Reflecting on Learning

When I changed from adult education to diversity, I did so because of a new-found passion.  Our last 2 classes have intensified this passion, changing my thought-process forever.  I understand that stereotypes that were a part of my childhood; this realization is the backbone for my growth.  I wish that I could sprinkle some pixie dust and change the world into one that is accepting of all… a world where our differences are valued and celebrated.  While I cannot alter what occurred in my preschool, I can work to change future classrooms.  I can share (and will share) my new-found knowledge with early childhood professionals during every workshop and class that I teach. 

My hope for the future of early childhood is that EVERY child is able to attend a pre-school program where an anti-bias curriculum is being infused in the school’s every day curriculum.  With today’s changing population, it is no longer an option.  Young children need to understand the importance of accepting, and celebrating, our similarities and differences.  Extending this knowledge to families is the icing on the cake.

At this point, it is almost impossible to comprehend that we are almost at the end of our Master’s journey… 1 more class to go!  It has been an amazing ride, and I would not trade one minute of it.  Thank you to my colleagues for sharing a part of themselves with us each week via our discussions and blogs.  Our honesty has enabled us to grow individually and as a group. 

Here’s to our final step… I wish you a fantastic next class, and I look forward to working with many of you!  I know many of us will keep in touch…

 

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

On the UNICEF website, I researched the region of Latin America and Caribbean.  I chose this area, because I am somewhat familiar with this area, although I have mixed emotions.  I have been to the Caribbean several times via a cruise ship, and without a doubt, I will be back.  While my husband and I have enjoyed the beautiful beaches, amazing shops, and spectacular beach-front homes.  This is what we saw on most of our tours.  Then, this past year, we took a tour through Belize, and after seeing some spectacular homes and beaches, we traveled by bus through some of their poverty-stricken areas.  First of all, I was scared that we would be attacked (really I was).  But, more so, I was in shock… young children were running through the streets, without an adult in view…  children had ripped, dirty clothes… other children were without clothes… children could be seen going to the bathroom on the streets…  children were hitting each other with street branches… houses were boarded up… windows were broken… houses were half together (really).  The different areas on this tour were like night and day; it was hard to believe that one area of extreme wealth led into an area of extreme poverty.

The initial page on the website reiterated my observations.  The web page states that an unequal atmosphere exists among the children in Latin America and the Caribbean.  By unequal, it means while the lives of many children have improved, millions of other children are at risk.  More than half of the children and adolescents in this area are living in areas of poverty.  UNICEF is working in this area to break the cycle of poverty.  Then, as I read further, that many of these children do not have safe water to drink or basic sanitation services.    In addition, UNICEF is working to make certain that children in this area receive important immunizations.

As if I was not in shock enough, I read that an estimated 35 million children in this area never enter school… NEVER!  Obviously, one of the goals of UNICEF is to come up with initiatives that would assure all children received access to school.  Another one of UNICEF’s goals for this area is protecting children from violence.  Nearly 85,000 children die annually as a result of violence in this area.  While my bus trip (that I will never forget, nor will I ever repeat) was only 1 1/2 hours, I viewed life from both sides of a coin.  Without a doubt, the living conditions of these children will affect their emotional development, in addition to their cognitive, social, and physical development.

I cannot help but reflect back to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which I still think has relevance today.  If these children do not have the basics (water, food, clothes), it is basically impossible for them to move further up the ladder and accomplish much else.  Children whose basic needs are not met will never become all that they can be.  When I worked in the preschool classroom, I could instantly tell if a child had a good night’s sleep and a good breakfast; these children were wide awake and ready to conquer the world. 

This blog posting brought back memories that I tried to put away somewhere.  I kept telling my husband, “I don’t believe what I’m seeing.”  I wish that I could grab a handful of these little children and bring them home with me in my suitcase.  These children deserve a chance to make something of themselves… they deserve food and water… they deserve to go outside and play ball… they deserve to be educated in a good, developmentally appropriate school… they deserve a chance to succeed… they deserve life.  UNICEF is making a huge difference, and I trust that they will continue to do so, one child at a time.  I just do not know if that is enough; but I do not have a better alternative.

