My Supports

My children, my church and my sister are supportive daily to me.

Everyone which is supportive to me understands that my husband travels frequently and is away from our family for a long time.

My children are such blessings.  When their father is on business trips, they support me by cleaning around the house and assisting with dinner.  My two older children help their younger siblings get dressed, with homework and reading to them.  My oldest daughter is absolutely wonderful with her younger brother who is autistic.  They all do what they can to be supportive while I do my classwork.

My church family is very supportive.  They sit with my family and help me with the children.  If I need help with anything my husband would typically did around the house, someone at my church would assist me. 

Even though my sister lives two hours away from me, she is a great support.  We talk every day and she helps me think through tough situations.  I can talk to her about my kids and converse about different techniques for raising my kids.  If I need her physical presence, she does not mind getting on the road immediately.

It would be very difficult living without the supports in my life.  Since I am the parent physically here taking care of the kids, it is essential I take care of my mental health.  If I did not have these supports, my mental health would be in jeopardy.  I need my supports to be able to focus on my schoolwork. 

I imagine being blind as my challenge.  A person close to me would have to decorate my home and teach me where everything is located.  I would need a device or animal which would serve as my eyes when I leave the house.  The community has braille on signs and building entrances I could use to establish my location.  I would need to surround myself with positive people with who love me and would keep me encouraged emotionally.

Life would be extremely difficult without support.  Since I am blind, I must have people around me that would tell me the truth about my environment daily.  If I did not have the necessary supports, I would be even more vulnerable.  My mental health would be compromised and I would be at great risk for becoming very depressed.



"It takes a village to raise a child." -African Proverb-

My Connections to Play

Play energizes us and enlivens us.  It eases our burdens.  It renews our natural sense of optimum and opens us up to new possibilities.

Stuart Brown, MD

Contemporary American psychiatrist

Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.

Fred Rogers

American television personality

1928-2003

My sister and I enjoyed playing Barbie together.  We would play with the Barbie's house and design it.  Barbie had a car where we would pretend she was driving to the store or the beach.  I had a giraffe that was just as tall as me when I was three years old.  That was my favorite stuffed animal.  I would pretend to ride it.  My grandfather bought my sister and I "My Little Ponies".  We would play with our ponies at my grandparents house during the summer.  We would pretend they would run in a field.

My family loved how my sister and I played together very well.  We are two and a half years apart.  My family bought us toys we could play with together.  We had video games and a computer.  My sister and I enjoyed playing Barbie, riding our bikes, painting and coloring.  My family provided us with the opportunities and materials for us to play.

Play has changed due to the increase of technology.  Many families do not regulate the use of technology and encourage their children go outside to play.  Early childhood professionals can help parents find a balance between technology play and imaginary play.  Technology for children has increased dramatically in recent years.  The toys have changed also.  Some board games have been modified to include a component of technology.  Technology has changed how children play from when I was a child.

I hope early childhood professionals can help families find a balance between playing with technology and imaginary play.  Families seem to have less opportunities to play together due to the demands of their careers and lack of understanding for the need children have to release energy/frustration through play.  Children with special needs usually have accommodations for frequent breaks which allows them to get up to move more often than their typically developing peers.  Children need opportunities to play which should reduce challenging behaviors in the classroom.  Society needs to be mindful about the impact play has on a child's development.

Play encourages children to use their imagination.  When children use imaginary play, they have the opportunity to develop creative ideas.  Play also helps children adapt socially.  Children which have the opportunity to use imaginary play become productive and effective members of society.

"It takes a village to raise a child." -African Proverb-

Relationship Reflection

Relationships/partnerships are important to me because they support me spiritually and emotionally.  In my life journey, I have learned to rely on my close relationships to sort out issues or complex situations.  I trust they have what is best for me in mind when they give me spiritual and/or emotional support.  It took time to build trust and get to know each other very well.

