The Sexualization of Early Childhood

It makes me extremely sad that I am not at all surprised that a book So Sexy So Soon had to be written. Though I worked very hard to shield my own children from such early exposure I am sure I was still not even aware of all that our society throws at children. As a parent I was very open with my children and they knew they could come to me with any questions they might have had. I even remember the day my young daughter came to me and said she wanted to grow up to look like Barbie, an impossibility for any human girl to accomplish. I worked hard to undo that damage throughout her growing years. She does not look like Barbie by any stretch of the imagination, thank goodness, and she struggles with that fact every once in awhile still. I remember reading somewhere that little girls watch all these princess movies where the handsome prince four young children alls in love with the girl and they live happily ever after. The problem is, we do not see the couple after the wedding with the Prince's underwear on the floor instead of the laundry hamper or forgetting to take out the garbage.

 

      The implication of sexualization is scary at best. Cognitively and emotionally the child's confidence with her/his own body is hampered and may cause self-image problems. Physical issues may also arise, especially for girls as they develop eating disorders in the fight to look as society "dictates" while boys develop an unhealthy desire for women who look the part. Finally, sexual develop is affected with negative and unhealthy sexual self-images. 

     Is there anything we can do to stop this negative affect on our children? Yes, but it will take hard work on both families and educators working as a team. We must first be aware of what our children are being exposed to and that will take time watching television with our children, listening to the music they listen to, and monitoring any and all technology they are using. We also can teach media literacy which is understanding that much is being portrayed in hopes of attracting buyers of a product. Many cartoons are simply a half hour commercial for products sold in stores. We can teach our young children positive self-concept that is healthy with an understanding that we may look and act differently but all is positive. We can also portray women and men in a positive light having nothing to do with sexual content which will carry over into the adolescent years. 

     After this week's study in this area I want to be more pro-active in portraying children as competent beings rather than add to any sexualization even without realizing I am doing so. I need to have more examples of healthy body images and attainable goals for all children. I hope to become more aware and an educator for those I work with as well.