International Roles in the ECE Community

There are many international organizations that support the welfare and protection of children.  The following are three that I found that were of interest to me and to my challenge topic.  

International Foster Care Organization                    

            This organization is a world-wide nonprofit & charity organization that is volunteer-based.  The mission of this organization is to find family based solutions for children who are in out- of-home care (International Foster Care Organization, n.d.).  Their aim is to support family based care by providing information to people and organizations of different nations and they do this by organizing conferences and trainings that are international (International Foster Care Organization, n.d.).  Their belief, like mine, is that foster care should be a team effort between the children, foster care families, social workers, placing agency, birth parents, and others who are contributing to the well-being of the child.  They also run under the philosophy that the care should be child-centered and family-focused while providing support through consultation, networking, publications, and assistance for all those involved.

            This organization is run by an elected board that consists of 15 members from around the world.  They do not allow any more than two members on the board from any one country which allows for the organization to represent all of the many diverse countries of the world and their children and families.  Due to the fact that this organization is run by volunteers, there are not any jobs available but they do accept volunteers and expert trainers and consultants.  For a fee you can become a member which entitles you access to all of the services and publications that they offer.  Members are given access to discussion lists where they can become a part of a global foster care network allowing them to exchange thoughts and ideas with others (International Foster Care Organization, n.d.).   This organization accepts volunteers from any country but if a person would want to become a volunteer he/she would have to write to them and tell them what he/she could offer them.  There is also the option of applying to the Training Bureau or in assisting with the making of the website or magazine.  This company is also looking for professionals who can share expertise from around the world at their Training & Development Bureau (International Foster Care Organization, n.d.).  This part of the organization works in exchanging information among different countries and consists of children who have been in care and experienced foster care parents.  If someone would like to become a member of the training and development team they would also have to apply to become a member of this Bureau.   

            I think that becoming a member or volunteer of this organization would be beneficial to the challenge that I am working on.  In order to do this I would have to write to them and tell them what I feel I could offer their organization.  I believe that my master’s degree in teaching diversity and all of the knowledge that I have gained in this program would be very beneficial and could make me an asset to their program.  Knowing about and or being a member would also provide me with resources that I can share with foster families that I would be working with and maybe they would want to become members or part of the Training and Development team.  This is an organization that I would use in my training workshops and I would provide information from it on the day/night that I hold the trainings.  Although there are not monetary job opportunities through this organization, there are opportunities to become a part of an organization that is making beneficial social change for children and families all over the world.  

Save the Children                        

            Save the children is an organization that is dedicated to changing the lives of children in the United States and around the world by working with other organizations, partners, and governments (Save the Children, 2013).  Save the Children is an organization that is there when disasters strike and provides food, medical care, and education to help children and communities get through the devastating effects of these disasters.  Some of the issues that they help deal with are poverty, disease, natural disasters, civil wars, illiteracy, and hunger (Save the Children, 2013). 

            This organization was of interest to me because there are so many devastating events in the lives of children all over the world and often times these places do not have the means to help themselves.  Save the Children and the people who work for them are committed to helping these people and children and are great advocates for their safety and well-being.  Since this is why I went into the field of education, this organization and its efforts appealed to me. 

            Save the Children is an organization that has many ways to become involved.  If you do not want to have a job with them, you can be a volunteer, help fundraise, or spread the word.  Some of the ways that they listed to become involved, were to join the network and receive the newsletter, participate in Advocacy Summit in Washington and take action against current issues that are affecting children, help to promote Foreign Assistance reform, learn about legislation and campaigns that are available, and by writing to elected officials or editors and speaking out for children (Save the Children, 2013).  They said that you can spread the word about their organization by sending an eCard to introduce the organization to someone, follow them on social networks, and but a banner on websites and blogs that provide links to the Save the Children website.  A final way to become involved would be to become a fundraiser.  They actually give you steps on different kinds of fundraising you can do and how to go about it.  These are many different ways to become involved with this global organization and all very worthwhile. 

