Children are the most easily influenced out of all age groups. Everything around them is new. They are born ignorant of the world and the social cues around them. This ignorance makes the job of a parent very difficult. Whatever a parent does the child absorbs. Parents have to be careful what they teach their children because anything they do or say can have a great affect on their child. Children learn how to eat, walk, talk, and behave all from their parents. Because parents have the job of teaching and taking care of their children, their children look up to them as if they are "superheroes." They know that they can go to their parents for advice and help.
The little boy in this picture is looking up to his father for guidance and acceptance. He wants to be just like him. Even though he does not have a beard yet and is obviously too young to start shaving, he wants to know what it is like to be his father. He can see everything his dad does through the mirror. He watches his father's every move to figure out how to be just like him. The father in turn has to be careful what he subconsciously or consciously shows his child because it could have a huge impact on him for the rest of his life. Just like the father in this picture needs to be careful while shaving his face, he also needs to be careful while raising his child. Ultimately the father is teaching his child how to be him. He is teaching him how to be a good man, father, son, husband, and worker. The father has a lot of pressure on him to be the best he can be for his family and son. He has to be an example, a leader, and a moral compass for his child.
5 comments:
This photo, to me, comes across as a bit sad. An activity like this should be filled with jokes and laughter, but it looks as though the father is literally training his son for manhood. The subjects’ shirts are also an important part of the photo. The adult man is wearing a basketball shirt and the boy is wearing a motorcycle shirt, both of which are stereotypically male interests. The relatively empty sink is important because it shows that men do not use multiple products. They use soap, shaving cream, and a toothbrush. To have more would be too feminine of a idea passed onto the son. The boy looks up to his dad and looks a bit timid, but he could just be taking all of the shaving directions in. In either case, making this boy into a man seems to be a serious structured manner as opposed to a fun, gender-breaking adventure.
In this photo we can see mirror images of two males. It really captures the saying, “Like father, like son.” The young boy looks at his father very closely, trying to observe and learn how to correctly mimic his father’s moves. The boy will learn from his father how to be like a man, learning his gender role for the future. In this picture, we see how a father is looking at himself closely, partly for his own safety, and partly because he knows the young impressionable boy is watching. The boy’s face is covered with shaving cream, along with a healthy dose of wonder and curiosity. I believe that this picture captures an important bonding moment between a father and son. They are learning from each other how to be a team, and how lessons may be passed between them. The boy trusts his father, and develops a positive attitude towards learning from the role models in his life. What a lucky boy he is, to have a father who cares enough to spend this quality time with his son.
The picture, “Reflection” definitely displays the impact a parent has on their child. To start with, the title of the picture, “Reflection” says it all. A child is a reflection of their parents. They grew up observing and learning from their parents. The parent is the role model of the child. As much as parents aren’t aware of the large impact, it definitely shows more and more as the child grows older; when they stop observing and start doing. The picture of the father shaving and the child wanting to do the same is an example of this. The boy wants to be a man just like his father. So parents have to realize the messages they are sending their children through their actions. Whether it is with their depiction of gender roles, language, or hygiene the child will copy. They are the role models whether they want to be or not. This picture does a great job of portraying this.
This picture is good because it shows how easily influenced children are in the smallest of things. The little boy is looking up to his father, for guidance, for help. He is looking at his father trying to be just like him, trying to be the man that he is. Its incredible how young boys are influenced so much by their fathers and how they aspire to be just like them.
The set up of this picture is what caught my eye. I like how it is taken from over the shoulder and to show the little boy looking up to his father through the mirror. This shows us that even as young as this child, we want to be just like our parents. He appears to be trying very hard to learn about being a man. Though this is an important part of adolesence, this photo makes it seem as if it is imperative at a very young age.
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