What Barbie and Dora Teach Our Daughters

January 7, 2011Comment

Erik Fisher, Ph.D.: For those of you who have young children and are in the know, two momentous events occurred in the world of kids and fashion recently: Barbie turned 50, and Dora got a makeover. So what’s the connection? The impact that these two icons have had on children and the way we view ourselves.

Barbie has evolved from a little girl’s object of play and imagination into an uber-creation by Mattel. If kids and the company could imagine it, Mattel would provide it. Whether it was demand or supply that led to the development of Barbie’s accessories is up for debate, but either way, the outcome is that there is an endless supply of Barbie products that can be purchased. Almost every child (and many adults) in America have likely been impacted by Barbie and her gang. She has been the ideal housewife, astronaut, adventurer and CEO. She has been an example of what women can become in mind and in body. It is the image of “body” that has been detrimental.

So what about Dora? Most recently, Dora underwent the cartoon equivalent of an “Extreme Makeover.” She is supposed to be older now, and dresses (and looks) the part of a more mature Material-Girl version of her original cross-cultural granola-girl self. Whatever happened to the girl-next-door Dora, and why did they have to change her? The most obvious possible motivation? The desire to grow the product with the market. As little girls get older, they outgrow Dora. To them, she is for little kids, not for young girls who are becoming tweens. From a business perspective, what better way to continue a demand for a product than to evolve it as your market evolves — and also to keep the original, so that emerging markets will be attracted to the original product? From a marketing perspective, this is genius (especially if it succeeds). Dora, after all, is a multi-million dollar industry, just as Barbie is.

Is there a problem with this evolution? No. What people are taking issue with is the manner in which Nick Jr. evolved Dora. Did the company stay consistent with how the character would have evolved, left to her own devices? This can be debated, as many children go through unpredictable changes in likes, dislikes, tastes and fashion as they become young adults. I think we all remember the girl in school who left sixth grade a tomboy and came to the first day of seventh grade a young woman. The issue is that Dora is the creation of adults. She is not a little girl going through her own changes. This is an orchestrated evolution.

Here are some stats to consider: About 42 percent of first-, second- and third-grade girls want to be thinner. Eighty-one percent of 10-year-olds are afraid of becoming fat. Fifty-one percent of 9- and 10-year-old girls feel “better” if they are on a diet. Keep in mind that these are children we are talking about. Realize that the body-image issues that our children are developing likely begin by first grade.

So here is the question: Where does our kids’ sense of “pretty” come from? And where does ours come from? I firmly believe that for most of us, our “pretty” comes from outside us, not from our hearts (as I believe that it should). In my years of research and experience with body-image and eating disorders, I’ve found that there are more issues in our society that contribute to our self-definitions than we would ever want to recognize. We are the stewards of our children and should contribute to their health, not create a lack thereof.

When do we just say, “Enough!”?

JEFF LAND – ISHINE BLOG: THE RUBYZ, PAIGE ARMSTRONG AND MISSION SIX

December 10, 2010Comment

This is the latest Blog from our good friend Jeff at Lifeway. Visit his page for more info and additional blog posts

“Noise. It’s all around you. There’s noise in almost everything you do. My office faces one of the busiest streets in all of downtown Nashville. Even on the Seventh Floor I hear amubulances, fire trucks, horns honking, and a cars accelerating. I have even heard a car accident and helicopters whirling in the air.

All of this noise can be distracting, so I always plug my iPhone into my Mac as soon as I arrive at work and start listening to tunes I’ve downloaded to iTunes. I’m not going to lie, since the beginning of October, I’ve been listening to Christmas music, but everyone has to have a vice right?

Recently, I was teaching the preteens at my church using a passage from Ezekiel 36. The lesson was actually supposed to be about missions, but we ended up really getting into a great conversation about verses 20-21 where God talks about nations profaning His holy name. We discussed what profaning meant and what God’s holy name was.

This led to the topic of texting and the popular text and status message, OMG. JuliAnn was stunned and a little hurt that the phrase OMG—a phrase she used regularly—profaned God’s name. We talked about how some people might not think that it was a bad phrase, but most people knew that the G in the phrase stood for God, and the Bible clearly exhorts us to not take His name in vain. This led us to another rabbit chase of what phrase abbreviations were not appropriate. I’ll save that for another post.

The boys were really starting to understand what we were talking about, and I knew it. It was not long until one chimed in that the popular animated series Family Guy uses God’s name in vain all of the time. They said, “we know it’s bad, but the show is awesome, it’s so funny.” I understood this as a tragic testimony against that we exist in a world of cultural Christians, it’s easy to stand for what you believe while you are in church, but we aren’t equipping believers to stand when they are alone. The kids in our ministries deserve better.

So, what can you do to as a minister to kids understand how the world’s answer and God’s answers are not the same. You can disciple them, expose them to good choices in media, and pray for them.

I have been privileged to develop a relationship with some awesome people at the organization called iShine. Founder, Robert Beeson, became burdened for his own children that their choices for positive music and television were limited, so he began producing television shows and developing an event called iShine Live. The event is geared towards older kids and preteens and exposing them to great music, amazing production, great Bible teaching, and wonderful role models.