            There were two job openings available that interested me.  The first was an Emergency Child Protection Senior Specialist.  This person is responsible for leading child protection assessments, working with team leaders to develop child protection plans, supporting fundraising, identifying child protection staff needs for emergency programs, identifying  training and learning opportunities,  ensuring that the organization’s work is implementing other agencies and governments, and working as a spokesperson with the media when required (Save the Children, 2013).  In order to fill this job, I would need a master’s degree in Social Work, Human rights, International Relations, Developmental Studies, or similar field experience, ability to identify gaps in child protection, knowledge of inter-agency standards and guidelines in relation to child protection, experience in monitoring and evaluating programs, experience in building and training, ability to write clear assessments and proposals, excellent communication skills, high skills with spoken and written English and skills in other foreign languages, and political and cultural sensitivity (Save the Children, 2013).  Although this list is extensive, it sounds like a job I would really enjoy because I know that I would be working towards the protection of children.

            The second job that they had posted that I found of interest, was Early Childhood Development Specialist.  This position focuses on the area of early childhood care and development.  Since this has become my area of expertise, this job appealed to me greatly.  The responsibilities of this person were to provide programming, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation support to country offices, assist in the analysis of strengths and weaknesses and develop plans to improve effectiveness, assist in the making of peer mentoring support, help to strengthen Save the Children’s program portfolio with proposal development, monitor new developments, and regularly review and implement programs that will provide best practices and innovations in the Early Childhood Development field (Save the Children, 2013).  The requirements needed for this job is a master’s degree in early childhood development, education, or a related field (which I will have soon), three to five years of prior experience in developing/designing programs, experience with developing countries, materials development experience, great communication skills and willingness to travel (Save the Children, 2013).  I would definitely have to gain some experience to apply for this job but it sounds like a job that I would enjoy.

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)                     

            The third organization that I chose is UNICEF.  I chose this organization because it works very hard globally (in over 190 countries) to improve the lives of children and help improve health care, immunizations, clean water, nutrition, education, and emergency relief (UNICEF, 2012).  This organization not only works for these things but works to protect the rights that all children should have.  UNICEF works closely with government leaders, celebrities, corporations, civic figures, campus groups, churches, teachers, and anyone willing to help advocate for the safety and protection of children and their rights(UNICEF, 2012).  I became a teacher because I want to make a difference in the lives of the children that I come into contact with.  This organization interested me because it also strives to make a difference in the lives of as many children that it can reach with the help of advocates. 

            Just like Save the Children, UNICEF has many ways that people can get involved in its efforts.  One way is to get email updates that will fill people in on the current issues affecting children around the world.  Another is to become an advocate and volunteer by telling legislators about children’s needs and how they can address them and by educating , advocating, and fundraising (UNICEF, 2012).  One other way is to join a monthly campaign to give money that will be used to minimize the expenses that are incurred and to help deliver all of the services that UNICEF provides around the world.

            In reading through the job listings that they had available, I saw two here that also interested me.  One was called a Major Gifts Officer.  This person would help to manage the portfolio of high donors, help with getting more people to donate major gifts, provide correspondence with major gift contributors, work closely with internal business groups, maintain records, and be a part of any other special projects or responsibilities that may arise (UNICEF, 2012).  The qualifications needed for this position are a bachelor’s degree and 5 years of work related experience, self-motivation and a success record in fundraising, strong work ethic, be a team player, excellent communication and written skills, strong commitment to international relief and to the UNICEF mission, technologically proficient , and flexible to travel as necessary (UNICEF, 2012).  This job sounds appealing to me as raising money and or giving gifts is how this organization stays running and therefore is very important to the children. 

            The second job I found of interest was Global Programs and Field Manager.  Some of the responsibilities with this job included developing materials for departments, knowing the programs and initiatives of UNICEF, serving a lead role in developing training for staff members, managing events and meetings, operating day-to-day focal points for departments and regional offices, supervising interns and giving tasks to them, helping to develop a budget, and perform any other duties that are asked (UNICEF, 2012).  The qualifications for this job included bachelor’s degree but Master’s degree in social sciences or related field is preferred with a minimum of 5 years related experience, ability to work under pressure and a deadline with multiple projects, excellent communication, writing, organizational, and diplomatic skills, display an interest in global issues, knowledge of the United Nations and UNICEF, experience with technology, and core values of trust, respect, innovation, and teamwork (UNICEF, 2012).  I would really be interested in this job because I feel that I have most of the qualifications with a lack of diplomatic skills.  This type of job would certainly help to expand my global and diversity awareness and would help with my goal to change the world for children and families. 

