Hope and Thank You

As I move forward as an early childhood professional and also to the last class of this program, I hope to be able to connect with young children in meaningful relationships. I hope to be able to learn about each child, their family, culture, and what makes them different and special. I hope to form partnerships with families, not just for the benefit of children, but to help each individual family and the community. 

            Each course has allowed and encouraged me to grow as a professional and I have my colleagues to thank for their contributions and questions to my blog and discussion posts. Thank you and good luck in your final course!

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

I chose to research the Latin America and Caribbean region of UNICEF. I have worked with many children from countries that fall in this region and knowing more about the difficulties children face in their home country may help me better understand them as they come into my classroom. 

            People in some of the region are dealing with Volcano Fuego and the aftermath of eruption. People are scared and this can lead to lifelong emotional issues for young children that are dealing with this natural disaster and all that comes with it. Children are losing their homes, their loved ones, and the sense of security they need to stay emotionally stable. 

            Professionally, I need to do a better job of paying attention to the news and all that happens in the community, country, and also the home countries of the families I work with. While I have my reasons for not watching the news, reading through the UNICEF website showed me so many things that I was simply unaware of. This shows me that I need to be more current so that I can help families even when they do not ask for it. 

References

https://www.unicef.org/lac/

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

This week’s topic of the sexualization in early childhood is very worrying to me. The real-life accounts presented in the book excerpt, So Sexy So Soon,are alarming for parents, educators, and should be to the rest of society as well. 

            As summer approaches, I look at what young children are wearing to the pool and beach and see the big difference in bathing suit choices for girls and boys. Boys are given the option of swim trunks and swim shirts while girls are given bathing suits and most of the time bikinis. This shows me that even young girls are expected to dress a certain way when going to swim and that they should be wearing as little as possible. This can give young girls self-esteem issues early on if they are not comfortable wearing these items.

            When I think back to some of my past students, I remember some of them and their love of dancing. While dancing is a fantastic thing to be doing, the choice of dance moves can be alarming. Children are often watching older sibling, their parents, or videos on the internet of people dancing and are mimicking them. 

            In my first few years of teaching, I had a few classes that loved to sing the hits from the radio. There were quite a few times though that I was surprised at the songs they were singing because they were referencing sex or were overtly sexual. If children are thinking that the lyrics to each of the songs they were singing were truly about their lives then they may have an unrealistic image of relationships and themselves. 

            As an early childhood educator, I think that in many ways we need to be current in what is going on around us. Recently I have not kept up with the popular music that children are listening to but I think it is important that I know the songs they are singing so that I can talk to them about it if need be. Talking to children openly is a good step in the right direction to reduce the negative impact on their development. In some cases, I may need to talk to families as they may not realize that their child is actually paying attention to the radio in the car or the videos that a family member may be watching. In terms of clothing choices, I really just suggest that if you are not comfortable with your child wearing something, do not buy it. This is definitely difficult for some things but it is necessary to help children in their healthy development. 

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

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

There might be both positive and negative consequences for children and families with whom I work if I were experiencing “isms” in my personal life. A positive consequence for children would be the lessons that I would be able to teach about “isms” in an early child appropriate approach so that they can begin to learn at an early age the stereotyping and bias are unacceptable. A negative consequence for families could be if there was a family that also agreed with the “ism” that I was currently dealing with in my personal life. 

Personally, most people will experience “isms” in life and must find ways to deal with them. When working with children, I think it is valuable to address “isms” when they occur in the presence of children to help them to see that stereotyping is not acceptable. Teaching children that feelings can and will be hurt when “isms” are present can be valuable in teaching compassion and character building. 

While I believe that all teachers try to leave their personal life and issues at the door, it can sometimes be difficult when there are similar instances in the classroom as well.