Erica Lucero is the brave soul who turned in the very first student entry. This is in response to the first chapter in the book. Way to go, Erica!
In Erica's words:
I agree with Elkind, that children need to be children. They should have the fond memories of playing outside all summer long, or going to summer camps that were just adventures without having any demands placed upon them.
I also agree that children are seen as mini-adults, and we forget that they are not developmentally ready to be adults. We put them in a lime light of sorts, before they are ready.
While reading through the chapter I often thought of my own childhood memories and about the other children who were around me. When Elkind spoke about sexual activity in adolescence, I thought back to when I was in junior high. I only knew of one girl who was sexually active, but when I talked with my brother who is 9 years younger than me, he was able to name a whole bunch of girls he knew to be sexually active in his junior high. I find this very scary. The girls or boys doing this are not thinking about what it means; they just want to do the same things as adults.
I also noticed that a lot of things that Elkind spoke about have already been mentioned to me through other classes. For example, I know in my parenting class we talked about how important it is for children to be children. And it’s important to encourage our children to play, not to just sit them in front of the television.
Another idea that we talked about in parenting is using logical consequences as punishment. I think that most adults go straight to the physical punishment (spanking) rather than taking the time to think of a logical consequence to follow the misbehavior.
I also have realized I dress my nieces and nephews in “mini-adult” clothes. I find them to be so cute, but after reading the section in the chapter about the miniature adult and the reasons why children used to be dressed only as children, it made me rethink my purchases. Children probably shouldn’t be dressed just like me, because they are not like me. I am an adult and there should be a difference in the way we look.
This really has me thinking…
The reading also makes me think a lot about the way my nieces and nephews are treated, and how we do push them to do things that they do not need to do.
I don’t think that I really disagree with anything that Elkind spoke about. I believe that we do push our children to do things that they are not ready to do - especially in today’s world. One thing that I would like to change is this idea that children need to keep advancing, and if they don’t advance as quickly as someone else then they are seen as a failure. As an adult, I don’t want to fail, but children should never feel as though they’ve failed. Failure comes with such powerful emotions, and I do not think that children should have to feel these emotions.
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I fully agree with Elkind and Erica in the fact that the children these days are forced to be societies little adults. Working at Girl Scouts here in Fresno, I see first hand accouts of little girls talking about fashion trend and wanting to be just like the models and actresses you see in Hollywood. As well as mimicing the video vixions in the music videos theses days.
ReplyDeleteErica has the right idea when she state that children need to enjoy there childhood and remember the times in the summer. I dont believe I was hurried child at least to my memory. I do remember myself running in the street, having sleepovers and enjoying being a kid! I believe it is apart of who I am today. Which should be apart for all kids. In the end Elkind is absolutly right that we need to loosen the reins and allow kids to be kids as long as possible!
The first chapter of this book has me hooked and very anxious to keep reading because I also agree with what Elkind and my other peers have to say. The comments about "mini adults" reminded me of something that happened at work last week. For one of my jobs I teach dance to pre-school age children and during one of my classes I heard a 5 year old boy tell a 2 year old girl (while holding her hand), "You're hot!" While some of the caregivers laughed and said "How funny!" I thought to myself, "Wow did I really just hear that? How does a 5 year child understand the concept of telling a girl you're hot?" The idea that children are being forced to grow up and advance so quickly in school worries me, not only for todays' children but also for my own children if I choose to have some in the future.
ReplyDeleteAglaed Garcia
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Elkind and Erica. Children need the opportunity to be children. They need the opportunity to explore their environment without being pressured. As soon as children start school they start feeling stressed because they have to adapt to the school environment, they have to try to fit in with friends, and they are pressured to score higher academically in school. I also think that children these days are like “mini-adults.” This reminds me of the time when I was working in an afterschool program as a mentor for first graders. One of my five-year-old girls was always carrying a mirror with her because she was very concerned with her appearance. She was only five and she was always trying to look her best. I noticed one day, as I was walking my students to the restroom, that the same five-year-old girl was stuffing her boobs with toilet paper. I noticed it right away because I saw toilet paper coming out of her shirt. This worries me because children now-a-days are being pressured to act as adults; however, they are children and need to act like children not adults.
Erika,
ReplyDeleteI think you brought up a great point, Elkind is right in saying that that children need to be children.