References:   

International Foster Care Organization. (n.d.). Mission statement. Retrieved from http://www.ifco.info/

Save the Children. (2013). About us. Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org/site/

United Nations Children's Fund. (2012). About. Retrieved from http://www.unicefusa.org/about/

National/Federal Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community

Children's Defense Fund              
     The first organization that I chose was the Children's Defense Fund.  The reason this organization appealed to me was because the mission of the organization is to provide a voice for children who cannot speak for themselves (Children's Defense Fund, 2012).  Due to the fact that my topic is on children who are abused and mistreated and the foster families that take them in, I felt that this organization would be one that would give me many resources to use for my project.  I learned that there is actually a whole program run by this organization on foster care.  This program works to make sure that children enter foster care only at times when they can't be cared for safely, are kept safe, get appropriate help, and find permanent and nurturing families (Children's Defense Fund, 2012).  They also work with the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act which promotes permanent families through guardianship by relatives and or adoption (Children's Defense Fund, 2012). 
     The organization had a listing of seven different jobs but after reading the job descriptions, I only found one that I would be interested in and that was the Director of Outreach and Community Engagement.  I thought this job sounded interesting because the responsibilities included overseeing outreach efforts of community engagement.  This person would have to develop community mobilization efforts and get community volunteers involved.  This person would also have to build relationships with advocacy groups and major community stakeholders and act as the spokesperson for the Children's Defense Fund in NY.  This job interests me because it is all about being an advocate for children and how to get other people involved which is what we are working on in our capstone projects. 
     The  qualifications needed to fulfill this job were a Bachelor's Degree or higher with 3 years of experience, leadership and advocacy skills, communication and public speaking skills, experience in leadership development, ability to work with multi-cultural, racial, and linguistic settings, and an understanding of the state's community leaders, organizations, and government officials(Children's Defense Fund, 2012).  I have the bachelor's degree, but if I wanted this job, I would have to gain some experience in communication and advocacy efforts.  

National Foster Parent Association               
                                                         


    The second organization that I chose was the National Foster Parent Association.  I found this organization when I was doing research for my project and it is very interesting for me because foster families are a very big part of my project.  This organization was created to meet the needs of foster families in the United States and to help them in creating safe places for children while they are in their care.  This organization is very dedicated to children who have to be placed in foster care and to the foster care families themselves who are adding these children to their lives. 
     I could not locate any job postings available for this organization but I did find that you can become a member of the organization.  This organization is run by a board of directors and there are regional heads for each of the states.  When becoming a member of the NFPA you gain the right to vote on all matters that are brought before the association and you will also be provided with information about national activities that the association is participating in (National Foster Parent Association, 2012). 

Child Welfare League                   
     The third organization that I found that really interested me was another resource that I have used in my work and that is the Child Welfare League of America.  This organization is committed to making sure that each child can grow up in a safe, loving, and stable family (Child Welfare League, n.d.).  I picked this organization because the history of foster care and the creation of this organization are directly linked and so this organization has been involved in foster care for a very long time. 
     This organization had many listings for job openings but I found two that interested me.  The first was a Skills Trainer.  This was a trainer for therapeutic foster care programs.  This person would be responsible for providing trainings and care to children and families that are involved in foster care or community-based settings (Child Welfare League, n.d.).  For this job the qualifications were a bachelor's degree in human services, social work, or a related field, the ability to work with clients and families and relate with them, respond to crisis situations, and undergo a drug screening and criminal background check.  I do not possess a bachelor's degree in human services but I think that education might be a related field and this would interest me because it is directly linked to foster care. 
     The other job that I thought would be interesting was Foster Care Manager.  This person has the responsibility for overseeing and supervising foster care programs.  They also have to develop and implement trainings for the case workers that they would supervise.  Another thing they would have to do is to provide guidance and support for team members and to the children and foster families that they would be working with (Child Welfare League, n.d.).  The qualifications for this job would be a master's degree in social work, marriage and family therapy, clinical psychology or a closely related field.  This person would also need 3 years of related experience in community based programs for children and families and supervisory experience (Child Welfare League, n.d.).  I possess none of the qualifications for this job but if I did have the qualifications, it would be a job that I would be interested in. 

