Week 8- Reflecting on Learning

 Hope

My passionate hope for my future as an early childhood professional is to always have an open mind and heart, and to always focus on the whole child. “Young children need caring adults to help them construct a positive sense of self and respectful understanding of others (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p.11). As an early childhood professional I have the opportunity to help children flourish while finding their own unique strengths and identity. I want every child in my classroom to feel as if he/she belongs, is respected, and is valued. We can all learn from each other. I want my children to know that they are okay “just the way they are”. My hope for the children and families with whom I work or will work with is for them to feel that they are not treated based on their differences. I want them to know that I value their economic class, gender, racial identity, culture, language, and ability as strengths not faults. I want families to feel that they are a part of my classroom community and that we have a partnership for the success of their children.

Thank-You

            I would like to thank all my colleagues for sharing experiences, beliefs, and opinions during this eight-week course. I have enjoyed getting to know all of you through blogs and discussion board postings.  Your professionalism and commitment to the early childhood field is evident. Reading your blogs and discussions encouraged me to reflect on the course materials along with my own personal experiences. Thank you for allowing me to learn alongside you during this course. I wish you all the best of luck as you finish your Master’s program and become an anti-bias early childhood professional!

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Week 7- Impacts on Early Emotional Development

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

Reviewing the eight different Countries by Region on the UNICEF website I chose to investigate the Eastern and Southern Africa region. I chose this region because in a previous course I did some research on this area and it intrigued me. I also learned through research there has been a lot of effort to help children in this region.  I found a very informational section of statistics by topic and country on the UNICEF website. This allowed me to gain insight on the different countries within the region I was investigating. When researching the Regional Office Website I found information about the region, what UNICEF does in the region, knowledge and extra resources, media center, fast facts on children, and information on children and youth.

As I researched this region I found numerous challenges that children face daily in the area. Some are violations of children’s rights, which include child marriage, FGM/C, sexual abuse and violence, and child labour. Child marriage is very common and many women are married before they are 18 years of age. FGM/C is a common practice, which can be very dangerous and harmful to women’s health. Commonly it is performed on young girls ranging from ages 0-15, although it can be later in life also. Sexual abuse and violence are common and many times not reported. It happens to both boys and girls but the females are more likely to be affected. Eastern and Southern Africa have the highest child labour rate. Other challenges include a low rate of birth registration that in turn does not allow children to attend school, poor nutrition and growth in children, low immunization rates, non-sanitary water, and hygiene. With poor nutrition, not the correct immunizations, and non-sanitary living conditions children’s health and development are put at a major risk. Children cannot properly develop and grow.

The experiences and living conditions of these children most definitely have effects on their health, emotional wellbeing, and overall development.  First, their physical wellbeing is in jeopardy due to lack of resources for healthy living. This has an effect on proper brain development and overall body functioning. Next, the emotional wellbeing of the children who face trauma is at risk. Most who experience trauma switch to a survival mode, which is not conducive to normal development. Finally, overall development is affected when children are challenged with the multitude of things the region investigated presents. The human brain and body cannot grow and develop properly when they are subjected to negative conditions. Therefore, the chance of normal growth and development is diminished.

Reflecting on my investigation in the Eastern and Southern region I have gained insight personally and professionally on the challenges and struggles young children face on a day-to-day basis. I learned that in many countries early childhood education does not exist, that the literacy rate is low, and that many students do not continue on to secondary education. I gained insight on child health in this region. This region has a high number of under age five deaths, a high percentage of pregnant women with HIV, and low rate of maternal health. Learning this information makes me sad that unborn and newborn child who are not properly taken care of face struggles to develop and be properly educated. My newfound insights on this region have influenced me as a person and as an early childhood professional. My heart aches for these children. Thinking about the challenges they face makes me so thankful for what my own children and students have. It inspires me to be the best mother and teacher I can be. Although at this point in my life I cannot help the children in Eastern and Southern Africa, I can help children in my immediate care. This gives me some comfort. Maybe someday I can help others too.

Week 6- The Sexualization of Early Childhood

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

My reaction to the topic of the sexualization of early childhood is shock and fright. Reading the example of sexualization situations in early childhood from the article, “So Sexy So Soon: The New Sexualized Childhood and What Parents can do to Protect Their Kids, was eye-opening and unsettling. As a parent myself, I feel overwhelmed with the responsibility I have to educate my own children as well as students about this. How can children at such a young age be doing and saying those things? It is sad to think that society has created this for our children. It is frightening to read that children are being exposed to sexualization and violence at such a young age. Even though we as professionals and parents keep it out of our homes and classrooms other children are exposing peers in addition to the messages from society. “Children are paying an enormous price for the sexualization of their childhood. Girls and boys constantly encounter sexual messages and images that they cannot understand and that can confuse and even frighten them” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, p. 2). Children are facing issues they are not developmentally ready to address.

