Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Imagine your son or daughter approaches the large mirror in the hall and asks the question, “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who’s the Fairest of them all?”  Now, imagine you are that “mirror” providing feedback to your child. What do you want your child to see in that mirror? 

Adults can be central in creating the world that young people experience.  Our children begin developing their sense of self-worth at a very young age.  This awareness begins with parents and caregivers and expands as the child matures to include peers, friends, community members and the media.  Young people pay attention to messages or comments from these individuals who are important or significant in their lives.  As responsible adults we must be aware that we are consistently sending verbal and nonverbal messages to our children in regards to their self-worth. 

Girls and boys are being bombarded with too many messages encouraging them to strive for what is labeled the “ideal” body.  They are being inundated with false information that encourages them to neglect or abuse their bodies to attain a certain body shape.  These messages come from the media, individuals outside the young person’s home, and sometimes unknowingly from parents and caregivers.  Young people’s feelings of self-worth could be damaged if they are unable to separate reality from idealism.  For example, photos of models in fashion magazines typically are enhanced. We must help our children understand that technological advancements make it possible to change every aspect of our bodies – eye color, whiter teeth, body shape reconfiguration, and even to render a photo using a composite of several different bodies!

To encourage healthy self-esteem in your home try one or more of the following activities:

·         Instead of focusing on young people’s appearances, provide encouragement (both verbal and nonverbal) to help children develop their skills, talents and citizenship at home and in the community.

·         Watch TV or videos with young people and help them identify inappropriate behavior.

·         Look at magazines with children and explain how photos are retouched.

·         Engage in family activities that do not include the media (e.g., play board games, participate in outdoor sports, attend cultural events, visit a museum)

·         Prepare and eat meals together.

·         Create a family scrapbook celebrating each child’s wonderful and unique qualities that DO NOT include physical appearances.

As responsible adults we can give children positive feedback that encourages them to embrace and celebrate their entire and unique selves! The following link is a sweet perspective on how we as adults play such a significant role in how our children see the world.  Enjoy!

 

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Article written by: Aneta Eichler, UT Extension Agent I, Sequatchie County

Reference: Maintaining a Positive and Healthy Self-Esteem: What Can Adults Do? –

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension HE Form 550

What is UT Extension?

 “What is UT Extension?” Some may think 4-H, others agriculture, maybe both. These are just two of the important program areas in Extension; there is a lot more to UT Extension in Sequatchie County. Another way to think about the University of Tennessee Extension is as your “Local UT Campus,” a means to access the resources and information of the land-grant university. UT Extension operates in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties as the off-campus division of the UT Institute of Agriculture. An educational outreach organization, funded by federal, state, and local governments, UT Extension, in cooperation with Tennessee State University, brings research-based information about agriculture, family and consumer sciences, youth, and community development to the people of Tennessee where they live and work.

Established in 1914 by the Smith–Lever Act, the cooperative extension service today is a network of 74 land-grant universities and 3,150 county units across the US. This vast network, along with area and state specialist, supports local county-based programs which can provide the latest researched-based information.

In 2010, UT Extension celebrated its 100^th anniversary. With this legacy of helping people improve their lives through an educational process that uses research-based information, UT Extension continues to be a reliable and up to date source of information on families, health, nutrition, agriculture, horticulture, youth development and much more.

Records show that the first agent assigned to Sequatchie County, Mr. B. B. Gracy, came in August 1917, followed a week or so later by Ms. Kitty McDonald. A lot has changed in the last ninety-seven years but the focus on people and improving lives has not.

Today UT Extension offers a variety of programs. From agriculture programs such as the Master Gardening Program, to Family and Consumer Science programs on Parenting, all programs offered are designed to address community needs, and provide research based information.

4-H is the Youth Development program for University of Tennessee Extension.  4-H teaches leadership, citizenship and life skills to more than 302,000 youth in grades 4-12 in Tennessee.  4-H also has more than 15,000 adult volunteers. In Sequatchie County 642 youth in grades 4-12, are enrolled in 4-H. Students in 4-H can participate in many activities and programs. 4-H Camp is one of the biggest programs each year, approximately twenty-five 4-Hers from Sequatchie County attends a week long camp at the Clyde M. York 4-H Center in Crossville.

Volunteers also play an important role in the Extension Program. Volunteers with the Family and Community Education Clubs, Master Gardeners, 4-H and other programs contributed 9,278.76 hours to Extension the value of these hours is $205,431.74. Volunteers teach classes, supervise events, and support the program in many different ways.

If you would like to learn more about the UT Extension Program in Sequatchie County visit our website or Facebook Page.

Posted by: Sheldon D. Barker