You also mentioned that children should be able to look back at their childhoods and remember fond memories. I myself have tons of great memories of my childhood; fond memories that it of course! I do worry for today’s children because there is such a pressure for them to grow up quick that I’m afraid that they do not have the same opportunity that I had to experience great moments. I also agree with your point about children of today being sexually active in junior high. I remember my mother gave me “the talk” until I was perhaps 13 years old, and I can honestly say that prior to “the talk” I had no idea about sex or anything relating to it. All I knew prior to “the talk” was that boys had cooties and I wanted nothing to do with them. It is shocking to hear some 9 year olds of today speaking their mouths off over the topic. I have been left appalled after hearing some of today’s youngsters speaking about the topic; they know so much for their short little ages!
-Veronica Lua
This chapter really forced me to open my eyes and realize that children are being forced to grow up, and it is our fault. As a society we pressure children to do and learn things that may not be appropriate for children to be doing.
ReplyDeleteAs a young child I grew up in several locations; we lived in an apartment complex, which was a young child's dream come true. There were always kids to play with outside and all of the neighbors were part of a close community. As I got older we moved out onto a farm, with corn and alfalfa and walnut trees. This was a whole new kind of heaven. There weren't neighbor friends to play with, but I always had my little brother and sister to explore with. I have another brother that is 14 years younger than I am, he still lives on the farm, however he doesn't do much exploring. Instead he is indoors most of the time playing video games, instead of exploring. Seeing this difference between his childhood and mine makes me sad, and I realize how important it was to have had such a wonderful childhood where playing outdoors was emphasized and video games were not the norm.
Erica,
ReplyDeleteLike you, I too, am deeply disheartened by the abundant societal pressures weighing so heavily on today's children to be "miniature adults." By pushing them to succeed, to advance, and to dress, act, learn, think, and feel as adults do, society expects children to mature too quickly (as you pointed out) before they are ready. The cost is their childhood. Your comment about the fact that we, as a society, seem to forget that children are not developmentally ready to be "mini adults" really hit me. These expectations are not only unnecessary; they are unacceptable and unfair. Emotionally, they are not ready to be adults. They are simply not equipped to adequately maneuver through and endure the complex emotions and emotional tasks of adults. And quite frankly, they shouldn't have to. A powerful example of this is the one that you mentioned: the debilitating emotion of failure. I believe that children have an inherent right to be children. It should never be a privilege to be a child- to live a life free from stress, without unreasonable demands, roles, competitions, and uncertainties- to enjoy the all too fleeting simplicity and freedom of childhood. Children are entitled to this, I believe, to dream, to play, and to grow up on their own time.
What a great entry!!! I can't agree more with you that children are living in a society where we are forcing them to grow up so fast. I remember going to Science Camp as a counselor; I never thought I would encounter so many 6th graders who were dealing with sexual issues!!! It breaks my heart when I see toddler girls wearing mini-skirts with knee high boots. I recall wearing ridiculously huge poufy dresses with matching hair ties.
ReplyDeleteWhat are we teaching our children? Is it even appropriate to call them children, when they are taking on the roles of adults?
Sadly somewhere along the way parents have decided, "Oohh wouldn't it be great to teach 7 year old Katie how to drive?" Parents of America, PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YOU TO LET CHILDREN BE CHILDREN! If we ignore their developmental stages in childhood we are robbing them of very vital experiences that will help them make lifelong decisions. This is an epidemic that is taking place from childhood all the way up through the teen years, causing them to lose themselves in adulthood. We’ve lost track of teaching them moral values and it’s so essential that they know the foundation of those principles. Our fast paced society wants us to assimilate to this new high tech culture, sadly, by “forcing” us to maintain our position according to the standards and values presented by the media. Since when was it okay to give a 9 year old a cell phone? Or to give a teenager a brand new 2010 Mustang?
What happened to hard work?
I agree with you 100% that we are teaching our children the WRONG definition of failure. They are confusing the whole concept of failure. They have adapted it to mean disappointment instead ofa life lesson leading to wisdom. When they don’t get what their friends have, they’ve failed to assimilate. If they ride the bus instead of driving their own car, they’ve failed. I believe we failed as caregivers to educate our children about the proper values and principles of life through nurturing their mind, body and soul. I pray that we, future Child Development professionals such as Teachers, Counselors, and Educators, will strive to correct this problem by spreading the knowledge of how our childhood helps us value who we are and not what we have.
-Iyare Isibor
I see now the harm that is being done to children by adults asking too much. The pressure that is being put upon children to grow up is too much. Even though more video games are coming out each day for children to play with instead of going outside. Children don't live the same lifestyle's as they used to as far as playing. Children used to play game's and play outside. Now they sit inside and play video games. Children are being told they have a responsibility in life and to grow up. I agree that we need to encourage children to be children. Children need to be able to express themselves freely with their emotion's and in life. I believe that children need to lead their own lives and to discover the world through their own eyes.
ReplyDelete