Several members of the iShine family were at KMC10 and we had the privilege of sampling their music and hearing their prayers. Several of the artists have been featured in Bible Express and are amazingly talented.

Their musical styles vary greatly by band, from Paige the rocker-girl to the Rubyz, an upbeat pop group. Mission Six is a group of guys who rock hard with their God-honoring lyrics and positive attitudes. There are many, many more but I just don’t have space to tell you about them all.

You might not really care for a particular genre of music, but your preteens love it. The truth is, they are going to listen whether you like it or not, so why not expose them to the best the world has to offer. Give them positive role models, music with a message, and something they can tell their friends about. Go to the iShine page and check out their listing of artists. The variety will blow you away! Help your preteens reduce the noise in their lives that is pulling them away from the One we desire for them to be completely in love with. Expose them to great music from great Christian artists they can look up to.

Follow iShine artists on Twitter: The Rubyz, Mission Six, Paige Armstrong, SiLOam,Jamie Grace, Kylie Jean, Jonnie and Brookie, and Chelsea Musick. While you’re at it, be sure to follow me!”

Demi Lovato and the core issue.

November 2, 20101 Comment

I was moved today to read about Demi Lovato checking herself into rehab. On one hand I am happy to hear she is brave enough to seek help. On the other hand I am so sad to continually hear of these young artists facing such devastating personal issues.

We live in an age that is constantly moving and instantly gratifying… especially our tweens… between texting constantly, watching TV or surfing the web our kids have more at their finger tips than we ever could imagine in our childhood… Not all of it bad. But here is the danger- its a mile wide and an inch deep. Our kids experience more, observe more, learn more but KNOW less.

Our kids are picking up on the unquenchable ambition we as adults seem to exhibit. Just because our kids can speak to and cope with more than we probably did at their age doesn’t mean they have roots.

Roots that will keep them well nourished. Roots that keep them strong. Roots that are dug deep into the truth of their significance… The truth that before time began they were thought of and deeply Loved.

In this age of quick fix gratification it could not be more crucial for us as parents to make time to invest in helping our kids come to the realization not just that they can achieve great things but more importantly they are loved regardless of achievement by a Father that cannot be persuaded otherwise… who’s Love cannot be separated from them.

There is nothing that they can do, achieve, or work for to gain this Love… That this Love is the sole root for them to unconditionally draw from. We need to start slowing down our homes, slowing down the examples we set about what is important.

We as families, broken or together, must come to a collective realization that “we are Loved’ is core to our identity and only from that core… from that root… do we have a prayer of dealing with the madness of this world and all that it throws at us.

In 2009 1 in every 7 high school students seriously considered killing themselves.*

October 4, 2010Comment

I was reading a heart breaking article from CBS yesterday about teen suicide.

Bottom line is that kids these days don’t feel like they have anyone to talk to about problems they face.

It drives home the fact that we are raising a generation so rooted in empty entertainment that when facing difficult situations they feel they have no where to turn… no way out but to end their life or other self destructive behavior.

We must engage these lives before its too late. Statistics say that by the age of 13 all faith, moral and relational outlooks are finished being formed. So the perspective kid’s have going into teen and adult years are basically ‘locked in’.

If we don’t take time to let these kids know they are devinely created, ultimately loved and most important not alone with a Father who knows them by name, this generation is not equiped to deal with what life and the enemy tells them about themselves.

It not only could be the difference saving a spiritual life… It could very well be a physical life as well… it could be your child, your grandchild … but more than likely you know a kid that is thinking of taking their own life.

I’m not trying to scare us for the sake of anything other than this is a great example of how we as a Church are at risk of losing this war of truth. The truth that this young generation is intimately Loved and they do have somewhere they can turn, a Father who knows and has ordained every breath.

*In 2009, 13.8% of U.S. high school students – that’s almost one out of seven – reported they seriously considered attempting to kill themselves, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Going Solo – LifeWay’s ParentLife interviews iShine’s Robert Beeson

September 8, 2010Comment

Robert’s story is perhaps not one he would have chosen, but God’s greater story of redemption is being written.

Robert Beeson had the job of his dreams. While still in his 20′s, he found a way to combine his intense love of music with this burgeoning business and marketing acumen. But as is the case with any visionary, he had no idea where his dream was about to take him.

What started as a tiny, rock driven label launched out of Robert’s bedroom in Souther California, Essential Records was about to become one of the most successful record labels in all of Christian music….

To read the full interview download it here.

Recommended Books for Parents

July 14, 2010Comment

Bringing Up Girls: Practical Advice and Encouragement for Those Shaping the Next Generation of Women

Help your daughters meet the challenges that come their way and become the healthy, happy, and successful women you want them to be. Based on research done by Dr. James Dobson and written in his down-to-earth and good-humored style, Bringing Up Girls will do for parents of girls what Bringing Up Boys did for parents of boys. Hardcover. A Focus on the Family Recommendation.