The Sexualization of Early Childhood

We are not alarmed that today's children are learning about sex and sexuality. We are all sexual beings from birth, and this is to be celebrated. Children have always been curious about sex and sexuality from an early age, and it is good for parents and schools to give them honest and age-appropriate information. However, the sexualization of childhood is having a profoundly distrubing impact on children's understanding of gender, sexuality, and relationships (Levin & Kilbourne(2009).

Personally, this article just reminded me how young children living in today's society are mislead and easy influenced by the toys, media, internet, and other children about their sexuality. I see the way some parents dress yooung girls and boys inappropriately. Most of the young girls that I work with in pre-k, wear tight jeans, high heels shoes, and booty shorts. The young boys are wearing boxers shorts for underwear, baggy pants and shorts, and oversized shirts like their daddies are wearing. This is a drastic change of dressing compared to when I was growing up as a child. The toys have changed too. Most young girls play with bratz dolls which are dressed liked adults who wear a lot of make-up, wear short dresses and skirts, and wear high-heels shoes,too. Another example would be through music that young children listen too. For example, one day during outside time in pre-k, I heard a group are girls singing and dancing to a song called "Slap them thighs". I was shock to hear and see a group of young girls singing and dancing to this type of song. When I asked the question, where did you hear and learn this song? One of the girls said, my mama and we sing and dance a lot to this song. This helped me to see that the parents in my community need to be educated on what type of music, clothes, and toys are appropriate for young children to be exposed too.

As an early childhood professional, this article on sexualization of early childhood has opened my eyes to just how much our parents and young children are depending on us as educators to help them learn and work to change this negative epidemic is hurting our children from having positive healthy experiences they need for healthy development.

Reference
Levin, D. E. & Kilbourne, J. (2009), 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