     Each one of these organizations is very important to the lives of children and advocacy programs related to the maltreatment of children and to the foster families that take them in.  I have learned a great deal from each one and have found more resources that I will be able to add to my paper.  I look forward to learning more from these websites as I continue on this journey!

References:

Child Welfare League of America. (n.d.). Who we are and what we do. Retrieved from http://www.cwla.org/ 

Children's Defense Fund. (2012). Foster care. Retrieved from http://www.childrensdefense.org/policy-priorities/child-welfare/foster-care/ 

National Foster Parent Association. (2012). About nfpa. Retrieved from http://nfpaonline.org/

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

             This week we have been exploring Communities of Practice, the ways in which we can become involved with them, and agencies that we would be interested in joining.  In doing my research, I found three agencies that I would be interested in being a part of in some way or another. 

The first agency that I located in my county that I would be interested in was McKean County Children and Youth Services Agency (http://www.mckeancountypa.org/Departments/CYS/Index.aspx).  This agency is responsible for providing services to children and their families within McKean county.  This organization is responsible for investigating incidents of child abuse or neglect, providing children with protective services such as foster care, and helping families who have children who are truant or uncontrollable.  The main reason that I would be interested in being involved in this agency is because recently situations have occurred within our county with children and this agency has been involved and has not done an adequate job in making sure the safety of the children came first.  I would like the opportunity to work with this agency to advocate for the children.  It is my belief that these agencies should be there to ensure the safety of the children at all costs and if this is not being done and I could help to change that, then I would like to try. Currently I could not find any jobs available within this agency but one of the positions that I would be interested in would be a caseworker because then I would be directly involved with the children and I could help to make sure that they are being kept safe and that everything that is possible is being done to protect them.  I believe that in being a teacher I would possess the skills necessary to be a caseworker in this agency but there is the possibility that I would need a human services degree which I would be willing to obtain if I needed to. 

The second agency in my county that I found is called Care for Children or Safe Kids (http://www.careforchildren.info/SAFE-Kids/Safe-Kids-McKean-County.html).  The goal of this agency is to provide services that offer education, advocacy, and collaborations to prevent childhood injuries.  Some of the services that they provide are community safety fairs, providing safe cribs for families, infant car seat safety checks, workshops for parents and professionals, classroom presentations, and free smoke detectors for families.  They also have a preschool program that they offer.  The reason that I was interested in this agency is because of all of the services that they provide to aid in the prevention of injuries to children.  This agency is all about the protection of children and that is also something that I am interested in.  As a teacher part of my job is to protect children and I believe that I could help at some of these workshops that this agency provides and educate parents and families about the school system and the importance of the educational process.  Currently the positions that they have is for a physical therapist and for substitute teachers or aides.  I would not qualify for the physical therapist and although I would qualify for the substitute teacher, I would not want to leave my full-time job to take a part-time one.  They did offer however, volunteer work that you could become a part of and the one thing I liked about this was that they had a volunteer handbook.  This book tells exactly what is expected of the volunteers and what volunteer opportunities are available.  It also gives an agreement form that the volunteers have to sign.  This is possibly something that I would be interested in pursuing in the future. 

                             

The third agency that I found interesting and one that I would be interested in being a part of is the Office of Children and Families in the Court (http://www.ocfcpacourts.us/about-ocfc/county-information/mckean-county).  This is an agency that works within the court system and provides services for the children and families that have to be in the court system.  The main goal of this agency is to provide protection for children and to ensure that they are placed in the stable environments where they will be physically and emotionally secure.   I am also interested in this agency because of the fact that they are first and foremost dedicated to the protection of children.  I would want to work with this agency as an advocate for the children.  I would want to be the one person who is there to stand up for the children and make sure that they are receiving all of the services they need to keep them in the most secure place they can be.  I could not find any job opportunities available in this agency and I think that if I wanted to work with them I would need to have some type of law background.  I also think there may be some sort of human service degree that I would need to have.  I also think that getting the experience or education that I would need would be worth it to become a part of this organization that is dedicated to helping children. 