 

UNICEF (2011). Retrieved from: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

Although I am aware of the changing times, as I read the introduction to “So Sexy So Soon,” my mouth dropped.  I know it is reality, but I do not want to believe it… and yet, it is part of my commitment to young children to accept it as reality.  In my opinion, the media and toy manufacturers are robbing children of their childhood.  Parents are not totally to blame.  Without a doubt, “casting blame on parents diverts attention to where blame belongs – on the purveyors of media and marketing messages, those who exploit our children’s developmental vulnerabilities by using sex to make huge profits (Levine & Kilbourne, 2009, p. 7).  It is scary.  I see it every day, but I try to avoid it, hoping it will go away.  If anything, the sexualization of early childhood is more intense, not better.

I woke up to this reality one day when I was teaching prekindergarten.  One of my students was looking sad and upset; this was totally unlike her bubbly and out-going personality.  I questioned her.  Her response was that she had PMS and was in a bad mood.  To make matters worse, I asked her to repeat her response, and then, without thinking, I asked her what it meant.  She told me (and the entire class) that PMS was something that girls had and it made them be mean to boys.  But, it only lasted a little bit, so she would be happy later.  Admittedly, I do not remember how I answered or how I addressed the rest of the class, but should a 4-year-old use PMS in her vocabulary?  And should a 4-year-old already have an inclination that she would be mean to boys for a bit, but that’s alright; she has PMS. 

The next example happened this year at Halloween.  Just thinking about it gives me chills.  All of the children, obviously, were dressed, and since I’m an occasional visitor to the entire class, the children were eager to show me their costumes.  One of the girls (4-years-old) was dressed in a gown, high heels, hair in a bun with ribbons, and enough make-up to keep me for a year.  I asked her who she was for Halloween, and she told me that she one of the housewives of Beverly Hills.  I was stunned.  Her teacher commented that she dressed like her mommy, which said a lot.  But the shock was when one of the boys I read with (he was dressed as Nemo) told me that he thought she looked sexy.  I just looked at the children’s teacher in shock.  Do we need a dress code for Halloween?  What in the world did my 3 1/2 year old student know about sexy?  He does not even recognize the letters in his name.

Finally, for the third example, I will share a sad story.   Zaria is one of my students; she is delightful, interested in reading, and an eager participant.  Her vocabulary is above average.  Zaria does, however, have a weight challenge, which I believe is thanks to her parents who are obese.  One day, Zaria told me that she went to Disney World with her parents.  Without hesitation, I asked her if she saw the Princesses and Mickey Mouse.  She responded that she met Mickey, but she doesn’t like the Princesses.  This, in itself, was a shock, because my girls (those that I read with) are infatuated with each Princess.  Zaria said that the Princesses don’t like her because she is fat.  I was crushed, explaining how beautiful she is (she really is!).  Then, she looked at me, with her beautiful brown eyes, and explained that the boys in her class will not play with her because she is fat.  What a realization Zaria made.  She was not super thin like the Disney Princesses and boys don’t like her because of her weight. 

Without a doubt, each instance has affected these young children and probably will continue to for the rest of their life.  Think about Zaria’s self-esteem; she does not have any.  “Children learn at a very young age that their value is determined by how beautiful, thin, hot, and sexy they are” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, p. 2).  Imagine talking about being hot and sexy with a young child.  You might call me old-fashioned, but it just does not seem appropriate.  Without a doubt, “today’s cultural environment bombards children with inappropriate and harmful messages” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, p. 4).  I believe, similar to Levin and Kilbourne (2009), that these message confuse and even frighten young children. 

Again, much of this relates back to parenting skills, although as stated earlier, I do not blame parents; it is not a matter of who is to blame.  It is much more universal that blaming one individual.  “Casting blame on parents diverts attention from where the blame belongs – purveyors of these media and marketing messages” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, p. 7).  I understand that much of these messages are the result of media saturation.  In spite of this, parents can fight this; even a small victory is better than none at all.  Who is responsible for the girl leaving her house dressed like a Beverly Hills housewife?  Who allowed the child to watch the Beverly Hills Housewives on television?  Where did a child hear about PMS?  Who is feeding Zaria cakes, cookies, and candy? 

Early childhood educators have huge responsibilities to young children, and this is just another topic to add to the list.  Levin and Kilbourne (2009) realized “the focus should be on early childhood, when the problems of the new sexualized childhood begin” (p. 6).  As an early childhood educator, these readings have ignited a fire within.  I need to put this topic on the list of future workshops.  Perhaps, if teachers and parents are informed about the effects of advertising and media messages, they will work together to make a difference.  Children need to be children… they will grow up fast enough.

 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