Protecting Our Children from Corporate Marketing

Posted on October 7, 2011 by viviankirkfield

I think this must be MY pumpkin!

How do you make your buying decisions?

Many factors probably go into the final decision about which car to purchase, what brand of spaghetti to grab from the store shelf, how many rolls of toilet paper to keep on hand in the closet. You might do research online when it comes to purchasing a car. You might ask a friend who has a reputation as a great cook which spaghetti she uses. You might figure out how much you will save if you buy the twenty-four roll pack as opposed to the four-roll pack.

One of the most influential factors in determining what we buy is corporate marketing.

Companies spend TRILLIONS of dollars to convince us to buy their products.

And, ever since the 1950’s, corporations have been marketing to children. However, their efforts have exploded in the last decade and I believe our children are at risk because of it.

Corporate marketing is ONLY concerned with the bottom line…SELL MORE AT GREATER PROFITS AT ANY COST! Our children are bombarded with commercials on TV, radio, magazines and the internet for biggie-sized food and fast-food meals with toys. Companies donate computer equipment to schools and infiltrate the classrooms with their branding messages. Juvenile diabetes, obesity and many attention deficit and hyperactive disorders in children are rising at a staggering rate. Life expectancy of today’s children will be lower than that of their parents, even though our medical technology is at its highest level ever. Is there a correlation between corporate marketing and these problems?
Corporate marketing is strongly GENDER DISCRIMINATING. If you watch commercials geared for young children, you will notice that boys are supposed to be strong, tough and ready to fight while girls are portrayed as pretty and sexy. Years ago there were many measures taken in the schools to educate teachers so they would respond to boys and girls on a fair and equal basis, encouraging girls to sign up for math and science classes and requiring boys to take home economics. Obviously, the companies that are looking to sell their products have other ideas in mind and they have reverted to the old ways.
Corporate marketing is attempting to turn our young children into life-long super-consumers who are shallow and are only concerned about themselves and getting the things they want. Most parents don’t realize the effect that all this branding and marketing has on young children.

Do you agree that this is a problem?

Do you feel parents need to protect their children from corporate marketing?

And if you do, what can we do?

Perhaps we can turn off the TV. That would be a start, but not the entire answer because the messages are on the internet, in the schools, in magazines…everywhere. If you are looking for ideas of what to do with your young children after the TV has been turned off, there are 100’s of fun-filled, educational, self-esteem building activities in Show Me How! This award-winning resource is available as a print book with lots of lined spaces for recording your child’s highlights or on Amazon’s Kindle.
Perhaps we also need to say “no” when our children come to ask for a particular toy or food if we feel it is not good for them.
Perhaps we can be good role models when it comes to not buying excess stuff or things that are not healthy for us.
Perhaps we can encourage our children to reach out, helping and giving to others. If you are looking for ideas along those lines, you can check out www.kidsareheroes.org, an organization devoted to spotlighting and supporting children who help others.

Please share your thoughts.

Are Electronics Hurting Your Child’s Eyes?

Posted on August 10, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image via Wikipedia

Yesterday I had an eye doctor appointment.

As I sat in the waiting room, I noticed a small magazine entitled “Eye Care”.

It’s published by HealthMonitor.com and is packed full of valuable articles and information.

I know that many parents wonder about any dangerous effects that electronics…and their children’s use of things like mobile phones, iPads, 3-D handheld video games and laptops…might have.

Are electronics dangerous to your child’s eyes?

According to Dr. Benjamin Ticho, a pediatric ophthalmologist and associate professor at the University of Illinois:

There are no studies showing permanent or long-lasting visual damage from these types of devices.

But are there any temporary problems that can crop up from staring at portable game devices, surfing online or watching TV for prolonged periods of time?

The answer to this is YES! Strain, fatigue and dry or scratchy eyes can result from doing anything up close where our eyes are doing too many things: focusing, coordinating and moving close together…this can cause the eye muscles to get tired.

What can parents do to help avoid this?

Put a daily time limit on electronic devices.
Remind your child to get up frequently while engaged in a task or game.
Encourage your child to participate in outdoor activities or sports each day.
Use time playing video games or going on the computer as a reward for completing homework…that will insure that eyes are tired out before homework is done.

Tomorrow I’m going to share: 5 Ways to Treat Screen Strain…for all of you out there who blog.

Healthy Habits for TV, Video Games, and the Internet (education.com)
Get your head out of the screens! (revolutionarymoms.wordpress.com)
Ground Rules for the Interactive Child (everydayhealth.com)

Is Your Child Ready for Preschool?

Posted on July 15, 2011 by viviankirkfield

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I speak with parents of preschoolers all the time.

One of the questions that I hear very frequently is, “I want to send my child to preschool. How do I know if he (or she) is ready?”

There are several key indicators we can look at that will help us answer that question. You need to observe your child to see:

1. How well does he interact with others?

If you feel your child has not had enough opportunities to interact with others then:

START SMALL: arrange play-dates with neighbor children of a similar age and attend library story programs. The summer before our youngest son was going to start kindergarten, we enrolled him in a three week nature class that was held every morning at a local nature center. He had not attended preschool or daycare and we wanted to give him a chance to be in a “classroom” setting. This worked out very well and he adjusted to kindergarten very well.

2. Has she been away from you?

If your child has not been away from you at all then

START SMALL: arrange to leave your child with a trusted friend or relative for an hour or so (take a walk around the block or a bubble bath) and enroll her in a library story hour or other local program where she will have other adults who are in charge.

3. How well does he transition from snack to play to story to craft to quiet time?

If your child has not had any experience with this or does not transition well then

START SMALL: during the day, let your child know you will be turning off the TV at the next commercial…tell him it will be naptime after the last page of the book is finished…find opportunities to have your child transition from one activity to another.

4. Can your child’s speech be understood?

Your child should be able to speak in simple sentences of three to five words and be able to describe an activity or event that recently happened. If you think there is a problem, then speak with your pediatrician. If there isn’t a problem, perhaps your child hasn’t had enough opportunity to verbalize.

START SMALL: Give your child opportunities to express himself…when reading a picture book, have your child tell you what is happening on the page and then let your child retell the story to you from the pictures…at the store, encourage your child to describe what he sees. It is so important for us to listen to our children…they really have a lot to tell us.

5. Does your child follow directions?

If your child does not seem able to follow directions then

START SMALL: give your preschooler easy tasks to do…put the plates on the dinner table, help fold the clean towels…when cleaning up the toys, ask your child to put the blue blocks away first or tell her to pick up the book and put it on the couch.

There are two other factors that may have an impact on whether your child is ready for preschool: potty training and age.

Many preschools require students to be potty-trained or almost there. Your preschooler should also be able to put on and take off her shoes and coat, zip up her pants and wash her hands. These are some of the early life-skills your child needs to learn…please be patient…it takes time and practice to grow up and master these tasks.

Regarding age, educators define preschool as the two years before kindergarten. The age minimum differs in preschools…some want the child to be three by December of that academic year, while others will accept two year olds.

Whatever your decision is about sending your child to preschool, spending time with your child will result in life-long benefits…building self-esteem, developing pre-literacy skills and strengthening the parent-child bond. If you visit my website and buy a copy of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking, you will be getting a unique activity book/parenting resource/memory book that will provide you with picture book summaries, easy crafts and healthful recipes…even an hour-by-hour schedule that will simplify your day. Using Show Me How will definitely help you achieve your child’s school readiness goals. We offer your money back if you are not satisfied with the contents and the results and the book is on sale now for 50% off the cover price…only $22.50 per copy.