 

Reflecting on Learning

  
                         

The most passionate hope that I have for my future as an early childhood professional is that I will be one person who will shine light into a dark world and help as many children that I can develop to be all that they can be.  I want to be an example to children of acceptance and love and I want to be able to teach them that they are so very important in this world and that they were created with a uniqueness that should be celebrated.  I want to teach them the difference between fairness and unfairness and I want to help them understand that it is okay to stand up for themselves and others when they feel that things are unfair.  I want to help families learn that their children are the most precious gift that they have been given and should be given every chance in this world to share their gifts with others.  I want to support families, educate them, and allow myself to be educated by them.  I look forward to being part of a future movement to open this world's eyes to the importance of uplifting children so that their future and the future of society will be nothing but brighter!

Once again, I can't say enough thanks for all that every person in this program has done to help me in my growth and understanding of anti-bias education.  I am a person who is changing for the better and I owe it in part to the people and professors that I have worked with in these courses.  May God bless all of my colleagues and Dr. Weems for helping me continue this journey and for assisting me in becoming the best anti-bias educator and person I can be.  I wish you nothing but greatness in all of your future endeavors and if I can ever be of any assistance, please don't hesitate to contact me. 

   You are the light of the world.....let it shine for all.  Matthew 5: 14-15



Impacts on Early Emotional Development

East Asia - Cambodia                                

I picked the region of East Asia to learn about with an emphasis on the country of Cambodia.  It was coincidental that we would be asked to complete an assignment like this because I have recently been watching a program called "Life Today" where they have been highlighting certain countries because of sex trafficking and Cambodia was the one of the countries.  As I listened to the talks about this last week I can remember thinking that I would like to know more about Cambodia and the reasons for the conditions that these people are living in.  So, when given the chance to study more about a certain region, it was this region that I picked. In the following sections I will explain some of the challenges that children living in Cambodia have to endure on a daily basis.

Poverty                        
In Cambodia, children account for 46% of the population and around 5 million people are living in poverty, making less than 1 US dollar per day (UNICEF, 2011).  This makes even the poorest people living in our country seem rich.  Poverty is a root cause to many of the other challenges that the children and families living in these countries have to deal with.  Poverty can lead to an increase in how many children need special protection because they are orphaned or are living on the street(UNICEF, 2011).  Poverty also affects children with disabilities, children with HIV/AIDS, and can lead to childhood labor and sexual exploitation or trafficking (UNICEF, 2011). This impoverished condition leads many of the people without proper health care and they also do not have many health resources to fall back on. 

Maternal Health/Child Mortality                           
Due to the high amount of poverty in the country, the maternal health of the mothers and the health of the children is very poor.  Almost 5 women die every day because of complications from pregnancy and childhood and 69 % of those expecting do not have neonatal care or a skilled doctor there at the time of delivery(UNICEF, 2011).  The children who do survive find it very difficult to thrive in the impoverished conditions that they are born into and many do not make it to their first birthday.  The numbers about this were astonishing to me, especially when I read that over 110 children die daily because of the conditions in which they are living (UNICEF, 2011).   

Environment                     
Cambodia is a country that has to deal with severe types of weather that affect the environment in which these children and people are living.  There are many times when Cambodia has to deal with massive flooding because of the rainy season and also times when instead of lots of rain, there is none at all and a drought ensues(UNICEF, 2011).  These types of natural disasters leave these already very poor people without homes or the means to go to work.  Another environmental condition that these people must deal with are parts of land in the country that are filled with landmines.  Due to the many years of conflict that Cambodia has had there are many areas that hold unexploded  landmines which make it difficult because children can stumble upon these mines and be injured or killed (UNICEF, 2011).  The water and sanitation is another area of the environment that people living in Cambodia suffer with.  The water sources that most people have are very poor if existent and so children are drinking from unsanitary water supplies.  In fact, over 62% of the people there are using unsafe sources of water and over 78% can't access sanitation facilities (UNICEF, 2011).  In many of these places people are going to the bathroom on or near the very same source of water that they use for drinking.  This leads to many other problems.

Health Concerns
One of the biggest health concerns in this area of the world is pneumonia and diarrhoea.  The water and sanitation systems are the main cause of this problem and in many of the deaths that occur happen because of these two problems.  Due to the lack of health services, these children are not able to be treated quickly and adequately to overcome this massive problem.  Another problem with health is HIV/AIDS.  Many of the people living in this area have this disease and the same problem with health care applies to them.  The majority of deaths in Cambodia are due to pneumonia, diarrhoea, illnesses associated with malnutrition, and HIV/AIDS (UNICEF, 2011).

