My Supports

 

People, Places & Things

 

When thinking about the supports I have in my life at this time there are many essential people, places and things that come to mind. First and foremost I thank God daily for his many blessings, love and mercy bestowed. I am thankful to have time to meditate, pray, and relieve stress which supports my health and well-being and a home for shelter, rest and enjoyment, food for nourishment and love from family and friends. My family has been very supportive while I am taking these master degree courses by picking up on more of the household chores. My husband is doing all the yard work, laundry, vacuuming and other cleaning items, while my son and daughter in-law have taken over the food shopping, cooking and contribute to cleaning the house as well. I truly appreciate all their help, support and understanding. The cell phone is another support that is use as an alarm to wake me up in the mornings. I also need it as part of my work responsibilities connecting with staff throughout the day through both phone calls and emails. Another is my planner, it support the organization of my day, week and month. Without a calendar and it use to schedule task, meetings and course work I would not function well or as efficient. This helps to keep me focused on what needs to be done and see the big picture. I write a priority list daily or before going to bed or leaving work that also helps me stay on track and ensures things are getting completed. I have my schedule and times for reading and responding to my Walden colleagues and time to research and work on assignments. I am the type of person that needs a planner and schedule to support and juggle all that needs to be done. There are many other things that I consider supportive also, such as my physical body, finances, or vehicle. When we really have to think about it there are many people, places and things that provide support to our lives.

 

My Connections to Play

It’s not so much what children learn through play, but what they won’t learn if we don’t give them the chance to play. Many functional skills like literacy and arithmetic can be learned either through play or through instruction – the issue is the amount of stress on the child. However, many coping skills like compassion, self-regulation, self-confidence, the habit of active engagement, and the motivation to learn and be literate cannot be instructed. They can only be learned through self-directed experience (i.e. play). ~ Susan J. Oliver

My grandfather played a significant role in my play in my younger years. He would encourage me to use my imagination to build things from recyclable items we would find after taking long walks together in the neighborhood. Creating a go-cart was one of the them!

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning…They have to play with what they know to be true in order to find out more, and then they can use what they learn in new forms of play.” ~ Fred Rogers

Playing with friends after school, dancing to music, climbing at the parks, playing basketball, baseball, tag or just telling stories were just some of the fun ways to learn, move and socialize.

“In play, the child is always behaving beyond his age, above his usual everyday behavior; in play he is, as it were, a head above himself. Play contains a concentrated form, as in the focus of a magnifying glass, all developmental tendencies; it is as if the child tries to jump above his usual level.”~ Lev S. Vygotsky

I so loved pretend play with my family when I was younger. I’ll never forget when I got a play kitchen set for Christmas, I thought I was the riches person in the world with how happy that had made me. I enjoyed that for years and it became a play item that allowed us to use my imagination and  to play with my brother and sisters for years to come.

Play today is similar as the toys and materials look very much alike as it did when I was a child. It has changed in the sense that children don’t seem to have the time to play imaginary play with other children. Especially with smaller families today and children not being allowed to play outside with other children due to parents fear of their safety. For some children play today is structured by extra curricular sports, dance, gymnastics or art and music lessons.

 

 

Relationship Reflection

When I think of that beautiful quote “Human relationships, and the effects of relationships on relationships, are the building blocks of healthy development” (Shonoff & Phillips, 2000, p4), I think of this family picture that represent 4 generations. My mother, children )daughter) and grandchildren are the most important relationships in my life. I respect and value the relationship with my mother who gave me unconditional love and supported all my dreams and desires. This is one of three of my children that I love and admire along with two of five grandchildren that are my pride and joy. I make ever effort to get together as often as possible and keep in close contact with them so they all know how much I love them.

We make sure we celebrate everything from birthdays to making the football team. We barbecue, swim, dance, tell stories by the campfire, play games, vacation and work together on projects and task. We support each other in achieving goals and help each other through trials and tribulations.

This is my youngest daughter who includes me in all parts of her life and considers me her friend. If I don’t see my grandchildren within a week I am calling them and talking to them to find out how they are doing , asking how the game or school is going and sincerely want to know and hear about what’s happening in their life. I remind them that I love them, am here for them and miss them.