My husband and I have a relationship and a partnership.  Our relationship, as husband and wife, provides emotional and spiritual support.  We have been married for ten years but we have known each other for fifteen years.  When my husband and I got married, we learned almost every side of one another.  We have experienced several of life's challenges and learned to work together despite our differences.

My sister and I have known each other since I was two and a half years of age.  She is the first experience I had of learning to live with another person.  We knew everything about one another.  Our relationship changed when I entered college.  I was no longer living in the same house with her and did not get a chance to talk to her every day.  We had to learn how to build a relationship as young adults by communicating with each other constantly.

My best friend and I met when I was earning my bachelor of science degree at Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Florida.  We have been best friends for fourteen years.  When we met, we had an instant spiritual connection.  We were and continue to be a spiritual support for one another.  After I left Daytona Beach, we lost contact for a couple of years.  Once we regained contact, we made sure we did not lose contact again.  Technology provided us the opportunity to stay in touch no matter how many times our addresses or phone numbers changed.

I have learned when situations change in our lives, it becomes more challenging to maintain relationships.  When the relationship is beginning to develop, it is even more challenging to establish trust while a person or family is going through a transition.  In my relationships, I had to share things about my life which helped us identify with each other.  The relationships were maintained by frequent and constant communication.

The special characteristics of my relationships are trust, respect, caring and love.  The relationship with my husband is also a partnership.  We have to work together to meet the financial demands of our family.  Since my husband travels to provide for our family, I am responsible for being the person which is constantly at home to take care of the children.  We work together to meet the unique needs of our children.

My experiences have taught me to be understanding.  Each person has their unique situations where they need to respected for making the best decisions with what they are given.  As an early childhood professional, I can be more effective by respecting the unique needs of families.  Relationships/partnerships require constant communication and trust.  In order for me to be an effective early childhood professional, I need to keep that in mind.

"It takes a village to raise a child." -African Proverb-

A Very Big Thank You!

It can be very difficult understanding young children with language disorders.  The link below provides a video by Krista Blessing describing techniques she uses in the classroom to assist her students with language disorders.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09rfaRUsGPk&feature=player_detailpage

" A child's life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark."
-Robert A. Heinlein

"The child must know that he is a miracle that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him."
-Pablo Casals

"Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression."

-Dr. Haim Ginott

Thank you Thelma, Stephanie, Rola, Felecia, Valerie, Sheila, Lachelle, Shala, Mekesha, Todd and Destiny for sharing your experiences which opened up my mind to new information and concerns about our young children today.  The more informed I am about the issues and situations impacting families with young children, the more effective I can become as an early childhood educator.

Thank you again and I look forward to working with you next semester!

"It takes a village to raise a child." -African Proverb-

Testing for Intelligence?

The assessment of brain development is a way to measure ability and achievement to determine whether a child is developing typically.  In order to measure mental processes, children answer questions to standardized tests. Aptitude tests are used to determine the potential to master a specific skill or to learn a certain body of knowledge.  Intellectual aptitude or IQ tests identify the ability a child can learn in school (Berger, 2009).

If a child is having difficulty in school passing their subjects, IQ tests or aptitude tests can help determine if a child is capable of learning the material but it needs to be presented differently.  If the scores are lower, parents and educators can consider several options for the child to be able to succeed in school.  I had to make a tough decision about my son's education.  When the IEP team assessed my son, his aptitude score was below average.  The team determined that he would benefit from a life skills classroom.  The son was having a difficult time learning the foundational skills necessary to move on to the next grade level with accommodations.  Even though it was not easy accepting the realization that my son would benefit from a certificate program, he is doing very well in his class where he made the honor roll and enjoys going to school.

Many developmentalists do not believe that there is a test to measure potential without measuring achievement.  The culture of the people who wrote, administer and take it are reflected in every test.  It is difficult to test intellectual potential because it changes over a life span.  A child that receives special education services currently may later demonstrate above average or gifted intelligence.  Many developmentalist believe that the brain contains not just one aptitude but many (Berger, 2009).

