My reaction to the ideas shared in this reading is as an individual I cannot keep things away from children but at the same time sheltered them to the best of my ability. It’s good to have them know and understand things taking place in today’s society but to a certain degree. You do not want to expose them, and before you know they are learning way too much for their age. Yes, they will be exposed to the world and society images on their own, but I feel like this is where the adult or a parent should give them the foundation from a tender age. As children struggle to understand what they learn, frightens and confuses them. (Levin & Kilburn, 2009). This is true, so this is why we have to be careful what we as an adult expose ourselves to have our kids follow.
I observed the sexualization of early childhood in my personal experiences because at home I have an 8-year-old sibling. I also have a 20-year-old sister who is into makeup fashion and everything else that comes with today’s society. However, my 8 year old having to see her spend hours in the mirror would observe her. When she is finished she would sneak into her room, take her makeup kit and start to portray my sister’s image. To me, it would be like she has no clue of where to put what so I laughed at it. Low and behold, when we did see my 8-year-old sibling, she did her make-up better than I would have. She was able to do this because she spent hours and days just looking at what and how my sister did it and was able to do what she saw. This I don’t like much because it is now exposing my 8-year-old sister to the image of society. Yes, they look cute, and we might not pay attention because we are telling ourselves they are young and don’t know better, but kids take things with them forever.
Examples I have encountered in television, the Internet other types of media, are showing how it is to have a certain sex appeal in size, makeup hair, and what to eat to maintain such. Not realizing they are damaging children from a young age or body shaming them lowers their self-esteem and confidence in life. It can also cause depression, school/ people withdrawal, feeling like they don’t belong, etc. For example, when children have a dramatic play, they tend to want the prettiest dolls and would go towards dressing them in the pretend bedroom for going out on dates, with friends, etc instead of dressing them in cooking attire or cleaning attire. They already have the image in mind that this is the difference because of what was already instilled in them from what they have seen at some point either at home or from the media, internet, or television. According to Hains, (2014) says that “princess culture focuses so strongly on physical appearance that it teaches girls that how they look is incredibly important.”
I believe that early childhood professionals can tackle this problem and reduce the negative effects on young children by having consistent conversations with them to see exactly where their mind is. By doing this, you will know and monitor how to go about the sexualizations they are faced with or other areas they struggle with. We can also reassure them that they might be different, but at the same time, they are beautiful and wonderfully made by God. Changing them to please the world/society if they are not themselves would not be the right thing to do. It’s ok to be yourself and love who you are and the body you are in. If they don’t like you, it’s because they don’t like themselves either. We can also provide counseling sessions daily with a therapist to make sure they are not dealing with any negative symptoms, such as feeling neglected, suicidal, or dealing with peer pressure.
References:
Hains, R. (2014). What’s the problem with pink and princess? The marketing, not the moms. Retrieved from https://rebeccahains.com/2014/03/29/whats-the-problem-with-pink-and-princess/
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
Early Childhood Master's Education 
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the sexualization of children. I, think it is important to have an open and trusting relationship with children so they are comfortable talking about sexual images they see in the media and pop culture. Levin & Kilbourne (2009) states when children have these opportunities, they progress more successfully than they would otherwise and are better able to cope with the inevitable stresses and strains of life.
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
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Hi, Shimmy
The topic of makeup is something that mostly every girl in every country has done. How it all started I do not know, but I remembered growing up I used to see my mother putting lipstick on and it looked so beautiful. We were not allowed to wear makeup until the age of 14. That was a long wait. Today many parents are not thinking about the consequences of what makeup does to children. When asked about makeup, a parent said “I don’t think that allowing your children to play with makeup will lead to low self-esteem; it’s not as simple as that. But I think it plays a part in the wider messaging that all children receive – that a girl’s appearance is intrinsically linked to her value.”(Jessica, 2020).
Toni
Sassy Media Group, (2020). The Great Makeup Debate: Do You Let Your Kids Wear Makeup?
https://www.sassymamasg.com/parenting-kids-wearing-makeup-ingredients-lipstick/
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As a male, I can speak from this perspective. I have encountered many young boys that are trying to fit into society. When outside, all the guys are trying to outrun, outsmart the other. It’s very competitive, and to some degree, that’s good.
However, it can become a problem. Parents need the teach the art of losing with pride and trying again. As teachers we must keep the good completion going however explaining losing is not the end. Get up and try again.
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I think sexualization has a lot to do with social media. Throughout the years I have seen a lot of changes with age. It is becoming younger and younger. Children are pretending to be much older than they are. All of these can affect children’s self-esteem. It is up to us (adults) to help children know they are beautiful inside and out.
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Shimmy, great blog! You are absolutely right, having conversations and staying connected with children is a start. I love how you emphasized sharing with children that it is alright to be different and for them to love themselves for who they were made to be. If we continue to show them love regardless of the situation I believe we will help them to become such brave souls in such an evil world. Levine states, we must look for teachable moments-don’t lecture and engage in conversations we must let them have a voice.
Levine, D. E., & J. Kilbourne. 2008. So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to p
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Shimine, amazing blog! I have 2 girls. One 13 and one 5. My baby girl always thinks she can do what her older sister does. From wearing lip gloss to what she looks at on Youtube. Thats a lot to take in when you have to think about everything thats goes on with the internet. Keeping the kids from it is one thing but regulating what they watch is the biggest part. We always talk about everything they do online. No matter what.
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