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Are young girls under pressure to grow up too soon?
BBC Radio 5Live, 13 June 2011
A BBC Radio 5Live debate asked- Are young girls under pressure to grow up too soon? Here are Leigh-Anne Stradeski, Chief Executive of Eureka! The National Children's Museum's thoughts:"There’s a significant difference between little girls dressing up in their mothers’ dresses and high heels and external influences that encourage cosmetic surgery and pole dancing.Self-confidence and self-esteem need to be reinforced and nurtured in our children from an early age, and role play and make believe are ways in which children build these important life skills. But anything which causes young girls to think they need to change their looks or behaviour to conform to someone else’s ideal of “female perfection” is sending the wrong message.
"In a society which claims to value difference and diversity, we should be helping our children accept themselves as they are rather than embedding self-doubt when they’re in the early stages of building a sense of identity.Let’s celebrate and preserve childhood to give our kids a better chance in the future."
BBC News, 4 June 2011
Children are being exposed to sexual images from a much too young age and the Mother’s Union has undertaken a review for Government into the commercialisation and sexualisation of children. Recommendations to protect children from being pressured into growing up too quickly include banning sexually explicit outdoor advertising near schools and giving parents more opportunities to complain about music videos and other images their children are exposed to.
Leigh-Anne Stradeski, Chief Executive of Eureka! The National Children’s Museum, said: “To think that we can completely protect all children from exposure to sexualisation in today’s world through tighter regulation amounts to burying our heads in the sand. Wrapping them in cotton wool does not help children learn, develop and understand the complex world around them and the choices they will have to make.
"What we can do as parents, educators, businesses and the media is to provide them with positive role models and messages to balance out the potentially damaging ones they may come across. Allowing children to be children for as long as possible and encouraging their natural instincts to play freely helps lay the foundations for the development of life skills, including self-confidence and self-esteem.”
To read Leigh-Anne's blog on this click here.
BBC Breakfast, 17 May 2011
New research from Dr Bryan Caplan suggests parents should worry less about their children’s progress and adopt a more laid-back style to their upbringing that he calls “serenity parenting”.
Rebecca Johnson, Director of Play and Learning at Eureka! The National Children’s Museum, said: “Maybe it’s because I’m a play and early years professional, maybe it’s because I’m a laid back parent but I don’t find the thought of relaxing and trying not to control every aspect of your child’s life so that they can enjoy being a child very radical.
“This is partly down to the fact that there are so many mixed messages about parenting in the media. Last year we had Amy Chau telling us we should be pushing our children, instilling a strong work ethic at a young age, now we are told to take it easy.
“Whatever the current advice in the news, the real solution is very simple. The important thing to remember is to have fun with your children and allow them to enjoy their childhood. Encourage, guide, but don’t push.”
To read Becky's blog on this click here.
The Observer, 8 May 2011
This article gave figures showing that school trips to museums are significantly down because of funding cuts.
Leigh-Anne Stradeski, Chief Executive of Eureka! The National Children's Museum, said: “Children have many different styles of learning and traditional classroom learning does not suit everyone. Even though field trips are part of the school day and linked to the curriculum, because they are in a different setting, there is a greater sense of adventure and freedom to explore, for children to think for themselves and make connections to what they’ve learnt in the classroom.
If school trips are restricted, will it be the children who have the most to gain that would suffer by missing out on the benefits of these cultural, social and experiential learning opportunities?”
To read Leigh-Anne's blog on this click here.
BBC News and others, 19 April 2011
57% of school staff surveyed by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers said schools were becoming increasingly risk averse, banning playground games like British Bulldog through fear of injuries.
Leigh-Anne Stradeski, Chief Exeuctive of Eureka! The National Children's Museum, said: "The growing trends towards risk aversion in school playgrounds is worrying - taking risks is a key part of playful learning and putting restrictions on this means that children miss out on informal learning experiences outside the classroom. Schools being more wary will also make parents more wary and this is what encourages a culture of wrapping children in cotton wool, which seriously limits their social, physical and emotional development."
Eureka! Experts blog, 7 April 2011
Liz Smallman, Head of Learning at Eureka! The National Children's Museum, gives her top three reasons for why listening to children's imaginative ideas is important for their development.
She refers to a Blue Peter letter from Anthony Hollander who credits the fact that he is now a ground breaking surgeon on the positive response he received to his belief that he could make plants and animals live as a child.
The National Children's Bureau paper on why and how we listen to young children has lots more useful information, advice and case studies.
Eureka! Experts blog, 28 March 2011
Tudor Gwynn, Projects Director at Eureka! The National Children's Museum, comments on a recent New York Times article about the success of children's museums in the US during difficult economic times.
He is encouraged that Eureka! is part of a playful learning movement that gets 30 million visits per year but concerned that, unlike in the US, children's museums in the UK do not have the prominence they deserve. This limits opportunities for informal learning in a formal environment.
Eureka! Experts blog, 21 March 2011
Leigh-Anne Stradeski, Chief Executive of Eureka! The National Children's Museum, responds to new research by Sheffield University's Department of Education which shows that playground games are being influenced by new media.
The research found that, contrary to what many think, reality TV and computer games are actually informing rather than destroying children's playground games.
Games may be alive and well in the playground but Leigh-Anne stresses the importance of ensuring that this imaginative play can continue at home and children's free time is not restricted.
Eureka! Experts blog, 11 March 2011
Rebecca Johnson, Play and Learning Director at Eureka! The National Children's Museum responds to a new Government report calling for better guidelines for nursery menus to help tackle childhood obesity.
Her blog questions whether certain foods should be restricted from nursery menus and provides 5 tips on how to make meal times a learning experience for children so that they develop healthy eating habits for life.
Ready for Ten blog, 4 March 2011
Leigh-Anne Stradeski, Chief Executive of Eureka! The National Children's Museum, applauds Play England's Parents for Playgrounds campaign but stresses that involving children in the redevelopment of play areas is vital.
She says: "While we need the parents to take the initiative and nominate their play areas, let's be sure that it's the children who determine what's needed to make them great places for kids to play." The development of Eureka!'s Sensory Trail is used as an example of the benefits of involving children in the whole process.
Nursery World blog, 23 February 2011
Leigh-Anne Stradeski, Chief Executive of Eureka! The National Children's Museum, comments on the benefits of allowing children to take risks.
Children and Young People Now blog, 21 February 2011
Leigh-Anne Stradeski, Chief Executive of Eureka! The National Children's Museum, comments on the recent Allen Report's failure to recognise that allowing children to play and use their imaginations freely is important for their early development. Leigh-Anne has also written a blog on this.
Eureka! Experts blog, 14 February 2011
Leigh-Anne Stradeski, Chief Executive of Eureka! The National Children's Museum, comments on the recent Allen Report's failure to recognise that allowing children to play and use their imaginations freely is important for their early development.
Hand to Hand, Winter 2010
Eureka! experts Becky Johnson and Liz Smallman provide a case study for the Association of Children's Musuems Hand to Hand journal on consulting with children. The article draws on their experience of developing a Sensory Trail and play area at Eureka! in summer 2010 and includes top tips on consulting with children and an evaluation of what worked.
