I don't know how many of you saw this article on Yahoo! a week ago, which was released by the American Psychological Association, on sexed-up images in the media and how it affects young girls, but it is extremely concerning. The study itself can be found on the APA's website, www.apa.org.

As a society, we are concerned with issues our young women face; depression, eating disorders, and low self-esteem. As parents, we do not want to see our own daughters have to battle any of these. Many of us do not address these topics until our children are of older elementary school age and about to face puberty. We need to realize though, that the roots of these problems start much earlier. As this article points out, even at early ages, our daughters take in everything they see and pick up on what are becoming our societal norms. There is no reason our daughters have to play with dolls that look like they are modeled after prostitutes, just because that is what is being marketed to them. It sends a mixed message to them to let them play with these kind of toys when they are young, but then tell them they cannot dress like that when they are older.

In an age when even as adults it is hard not to get swept away by the promises of anti-aging products and the miracles of plastic surgery, it is hard to be the perfect role models for our children. Let me offer these tips:

1. Expose children to age-appropriate toys, videos and movies. Childhood is just a short time in their lives but so critical to how the rest of their life plays out. Protect this formative time in their lives.

2. Focus on the health of our bodies, rather than how we look. Children listen to what we say about ourselves and learn from us what is considered beautiful. What we think really does matter to them, especially when they are young!

3. Point out their positive attributes as much as possible. "I really like the way you share with your friends," or, "You are so creative," can really do wonders for their self-esteem and make them feel valued for how they act, not how they look.

The APA website has other informative articles and tips on how parents can address this issue and others regarding our children and the pressures they face. Talking with other parents also helps generate ideas on how to become better role models for our children and may give you added support to take a stand that may be against "the norm".