Reading test for six-year-olds to include non-words

Non-words were being included to check pupils' ability to decode words using phonics.  The reading system allows children sound out words using letter sounds.  Non-words were being included to check that children were not just regurgitating memorized words.  The new test will take about ten minutes to finish which would include about to forty items that are words and non-words.  Some educators feel the test is ridiculous because the purpose of reading is to understanding words.  It was believed that the test was sending out the message that all words are decodable using phonics even though they are not.  It was stated by the Schools minister, Nick Gibb, that children are leaving primary school without the ability to read or write properly.  It has been decided to raise the standards and create new phonics-based reading checks for six year-old children to identify children that need extra help before it affects their love of learning for a lifetime (Richardson, 2011).

References

Berger, K.S. (2009). The developing child in the 21st century:  A global perspective on child development. New York, NY:  Routledge.

Richardson, H. (2011).  Reading test for six-year-olds to include non-words. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.uk/news/education-12509477

"It takes a village to raise a child." -African Proverb-

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

Chaos

When I was in first grade, my father left my family.  My life became very chaotic because he decided to no longer provide for our family.  Our electricity was turned off and we were evicted from our home.  We were forced to move in with my grandparents.

While living with my grandparents, my grandmother made sure my sister and I came home from school safely.  Since my mother was forced to find a job to support herself and two children, she was no able to be home with my sister and I.  My grandmother compensated for the absence of my father.  My grandfather also compensated for the absence of my father by being a consistent male figure in my life.

Grandparents high in near-parental roles use coping strategies to a greater degree than did those who considered themselves low in this role.  The near- parental -role grandparents reported using problem-focused strategies and dealing with the problems causing the stress head-on with a plan of action.  They rely on their faith to make something good out of the situation.

http://go.gategroup.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ps/i.do?

Chaos may interfere with development and sustainability of proximal processes because it shortens their duration and increases interruptions, rendering exchanges of energy between the developing child and her or his surroundings less predictable.  Chaos may also lower the intensity of proximal processes, given stress and fatigue in parents and other caregivers who must also contend with chaos.  Chaotic living conditions might also interfere with the development of competency, the belief that one is an effective agent in coping with one's surroundings.  Unpredictable, nonroutine, inconsistent, and noncontingent physical and social surroundings can interfere with a sense of mastery and lead to helplessness in the developing person.

www.erin.utoronto.ca/~w3psygs/05PSY210F/Evans.pdf

Africa Recovery

A troubled decade for Africa's children

Over a decade after world leaders gathered at the 1990 World Summit for Children to set ambitious targets for improvements in child health and welfare, life for tens of millions of Africa's youngest and most vulnerable inhabitants remains difficult, dangerous and, all too often, tragically short.  Despite the unprecedented global prosperity of the 1990s, and modest advances for children in some African countries, children in sub-Saharan Africa are more likely to be ill, less likely to be in school and far more likely to die before the age of five than children in any other region.  Trapped in a downward spiral of war, disease and deepening poverty, African children and their parents were, by some measures, worse off at the end of the decade than they were at the beginning.

Not all of the news is bad.  Primary school enrollment in Africa rose from 54 percent in 1990 to 60 percent in 1998.  Immunization against three common killers- diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus -- stands at 72 percent of children worldwide, but actually declined in Africa during the 1990s to just 46 percent of African children inoculated.  The slippage has come despite offsetting progress in 13 African countries which have achieved the target of 80 percent coverage.  Measles, another ancient scourge, has declined by nearly two thirds globally over the past decade but remains among the top five killers of African children today.  A 1998 UNICEF study found that barely half of African children were immunized against the disease despite the low cost and effectiveness of the vaccine.
In Mali and other countries, government and civil society have forged new alliances to challenge the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases, strengthen health and education systems, open up the political process and strengthen transparency and accountability in budgeting and governance.  The efforts of individual countries were reinforced by the adoption of an African Common Position by governments and NGOs at the Pan-African Forum on Children in Cairo last year.  The statement affirmed children's rights to health, education and peace and declared that "concerns of children and youth of Africa must be at the centre of the global agenda."
www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/vol16no1/161child.htm