All the kids love Uncle Marc cause he wrestles, jokes and always has something special for them. I couldn’t ask for a better son. I have been blessed with a good kid who takes good care of me and his dad who is always working to provide for this great family.

Child Quote

“Each of us must come to care about everyone else’s children. We must recognize that the welfare of our children and grandchildren is intimately linked to the welfare of all other people’s children. After all, when one of our children needs lifesaving surgery someone else’s child will perform it. If one of our children is threatened or harmed by violence, someone else’s child will be responsible for the violent act. The good life for our own children can be secured only if a good life is also secured for all other people’s children.”

~LiLian Katz            please continue to read the previous blog…..

“When I Think Of Child Development”

I want to thank everyone for all the conversations on child development and the valuable information you provided weekly. I came upon this take away song and enjoyed it, as it give some take away thoughts to this course. I hope you enjoy it as well. Good Luck to All of You!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/urBopeqi7dE“>http://

Testing For Intelligence

This is an important question this week for us as early childhood educators. How is it best to measure academic achievement? The outcome and primary interest is student achievement which we know is presently measured by administering a common standardized test to all students. On the other hand, state tests also pose certain difficulties for both teachers and students. I have some thoughts about what should or shouldn’t be included in measuring schools and students performance. Since the majority of testing hinges on the ability to read well then those students who have difficulty or who are second language learners may struggle through the entire test. Standardized testing doesn’t give a full view of a student. So the tests should be structured in a way that allows a variety of intelligences to be demonstrated. A performance test that shows a student’s ability to use their bodies, manipulate objects and build things would give a more comprehensive assessment of the student.

I understand we need some measure or index to determine whether or not students have acquired the necessary knowledge to move on to the next grade level. The key is how? Academic performance could be measured in multiple ways and methods such as: teacher observation, benchmark assessments, student portfolios, rubrics, progress monitoring tools, standardized assessments and other local assessments. By using multiple assessments it could help educators determine what is working and not working, which then could lead to better outcomes for students. As someone who struggled with testing myself, I’m aware that it shouldn’t be the primary method of assessing student achievement. A student’s progress shouldn’t be limited to how high he or she scored on a test but rather by other factors including classroom behavior, social skills, writing ability and creative and critical thinking. A final thought is placing so much emphasis on measuring student progress and not focusing on holding teachers accountable for the progress of their students. Teachers should also be observed and assessed yearly to determine which areas of their teaching needs improvement.

As far as other developing countries there is an increasing awareness of child development. The health sector has advocated for early child development programs for children with low birthweight, developmental delays, and from low-income disadvantaged environments. Child development information is often incorporated into growth monitoring charts. Some information includes; Government-supported preschool programs for children are increasing in the past 15 years, at least 13 developing countries have instituted compulsory preschool or pre-primary programs. By 2005, the World Bank had financed loans to 52 developing countries for child development programs, for a total of US$1680 million, at least 30 developing countries had policies on early child development, and UNICEF was assisting governments in supporting parenting programs in 60 countries. Despite this interest, there have been few systematic evaluations of early child development programs in developing countries.

Reference

Berger, K. S. (2016). The developing person through childhood (7th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers

Center for Collaborative Classrooms, (n.d).The Role of Supportive School Environments in Promoting Academic Success. Retrived from https://www.collaborativeclassroom.org/research-articles-and-papers-the-role-of-supportive-school-environments-in-promoting-academic-success

Stressors of Alcohol and Drug Addiction on Young Children

A friend of mine had a very difficult time in her childhood because both of her parents had an addition. It affected her in many ways and it shaped her world. She never knew if she was going home to a warm and nurturing home or a war zone with parents fighting. At the age of 11 years old she found herself caring for her own needs, cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry and other household chores, not in a normal child responsibility type of way but in a need of survival. At the age of 13 someone told her about Alateen and she asked me if I would go with her that she wanted to give it a try. That first meeting she listened as other teens told their story and after she said “That’s my life.” She continued to go to Alateen meetings well into her adolescent years. Her mother and father had divorce and she lived with her mother who continued to drink. At the age of 16 she lost her mother to this disease called Alcohol.