Sex Trafficking              
Another very scary problem for these children and for their parents is the very real problem of sex trafficking.  Many of the children who are living in these impoverished conditions have parents who want the best for them.  They are enticed by people from the cities who come into these very rural/poor areas and promise the parents that they are going to take their children and either give them a job to bring money back, or give them a better life.  They then take these children and place them in brothels and use them for sexual exploitation.  These children range in age and some very young children are used for this.  Many of the children are kept in these places for years but often times they lose their lives because they are killed or they die from the unhealthy environments that they are being kept in.

Emotional Well being and Development  

I can imagine that for children who are living in these conditions and dealing with these challenges on a daily basis, it must be very emotionally draining.  These children have to live with the feelings of being hungry, tired, thirsty, sick, sad, and depressed.  The challenges that they face are so numerous that they often don't have time to feel happy and healthy.  I think in most cases they are probably wondering why they have to go through this and why no one will help them.  Children are forced to have to deal with these issues and because of this some children will learn to repress their feelings and then they may not be able to express grief, loss, fear, or loneliness at all (Smidt, 2006).  This does not mean however that children cannot develop normally in their emotional development, but it does mean that they do need protection and they need people who are willing to stand up for them and help them so that their emotional well being can develop to its full potential. 

Personal/Professional Reflection                     
The insights that I gained from the research that I did was that there are so many challenges that children have to deal with all over this world.  I think we all tend to keep a closed eye to what is going on all around us because we are too busy with what is going on right in front of us to see the hurt and devastation that so many children and families are enduring.  I am saddened by the things that these children have to suffer with and although it is easy to see that UNICEF has made some strides in helping these children and families, it is also easy to see that a lot more needs to be done.  As a teacher this allowed me to see that I could do so much more to support the children and families that I work with, but also that I could do more to get my school involved in support efforts for places like Cambodia.  I would like to join efforts with these organizations that are attempting to make life better for these people because all children deserve to have an opportunity for a good life and only we can help these children that are dealing with these challenges to have this chance.  We truly need to be a light in this dark, dark, world! 

References

Smidt, S. (2006). The developing child in the 21st century. New York, NY: Routledge.

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

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

My reaction:                         
My reaction to this topic is one of sadness and disgust.  I am sad because of the way our society feels the need to exploit young people and sad about the fact that this is happening to children of preschool age.  I am disgusted that there are actually people who feel that this is an ok thing to do.  I am also disgusted because industries that are promoting this are making large amounts of money by using sex and violence to get their products to these young children (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009).  I breaks my heart that people feel that it is acceptable to rob these children of their innocence and that parents are not doing more to protect their children but instead are promoting this sexualization.  You honestly cannot turn on the television these days and let small children watch without the fear that they are going to see or hear something that is related to sex.  Children are constantly exposed to images of sexual behavior that shows them that there is not a need for emotions or attachments and that sex is a defining activity in a relationship(Levin & Kilbourne, 2009).  Young girls are learning that they should try and be as sexy as they can if they want to have a relationship with a boy and young boys are learning to objectify young girls based on these characteristics.  It is sickening to me when I see images on television that are showing children that girls need to show as much skin as they can and act sexy.  It happens all the time to the young movie stars and singers and you can actually watch them go from young innocent children to objects of sexualization.  I truly wish that the people in America and especially those involved with young children would take a stand against these messages that are being sent and start teaching our children that beauty is on the inside and that love and trust are what should define a relationship. 

Examples:                                                         
As soon as I read the title for this week's blog assignment the first thing I thought of was the television show "Toddlers and Tiaras". I had never heard of the show until last year when I was talking with my sister and she was telling me about how these little girls are dressed up in these little outfits with make-up on and are being asked to parade around this way.  I really didn't believe her when she told me about it and so the next time I was flipping through the channels and I came across it, I turned to it.  Well, I didn't stay on that channel very long because I was appalled by what I saw.  First of all, all of these little girls had on more make-up or almost as much as Tammy Faye Baker and many of them did not seem happy about what they were doing or being asked to do.  Here are these overbearing mothers who are holding them down to put make-up on them, shove them into these outfits and tease their hair when all these children would probably rather be doing is playing.  These children then compete in these pageants where they are being taught that their physical appearance is what is going to get them somewhere in life.  I have needless to say never watched the show again and will not ever watch it in the future.



