|
Thoughtful Reflection
Take a minute and think about your child’s use of television and movies. What type of shows does your child prefer?
Have you taken time recently to talk with your children about their favorite programs and found out what they like about them?
When was the last time you sat and watched television or a movie with your child?
Make a plan to watch your children’s favorite program or a movie with them. See if there’s a teachable moment you can use to initiate a talk about sexuality. A talk could be about anything that comes up in the show. Maybe it’s a relationship issue. Or it might be an issue of how to say “no” to peer pressure. Talk to your kids about how they think the character in the show should handle the situation and why. See how they would handle the situation if they found themselves in such a situation. Give them your advice on how you’d hope they’d handle the situation and remind them that they can always come and talk to you if they need help.
Remember that you can even talk to small children about their favorite programs. Take an opportunity to watch Sesame Street or another similar program with your small child and ask them to tell you if a particular character is a boy or a girl and ask why they think so. It will give you some insight into how your child thinks about gender and what attributes they associate with being male and being female. For young children, it’s not uncommon to think that someone is female or male based on what they wear and what they do. You can help them understand that both boys and girls do many of the same things. For example, young children often think that others who play with dolls are girls. It would be an opportunity to let your children know that both boys and girls can play with dolls.
|