Alateen meeting are a place where teens can find support and understanding from others their own age who are experiencing very similar difficulties in their life.

Alateen is a part of AL-Anon Family Groups. Alateen is a fellowship of young Al-Anon members, usually teenagers, whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking. Alateen groups are sponsored by Al-Anon members who help the group to stay on track. Alateens come together to:

• Share experiences, strengths, and hop with each other
• Discuss difficulties and learn effective ways to cope with problems
• Encourage one another and help each other understand principles of the Al-Anon program
• Learn how to use the 12 Steps and Alateen 12 Traditions (Al-Anon family Groups, n.d.)

Harmful drinking is increasing among young people in many nations, according to a new report from the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependency website. It discusses how alcohol is becoming more available, affordable and more effectively advertised. It stated that alcohol consumption in wealthy, developed nations has decreased in the past two decades.

Another report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) group advises governments on economic growth stating that annual average alcohol consumption in its 34 member countries has decreased 2.5 percent over the past 20 years, to 9.1 liters (2.4 gallons) of pure alcohol per capita. It goes on to say that, binge drinking by young people is a major public health and social concern. It noted the rates of hazardous drinking in young people, especially women, have jumped in many OECD countries. The share of children under 15 who have been drunk rose from 30 percent to 43 percent for boys and from 26 percent to 41 percent among girls during the 2000s. OECD member nations include the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom (NCADD, 2015).

Finally, Alateen and Al-Anon is available through online chatting worldwide as well as facebook, making available to everyone and anyone in need of this valuable and helpful program. Also, in review of the topic this week I agree more than ever that we need to enforce the drinking and driving laws we have her in the US, raise the alcohol taxes and prices and press harder on the drinking establishment regulations.

Al-Anon Family Groups, (n.d.). How will Alateen Help Me? Retrieved from http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/how-al-anon-works-for-me

National Council On Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Inc, (2015). Harmful Drinking on the Rise Among Young People in Many Countries. Retrieved from https://ncadd.org/in-the-news/1536-harmful-drinking-on-the-rise-among-young-people-in-many-countries

Childhood Obesity

The subject of childhood obesity is important to me an early childhood educator. Childhood obesity is a health issue in America. It stems from behaviors or genetics that includes dietary patterns, physical activity, inactivity, use of medication and other exposure. It is importance to teach good nutrition as well as academic skills. Obesity has taken center stage as well as become an epidemic here in the United States over the past twenty years. There are a number of consequences that I found related to childhood overweight and obesity as children who are obese are more likely to become obese adults.

Risk Factors include;

 

• Diabetes (Daniels, 2009)
• Atherosclerosis (Daniels, 2009)
• Dyslipidemia (e.g., high blood triglycerides, high cholesterol) (Daniels, 2009)
• High blood pressure (Daniels, 2009)
• Metabolic syndrome (Daniels, 2009)
• Gallbladder disease (Ebbeling et al., 2002; Wang & Dietz, 2002)
• Liver disease (Daniels, 2009)
• Asthma (Flaherman & Rutherford, 2006; Story, 2007)
• Allergies (Visness et al., 2009)
• Sleep apnea and sleep disordered breathing (Bixler et al., 2009; Daniels, 2009)
• Orthopedic complications (Daniels, 2009)
• Multiple sclerosis (Munger et al., 2009)
• Iron deficiency (Tussing-Humphreys et al., 2009)
• Earlier onset of puberty (Kaplowitz, 2008; Lee et al., 2010)
• Poor health-related quality of life (Tsiros et al., 2009)

