Your Mind Your Body

This week is Healthy Media for Youth Week (July 12-16), a week to draw attention to the impact that sexualized media images have on all of us, and in particular, girls and women. It also promotes national legislation to increase research, youth empowerment and media literacy programs, and create a Federal Communications Commission task force to help curb this serious issue.

As the mom of two very young girls, I am hyper aware of the sexualization of girls and women in the media.  And as a psychologist, I work with lots of tween and teen girls and watch them struggle to understand the images they see on TV, online and in print, and how those images relate to their lives. And research repeatedly shows the strong link between these images and mental health problems such as depression, eating disorders and a low self-esteem.

I am aware of folks who believe we should eliminate all media presence from our children’s lives and require them to wear clothing that reveals nothing.  But I am not convinced that these extreme measures are the most effective route to helping our girls (and boys!) develop healthy, realistic and sustainable concepts of themselves and the people around them.  The fact is, most of us live in a media- and sex-saturated society; while we can work to reverse or slow the trend, we also need learn to live in it.

Here are some tips for helping children manage what they see and hear and make healthy choices:

Stay Engaged

In previous posts I have written about the importance of understanding of your children’s online life.  I think the same holds true for all types of media – not just the computer kind.  Check in on the shows your kids are watching; listen to the music they listen to; read the magazines they read.  When I sat down and really watched some of the shows my kids were watching, I was appalled.  I quickly realized that some of the “children’s programming” just did not jibe with the lessons about family, body image, and relationships that I was trying to instill in my kids.  

Talk A Lot but Listen More

There are literally hundreds of opportunities everyday to engage your child in a conversation about sex, relationships, and body image.  A billboard on the way to swim practice, a magazine cover in the doctor’s waiting room, sassy song lyrics on the radio – these are all conversation starters.  Instead of dominating the conversation talking about why you think something is right or wrong, let your kids take the lead.  I am continually amazed at the insight and maturity many kids have about these topics – we just need to give them the opportunity to tell us!

Be the Teacher

Yes, we live in a media-driven world, but don’t forget the power you have as a parent.  You are still your child’s first and most important teacher and role model.  Even if they don’t seem to be watching or listening to you – DON’T BE FOOLED – they are!  Check in with yourself and other prominent adults in your children’s lives.  Are you living the life you want them to see?  Develop and demonstrate a healthy sense of self and your kids will very likely follow behind.

Photo by TheErin (via flickr).

Filed under: Children, Parenting, Women