, 2011). I would also have a “quiet area” for children to go when they are not ready to participate. This area would include a lot of comfy pillows to relax on and a picture chart depicting several different emotions that they may be feeling at the time. Being able to see their emotions in a picture will help them to identify how they are feeling so they can explain this feeling to the caregiver.

Overall, I would hope that my Family Child Care Home feels welcoming to all that walk through the door. Adriana Castillo said that “her best hope is that they can grow up with love, with respect” (Laureate Education, 2011). Her hope summed up my feelings as well. I would want children in my care to feel love, respect, as well as safe and supported.

Lastly I would post the anti-bias commitment pledge (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2018) in the front area where the families bring in their children to my Family Child Care Home. Not only does it show my commitment to children and their families, but it would also serve as my own reminder of the importance of anti-bias education. 

References

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).
Derman-Sparks, L. & Olsen Edwards, J. (2017). Living our commitments: A pledge to all children and families. Exchange, 39(234), 32-35. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. 

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children: Welcome to an anti-bias learning community. Baltimore, MD: Author

Week 8 - What I Have Learned

What I Have Learned

One hope that I have when I think about my work with children and their families from diverse backgrounds is that they feel respected, appreciated, and welcomed in the classroom. I want them to realize that they bring value to the classroom and that I learn as much from them as they do me. I also want to make sure that their needs are met through open and honest communication. I hope that when both the child and the family leave my classroom that they feel empowered to accomplish whatever they set out to do because I have done my best and have given them the tools to do so.

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field in regards to the issues related to diversity, equity, and social justice is that the entire field comes together to realize the importance of anti-bias education. All early childhood programs should be in the practice of teaching tolerance and acceptance of all children and their families. Until we all see the value of all people, we will not see the social change we so desire. I look at early childhood as the foundation for all other growth. So as early childhood educators, we are working at the ground level where all great things will be built upon if we teach equity and social justice. If we show children that we know that they are smart and kind, then they will grow up to be smart and kind and will be more likely to thrive (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010, p. 1). Nothing is more important than making sure all children are able to succeed and are able to live in a more just world.

I want to thank each and every one of you for all of your hard work and dedication to the early childhood field. I also want to thank you for the kind words, input, and insights you have shared with me throughout this course. I have had many of you in every single course here at Walden and I have enjoyed sharing this journey with you. I wish each and every one of you continued success. See you in the New Year!

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children

and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Week 7 Diversity Poem-Creating Art

Diversity

Diversity is within us.

Diversity is around us.

Diversity is what makes us unique.

Diversity is what binds us together.

Diversity is what makes us whole and strong.

Diversity is to invite love and understanding and

Diversity is acceptance of our differences into our lives and into our world.

Diversity is work, resiliency, and perseverance.

I wrote this poem based on my perceptions of diversity and based on what I have learned during this course. In this course and throughout my coursework at Walden University, I have learned the importance of understanding my own diversity and biases and how they play a role in the way I perceive others and how I communicate with them. I have a deeper understanding that even though I want to be accepting of all walks of life, my biases can hold me back from acting or behaving in the most appropriate ways. This is why I mentioned acceptance, work, resiliency, and perseverance. I should have also added acknowledgment to my poem. I have learned that it is okay to admit you do not fully understand someone else's viewpoint or that you do not agree with that viewpoint but can still accept them for who they are. Harro's (2010) cycles of socialization and liberation really helped me to see the ways I have changed and the ways I need to improve to make positive changes. 

References

Harro, B. (2010). The cycle of liberation. In M. Adams, W. Blumenfeld, C. Castaneda, H. W.

Hackman, M. L. Peters, & X. Zuniga (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social justice (Figure 7.1 on p. 53, 2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Harro, B. (2010). The cycle of socialization. In M. Adams, W. Blumenfeld, C. Castaneda, H. W.

Hackman, M. L. Peters, & X. Zuniga (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social justice (Figure 6.1 on p. 46, 2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Start Seeing Diversity Week 6 EDUC 6357

Start Seeing Diversity 

It is natural for children to notice the differences around them. It is their way of figuring out the world around them and where they fit in. It is often our reactions to their questions that send them the wrong messages about what they see.

I witnessed a child asking her mother why another child was in a wheelchair. The mother did not answer her, Instead of answering her, she told her child not to stare at the child in the wheelchair. I had my youngest daughter with me and she immediately asked me why that mother did that. I told that my daughter that some people are not sure how to handle those types of situations. My daughter looked at the child in the wheelchair and the mother, smiled, then said and waved hello to them.

What I know from this experience is that children learn about our differences through what they learn from the adults around them. The child who asked why the other child was in a wheelchair was just noticing these differences and trying to make sense between what she knows and what she sees. The child had not yet formed any judgments/biases about these differences until the mother confirmed that noticing differences is shameful or wrong. It also marginalizes the group of people who are differently-abled by making them seem not “normal” and dehumanizes them.

If this child were one of my students and told me about this situation, I would have used what I have learned through my experiences and through what I have learned about anti-bias education to guide the child to better understand the differences around us and that it is okay to explore these differences. I would let this child know that he was not wrong in noticing that the child in the wheelchair was different from him (Laureate Education, n.d.). Instead of noticing differences as something shameful, we could begin to explore people with varying abilities through books, picture cards (Laureate Education, n.d.), and through answering children’s questions (Hall, 2008). Through my experiences with working with people with varying disabilities, I would be able to explain to my students how much they have in common with them. All children want to learn, play, and to be loved and appreciated. They have family, friends, and classmates. I feel by making these connections would help children see them as people rather than something taboo that they should not notice or talk about. We want children to feel that they are free to ask questions in order to create a world with less bias and prejudice. Until we show children we need to change how we value others, we will not be able to move towards creating change (Harro, 2010).

References

Hall, K. W. (2008). Reflecting on our read-aloud practices: The importance of including

culturally authentic literature. Young Children, 63(1), 80–86.

Harro, B. (2010). The cycle of liberation. In M. Adams, W. Blumenfeld, C. Castaneda, H.

W. Hackman, M. L. Peters, & X. Zuniga (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social

justice (Figure 7.1 on p. 53, 2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Start seeing diversity: Physical ability and characteristics [Video

            file]. Retrieved from:

https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Start seeing diversity: Race/ethnicity [Video file]. Retrieved from:

https://class.waldenu.edu