"It takes a village to raise a child." -African Proverb-

Child Development and Public Health

Breastfeeding

Health Benefits to Babies Who Breastfeed

• Children receive the most complete and optimal mix of nutrients & antibodies
• The varying composition of breastmilk keeps pace with the infant's individual growth and changing nutritional needs
• Have fewer incidences of vomiting and diarrhea in the US
• Protection against gastroenteritis, necrotizing entercolitis
• Reduced risk of chronic constipation, colic, and other stomach upsets
• Reduced risk of childhood diabetes
• Protection against ear infections, respiratory illnesses, pneumonia, bronchitis, kidney infections, septicemia (blood poisoning)
• Protection against allergies, asthma, eczema, and severity of allergic disease
• Reduced risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome)
• Protection against meningitis, botulism, childhood lymphoma, crohn's disease and ulcerative entercolits
• Decreased risk of tooth decay (cavities)
• Nursing promotes facial structure development, enhanced speech, straighter teeth and enhances vision
• Breastfed infants develop higher IQ's and have improved brain and nervous system development
• Reduced risk of heart disease later in life
• Increased bone density
• Breastfeeding plays an important role in the emotional and spiritual development of babies
• Breastfed babies enjoy a special warm bonding and emotional relationship with their mothers
• Antibody response to vaccines are higher
• Are hospitalized ten times less than formula fed infants in the first year of life
• The colostrum (first milk) coats the GI tract, preventing harmful bacteria and allergy-triggering protein molecules from crossing into baby's blood
• Decreased risk for vitamin E and Iron deficiency anemia
• Decreased risk for acute appedictis, rheumatoid arthritis, inguinal hernia, pyloric stenosis
• There are factors in human milk that destroy E coli, salmonella, shigella, streptococcus, pneumococcus..... and many others
• Less risk of childhood obesity

Health Benefits to Moms Who Breastfeed

• Reduced risk of breast, ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers
• Reduced risk of anemia
• Protection against osteoporosis and hip fracture later in life
• Reduced risk of mortality for women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been associated with total time of lactation
• Helps the mother's body return to its pre-pregnancy state faster
• Helps delay return of fertility and to space subsequent pregnancies
• Develops a special emotional relationship and bonding with her child
• Breastmilk is free - reducing or eliminating cost of formula (in the thousands of dollars/ per year)
• Breastfed babies are sick less
• Moms miss less time from work due to child related illness
• Helps the uterus contract after birth to control postpartum bleeding

www.motheringfromthe heart.com/Benefits.htm

Breastfeeding in other countries

Afghanistan

State:  Kabul

A physician stated that breastfeeding is a common practice among Afghan mothers.  As Muslims, they are required to have all parts of their bodies covered from Islam.  A mother can not nurse her baby in front of a male family member.  Doctors want to increase mother day care and feeding centers in public areas where mother is able to feed her baby in a public area.

Africa

A physician in Africa explains that it is the only culturally accepted mode of feeding babies, especially in Nigeria for the first two years of life.  It is encouraged to breastfeed your baby at any point in time be it in the open/public or in isolation.  Africans, especially the Yoruba's, believe it is an ingredient of promotion of closeness to mothers and a concept of bringing the mother and child closer to one another.  The sound and nutritionally unique concept was discarded secondary to acculturational influence of western education and introduction of feeding formula.

www.007b.com/public-breastfeeding-world.php

For the future, I would like to inform mothers about the benefits of nursing.  The health department has a program called healthy families.  I am interested in participating in the healthy families program or creating a similar program to inform parents about the benefits of breastfeeding.  Mothers need support when breastfeeding.  For some mothers, breastfeeding comes naturally.  For other mothers, breastfeeding is very difficult.  I would like to be a source to provide resources to mothers who are nursing.

"It takes a village to raise a child." -African Proverb-