The next example I have that illustrates the exposure of young children to a highly sexualized environment actually did not happen to me, but happened to my cousin in a preschool classroom.  It was during nap time and she was there as an aid and had to sit down next to this little boy who was taking a rest.  She said that he grabbed her hand and put it on his privates and said "touch my c***".  She was completely shocked and went right to the teacher and told her what he had said and then she had to go to the guidance counselor and fill out papers.  As we talked about this she said that she couldn't believe that he would know that word and I said that it was very sad that he would know that word but also the action that he wanted her to do.  This just goes to show that he has seen this somewhere before or even sadder, that this is something that has been done to him.  We live in a society where child sexual abuse is everywhere and I honestly believe that much of this comes from the exposure that there is in the media.

A final example that I have of children being exposed isn't of preschool age children, but of preteens.  A few years ago I taught in a sixth grade classroom as a long-term sub and there was a girl in my classroom who fit the perfect example of a child who had been exposed to a highly sexualized environment.  She came to school daily in skirts that were way above her knees or in pants that were very tight.  Her shirts revealed cleavage and were also extremely tight.  She was very sexually overt with the boys in the grade and during the time that I was there, she got caught giving condoms to boys who were in fifth grade.  I can remember thinking that this girl was going to be pregnant before she ever graduated from high school and I'm sad to say that I was right.  She made it to I think 8th or 9th grade and ended up having a baby.  It is sad to me that at that young of an age(before 6th grade) that she was given the idea that she should dress in such a provocative way.  Often in today's society girls are pushed into this type of behavior before they can even understand what the deeper meaning of a true relationship should be and the implications of the sexual behavior that they are displaying(Levin & Kilbourne, 2009).  She should have been more worried about playing with her friends and sports than she was about making herself look sexy to the boys that were around her.

Implications on Healthy Development 
The implications of sexualization in today's society for children is that it is sending harmful and inappropriate messages that can not only frighten them, but confuse them as well (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009).  These messages are teaching young girls that they should objectify their bodies and that if they are skinny, pretty, and wear skimpy clothes, then people will like them.  Young boys are not an exception either.  Young boys are given the message that they should be muscular and also that it is ok to look at the bodies of young girls.  Both genders are being sent the message that sex is the most important part of a relationship and the more that you "sell it" the more valuable you are.  This leads to ideas of poor self esteem, lack of self-worth, and can also lead to more extreme conditions like sexual abuse and prostitution(Levin & Kilbourne, 2009).  The best thing that I can do as an early childhood professional is to create a safe and caring place for these children and to teach them that their self-worth comes from the person that they are on the inside instead of what is seen on the outside.  I need to show them that I am a person that they can trust and be available to honestly (of course at their developmental level) answer questions that they may have about the things that they see in the media and possibly in their home environment.  I also need to make the parents and families aware of these issues and ask them to become advocates against the sexualization of our children.  Together we all need to fight the media and marketers of these messages because they are making money at the expense of the self-identities and futures of poor and innocent children. 

Awareness                   
The readings this week have increased my awareness to the idea of sexualization of children and how it impacts early childhood.  It is in early childhood that we need to start because the kinds or relationships they have when they grow up will be a result of the foundation that was laid about relationships in their early years (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009).  If they are learning that relationships are based around everything sex related then they are not being sent the right message and their self-esteem, self-worth, and self-identity is going to suffer.  I think that I try not to think about how big of a problem this is today because I have always felt that there is very little that I can do about it.  I have learned this week that we all need to take a stand to fight against this sexualization of our kids and when we see or hear something that is perpetuating this, then we need to do all we can to advocate against it.  I can be a voice for these children and I can also be sure that I am raising my own children correctly and modeling positive relationships for them.  In my classroom I can be a strong support and a role model against all of the negative messages that children are receiving.  It really is time that we fight to take back society from the perverted and sexual monster that it has become and return it to the pure and wholesome country that it started as.     

