What should a 4 year old know?

From the author's post: "I was on a parenting bulletin board recently and read a post by a mother who was worried that her 4 1/2 year old did not know enough. “What should a 4 year old know?” she asked.
Most of the answers left me not only saddened but pretty soundly annoyed. One mom posted a laundry list of all of the things her son knew. Counting to 100, planets, how to write his first and last name, and on and on. Others chimed in with how much more their children already knew, some who were only 3. A few posted URL’s to lists of what each age should know. The fewest yet said that each child develops at his own pace and not to worry.
It bothered me greatly to see these mothers responding to a worried mom by adding to her concern, with lists of all the things their children could do that hers couldn’t. We are such a competitive culture that even our preschoolers have become trophies and bragging rights. Childhood shouldn’t be a race.
So here, I offer my list of what a 4 year old should know."

Enjoy.

The Hunger Games 2 (the movie)

The Hunger Games Sequel!!!
Will you go see The Hunger Games2??

Art goes "skinny"

An Italian artist takes 7 famous classical paintings of women and photoshops them to see what the women would look like if they conformed to the contemporary beauty ideal. It's fascinating!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2012/mar/11/art-nudes-have-gone-skinny?fb=native&CMP=FBCNETTXT9038

Hunger Games and Body Politics

A former student, Anne Moss, shared with me these links to two (very simplistic) articles that serve as an introduction to the politics of bodies and beauty ideals in the Hunger Games:

http://mobile.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/03/23/jennifer_lawrence_s_body_not_skinny_enough_to_play_katniss_.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/elizabeth-perle/hollywoods-hunger-games_b_1378870.html

Please post reactions!

Brittney Griner

 Brittney Griner, Basketball Star, Helps Redefine Beauty 

http://www.curvemag.com/Blogs/Playing-for-Our-Team/Web-Articles-2010/Brittney-Griner-May-Push-Gender-Boundaries-But-Not-on-Purpose/

Or.........?

Here is an article Eva located on how Griner responds to nasty comments.

BU Newspaper

Check out the link to boston.com's take on the BU newspaper's not so funny April Fools Prank.

From Jezebel:

"Here's the 'Funny' Sexual Assault Parody Boston University's Student Paper Doesn't Want You to See"

White Until Proven Black: Imagining Race in the Hunger Games

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2012/03/hunger-games-and-trayvon-martin.html