• Premature death later in life (Franks et al., 2010)
• Depression (Boutelle et al., 2010; Mustillo et al., 2003)
• Anxiety (Anderson et al., 2007)
• Low self-esteem (Hesketh et al., 2004; McClure et al., 2010)
• Feelings of worthlessness or inferiority (BeLue et al., 2009)
• Body dissatisfaction (Neumark-Sztainer et al., 2002)
• Disordered eating and unhealthy weight control behaviors (Haines & Neumark-Sztainer, 2006; Neumark-Sztainer et al., 2002)
• Substance use (Farhat et al., 2010)
• Peer victimization (e.g., victims and perpetrators of bullying) (Farhat et al., 2010; Griffiths et al., 2003; Lumeng et al., 2010)
• Negative stereotyping, stigmatization, and teasing (Puhl & Brownell, 2001; Puhl & Latner, 2007; van den Berg et al., 2008)
• Behavior problems (BeLue et al., 2009; Mustillo et al., 2003)
• Poor academic performance (Bethell et al., 2010; Krukowski et al., 2009; Taras & Potts-Datema, 2005)
• School absenteeism (Bethell et al., 2010; Geier et al., 2007)

 

Obesity in Europe

As for findings on childhood obesity in comparison to Europe, Europe is competing with the U.S. for first place in the obesity crisis. According to a report issued by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development out of Paris, more than half of European adults are overweight or obese. Obesity rates have doubled in the past 20 years for the 27 member states of the European Union. It is estimated that 1 in 7 children in these states is obese.

As an early childhood educator working within a Head Start program, I am able to incorporate teaching concepts surrounding health and nutrition. The program participates in the federal nutrition program which provides children with proper food portion size and balance necessary in all food groups. Teachers encourage children to taste various foods and provide lesson plans for children to learn about the what, where, why and how about foods. A program called Choosey is also included as part of a “Moving and I’m Learning” curriculum that supports the stimulation of gross motor development and teaches the importance of physical activity. In addition, as educators it is important that we educate parents about healthy eating and activity habits and encourage them to create a healthy environment for their child to play, eat and grow.

Additional Resources

http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/health-nutrition/vol_25-3b.pdf

http://www.webmd.com/children/guide/obesity-children

http://frac.org/initiatives/hunger-and-obesity/what-are-the-consequences-of-childhood-overweight-and-obesity/

 

Ireland

I compared childbirth in America to the country of Ireland and found that they have a history of midwives supporting the delivery of babies. I suppose that would be encouraging to some single mothers who may not have someone to help or comfort them through the birthing experience. I know that in here in our country some mothers make the choice to have a midwife birthing experience.

It was interesting to learn that in Ireland they want to offer women more privacy, devices, and comfort, in a less sterile environment during the birthing experience of their baby. I attached a link of the maternity services that are available to mothers-to-be. http://birthingmamas.ie/birth-options-in-ireland/

My First Childbirth Experience

My first experience with child birth was my own. I was very young, only 19 years old. I had a lot of energy while carrying my son. I was always on the move and this even included exercising in my daily routine. I remember the day before birthing, my family and friends gave me a baby shower which made it a fun filled day. We’ll that night I was awakened with pain, just the way my mother had explained it would feel. I immediately woke up my husband who thought I was kidding but when he realized how early in the morning (7:00 a.m.) it was, especially for a Sunday he started to get nervous. Let me add that we were young and like to sleep-in on the weekends. With that said he is now up and timing my tractions. I continued to hear my mother’s voice in my head, “Take your time going to the hospital, wait until your contractions are at least 5 minutes apart (I lived right across the street from the hospital at the time). I had a cup of tea and before I knew it we were heading to the hospital. It all happened very quickly, I was registered, changed into a hospital gown and brought to a room on the maternity floor (Labor room). Within no time I was being sent to the delivery room, coached by my husband to relax and breathe and following the doctors’ orders of when to relax and when to push. Again I hear my mother voice “Push when the contraction is happening and to try to relax when they stop”. I was very lucky as my first child was born within 1 hour of labor and I briefly got to see him before they took him. The nurse held him up for a second, telling and showing me that I had a baby boy. I watched them wash him up and I remember feeling exhausted which was from being given something to relax. When I woke up my husband asked the nurse to bring the baby to the room. I held him in my arms for the first time and was awestruck and felt like I went to heaven. I checked out all of his body parts and looked at him in- love and wonder. I remember feeling a little pain but mentally feeling great. Our new born son had arrived!