Don't be surprised when a four-year-old child at your nursery comes in one morning and proudly announces to everyone, 'I want to be Batman when I grow up'. You can be sure he has watched a video or the television the night before featuring this character, and he has been strongly influenced by it.
The typical pre-schooler becomes attached to a television or film figure at times, a role model that suddenly assumes great importance in his life. Soon the child thinks a lot about this character, talks about them to other children, and wants to tell the nursery staff about his hero at every available opportunity.
Different types
Young children's choice of television role models varies tremendously, depending largely on the interests of each child. However, they generally fall into three categories, as follows.
Fictitious role models
This type of hero is entirely created by the media and has no basis in reality whatsoever. For instance, it might be an adventure character from a popular cartoon programme, or a superhero from a children's comic magazine who has been transformed into a television character, or someone from the latest action movie. The child will never meet one of these heroes because they do not exist in real life. Such a role model is necessarily worshipped from afar, and this allows the pre-schooler to attribute any trait he wants to him or her. You'll see him engage in imaginary play as he enthusiastically pretends to be this personality.
Real-life high-achieving role model
This type of hero is widely seen on television and elsewhere, and is a very high achiever. They could be a pop singer whose latest video dominates television, or perhaps a successful football player who is thrust into media prominence as a result of a particular tournament, or even a famous racing driver. Although these heroes are living people, a pre-schooler is unlikely to meet any of them, and even if he did, it would probably only be for a few seconds. He bases his image of this type of hero partly on real information (from news reports, video clips and newspapers) and partly on his imagination.
Real-life 'presentation' role models
This type of hero is usually a high-profile television personality, directly addressing a children's audience. For example, they could be a presenter of children's programmes, and might even be someone youthful the young viewer can identify with. Unlike the other heroes, a child can have real contact with this type of television role model, often by speaking during a phone-in or by writing directly to the person. Although this type of figure isn't a 'hero' in the sense of the other television role models because there isn't the associated sense of adventure or achievement he or she does provide a standard to which a young child aspires.
Are role models harmful?
There is nothing to worry about when you discover that a child in your nursery has become fascinated by a tele-vision personality. In the vast majority of cases it doesn't mean that there is something missing from his life or that his emotional needs are not met by his parents. It's a normal part of childhood.
One of the benefits of having a role model like this is that it helps a pre-schooler to forge a common bond with his friends. The hero provides a link between them, something that they can all share together, and can serve as an endless source of gossip, speculation and general discussion.
A child might even look forward to a particular day of the week at school because his hero will have appeared on television the previous night and he can anticipate the next day's exciting nursery discussion about it. A child who is shy and lacks confidence socially will find talking about his hero especially valuable, as it can provide an immediate point of contact with his peers.
Another positive feature of having a television role model is that it enables a child to develop his imagination. As in dreams, he can make the hero do anything he wants, be capable of overcoming any hurdle, and be extremely caring and considerate. His fantasy hero can make all his dreams come true at least, in his fantasy world.
If the child has a sporting role model, for example, a racing driver, athlete or skateboarder, then the hero probably has a talent that he admires. Maybe he wants to be a top footballer and so having a world-class player as his hero gives the child a model on which to base his own behaviour. He can watch the hero's style of play, and then try to copy that himself when he plays the sport. If the hero is a pop singer it is fun to sing along with their hit records, especially in a group of friends.
A role model also fulfils a child's natural need to have someone in life he can look up to, in addition to the adults already in his everyday world. Like others his age, he may like to have a human idol in his world, someone that sets standards and ideals that he can aspire to. Whatever the role model's character, it provides an example of attitudes and behaviour for a growing child to emulate.
What to do
Here are ways to deal with a child's attachment to a television role model, whether you work in a nursery or a domestic setting.
Go with the flow
Talk to him about his role model even though you may not even have heard of this particular character. The hero really matters to the child, and he wants you to be interested too. No matter how bored you might be with it all, study the pictures he shows you and look fascinated when he tells you about his hero's latest achievements.
Expect the role model to change
Young children are notoriously fickle today's star will eventually be forgotten as yesterday's has-been once the role model has served a psychological purpose for the child. A pre-schooler usually has several television role models, sometimes one at a time, sometimes two or three at once.
Discuss the 'anti-hero'
Some famous footballers achieve fame through the combination of their sporting talents and their rude behaviour. Some pop singer role models make headlines by behaving atrociously in public. Explain to the child that while he looks up to this person, he can also dislike some of his behaviour at the same time.
Encourage critical awareness
If a nursery child's imagination is engaged by a fantasy role model, he may try to mimic some of that character's exploits without realising that television and real life are different. You may need to point out to the child, for example, that rough-and-tumble doesn't hurt on television but it could hurt his friends.
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