Ways I have observed the sexualization of early childhood in my personal and professional experiences are through songs, student comments, student gestures, and student clothing.  Examples I have encountered in store advertisements, television, the Internet, and magazines are of girls and women dressing very sexy and provocative and dolls looking sexy.  Characteristics I have noticed are large breasts, thin body frame, long flowy hair, flawless skin, perfect make-up, and very form fitting clothing. For boys and men, I have observed very fit, masculine, flawless skin, and clean cut. An example, from my professional experience that further illustrates the exposure of young children to a highly sexualized environment, is during playtime in my dramatic play area. I had a young child take some dress up clothes and pretend to have large breasts. Another example from my professional experience is during recess time. A kindergarten boy was chasing a little girl to kiss her. When discussing the situation with him, he told me that she was very sexy (his dad told his mom that) and he wanted to kiss her and they were going to get married. A third example is with my own six-year-old son. He asked me at dinner one night if it was okay for boys to cry when they get hurt. He overheard a conversation at recess that if boys cry they aren’t real men.  I also overheard some parents in the hallway in our school talking about clothing choices in stores for their daughters. They were upset that the merchandise supported sexualization of children.

Sexualization of early childhood children may have implications for healthy development. When children are exposed too soon to things they are not developmentally ready for, their responses are often inappropriate and/or detrimental. For example, girls are hearing and seeing messages at a young age about weight and beauty. Many more incidents of anorexia and bulimia at a young age are reported than in the past. Also, pregnancy, abortions, and STD’s are happening because children are misinterpreting messages they cannot fully process. Even over spending and buying habits are affected by sexualization. The marketing industry knows how to emotionally lure children to purchase items to make them “more attractive or popular”.  Parents are faced with family problems sooner than parents were in the past if they were at all.  Sexualization of early childhood “will shape their gender identity, sexual attitudes, and values, and their capacity for relationships, for love and connection that they take into adulthood” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, p. 2-3). Children may develop a warped sense of self, which could carry on into adulthood and affect relationships. 

Ideas I have as an early childhood professional to best respond to these concerns and to reduce the negative impacts on children are to first get educated and then teach others. Even though I consider myself an educated person and involved parent, I do not feel adequately equipped to handle this without expert advice. The article for this assignment was a great start. Since this whole idea of sexualization of early childhood is relatively new historically, I want to learn as much as I can for my own children and those I care for. Then it is my obligation as an early childhood professional to educate others or at the minimum offer advice.  While I am gaining information myself I can still respond and reduce negative impacts on children by talking when appropriate about the topic. I remember learning in a class a while ago about marketing techniques and how good marketers “trick” us into thinking we need their products. In my classroom, I can discuss this at my students’ level using age-appropriate products. Also, I can teach lessons on body image and health. If children begin to learn these things at a young age, hopefully, the negative impacts will be reduced.

My awareness of the sexualization of early childhood has been influenced and modified by studying the topic this week. I first gained insight that sexualization is really affecting both genders from preschool age to the tween years. I learned through reading this article that what I do now and how I act towards sexualization now can impact the future. If children hear the message over and over about this they may be better prepared to react to it in appropriate ways.  “This is when the foundation is laid for later sexual behavior and relationships. This is when you can make the biggest difference in reducing the negative impact of the sexualization of childhood on your children” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, p. 7).

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

Week 5-Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practic

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practic

Regarding my personal development, I have reflected on my biases and what I learned about “-isms” during my coursework. Behaviors that become a pattern are more likely to transform into an –ism, which is a much more ingrained form of prejudice. When patterns can be identified early, quite possibly the –ism can be avoided. I believe that education is the key to breaking patterns that manifest into –isms. I feel that I have been given the opportunity with my position as an early childhood professional and with my educational background from my Master’s Degree to help make a difference in the lives of the children in my classroom.

            Reflecting back on what I have learned about “-isms” prevalent in our society I have found that these “-isms” influence people’s well-being.  Stereotyping can cause people to have misperceptions about others. People that fall into an –ism category may not have all characteristics of that group but may be treated like they do. This can cause both positive and negative influences on personal well-being.  Thinking about an “-ism” that has affected my own life and resulted in consequences for children and families that I work with while experiencing this “-ism”, is ageism. Ageism is discrimination, which can be unintentional or intentional towards a person’s age different than one’s own. Ageism occurs when an individual feels as if his/her age is superior over another’s. Stereotyping is a common ageism attack. It is the assumption that all individuals of a certain age have the same attributes. I got a teaching job right out of college. I turned twenty-three before the school year started. I had parents of my students who did not respect me though because they saw me as being too young. They did not acknowledge that I had a college degree in Education and Child Development. It took time and effort to gain their trust and respect. Now that I am older and a mother myself, I see the difference in how I am treated by students’ parents. The consequences presented from ageism for children and families that I worked with were that some parents did not value my advice, and they talked about my age in front of their child, which demeaned my authority in the students’ eyes. For example, when I gave advice to them about their child, some parents made comments about how I don’t have children of my own, and one student’s mom made a comment about me being the same age as her oldest child. He thought of me as a college student like his brother. This program has allowed me the opportunity to learn more about “-isms” and how to help others and myself overcome those biases/”-isms”. “Knowledge is power-or perhaps more accurately, knowledge gives you tools to act powerfully” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 157).

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.