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

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

      Two and a half years ago I was blessed with my fourth child.  His name is Jadon (which means "thankful") and he was born with a genetic condition called "Noonan's Syndrome.  This syndrome is a condition that causes short stature in children and our little guy is definitely little.  At two and a half he is still wearing 12 month pants and most people who see him think that he is one.  I guess the stereotype or "ism" that we deal with the most is ableism because many people comment about how little Jadon is and ask if he needs help to do things.  I remember one time when we were shopping and he was just six months old or so(but looked maybe a month old) and this lady asked how old he was and when I told her she said in a very snotty tone "Why is  he so small, is something wrong with him?"  I explained that he was born this way and she didn't say another word.  Since that time I can't count the number of times I have heard "Wow, he's really small" or "Isn't he little for his age?"  We have also gotten the questions that because he is so small does he have developmental delays and people automatically assume that he has learning disabilities.  Jadon also has wide set (kind of droopy) eyes and one time a person made the comment about him that "he isn't as dumb as he looks."  This was a very hurtful comment but I knew that it came from ignorance because this person did not truly know Jadon.  Our little boy has a personality that is so big that it will definitely make up for his lack of size and once people are around him for a couple of minutes, they can't help but fall in love with him.  He does not suffer from any mental or developmental delays and although we were given the option to give him growth hormones, my husband and I decided that we want to leave him the way God created him to be and teach him that he is special for who he is and not what society thinks that he should be.  I know that the road as he is growing up will be difficult but I also know that God brought this little angel into the world for a purpose that is bigger than any of us and He won't let society mess with that. 
  

                                          

       The year after I had Jadon I had a little girl move into our school district and join my second grade class.  She was a very tiny and sweet girl and very sad to leave her grandma (who brought her) each morning.  Every morning I would wrap my arms around her and tell her that we would make it through the day together because I missed my baby too.  This little girl won my heart right away and she would constantly tell me that I was the best teacher and how beautiful I was.  She had a really big personality and despite her size, she was full of life.  I think that because of Jadon I took extra special care to make sure that she was treated kindly and that she was not picked on.  There was just something about this little girl that won me over and I just wanted to make sure she believed in herself and her abilities even though she was so small.  She ended up moving before the school year was over and I was heartbroken.  We both cried on her last day and she gave me her address so that the class could write to her.  A couple of weeks after she moved, her grandmother came into my room (she still lived in the town and is an aide in our school) and said she needed to share something with me.  She proceeded to tell me that this little girl had gone to a geneticist because she was so small for her age and wasn't growing and they found out that she has Turner's syndrome which is the female version of Noonan's Syndrome.  I think that I almost fell over when she told me this because I couldn't believe it.  I was then able to share with the grandma that my son had a similar condition.  We both felt that it was more than a coincidence that this girl had been placed in my classroom.  It seemed that she had needed me and I had needed her.  She is doing well at her new home and the last time she came to visit her grandma she came to the school with her and I saw her standing at the end of the hall and she ran to me and gave me a great big hug.  It was my feelings at this moment that made me realize how this "ism" had influenced not only my personal life, but my professional life as well.

                                               

        As I have dealt with the consequences of the stares and comments made to and about my own son, I was also given the chance to allow this experience to affect the way I interacted with the children and families that I work with.  The consequences of "ableism" in my professional life have been that I have a deeper consideration for all of the children and families that I deal with.  I feel that I have always been considerate of people but since dealing with the consequences of people looking differently at my son because of a physical difference I have developed an even deeper consideration and accepting of the differences that people may have.  I noticed this in the way I interacted with the little girl in my classroom and how I noticed that she was different but I would not allow for her to be treated differently in my classroom and I built a relationship with her and her family based on trust and understanding.  This program has taught me so much about the way society looks at people based on what is represented on the outside but how as educators we should be modeling to look beyond physical, cultural, or ability differences.  It is our job to accept ALL children and families into our classrooms and child care centers regardless of the characteristics they may have.  In a truly anti-bias classroom, we are accepting, respecting, and valuing all those who come through our doors and helping each child to develop to their fullest potential.  Anti-bias education is a type of activism that we should all be incorporating into our classroom but we have to remember that this starts at a personal level (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).  It is for this reason that it is important to reflect on the "isms" in our own lives and use them to help us become better anti-bias teachers.

                            

References:
   Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).