My Connections to Play

There are two quotes that I have selected that summarize what play represents for me in my childhood.

“The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.” – Plato

This quote is applicable to my childhood because play was a very effective way for me to learn and become educated on a variety of levels.

“You can do anything with children if only you play with them”- Anonymous, German Proverbs.

This quote is also applicable to my childhood because I was able to accomplish many things and learn a variety of skills because my parents, siblings, friends, and peers played with me on a constant basis.

There are many things that I played with at a child that allowed me grow and develop. However, three of my most essential play items were legos, books, and my Barbie dolls and Barbie dream house. These items are featured below.

Play was extremely important within my childhood. Although video games were just becoming popular during this time, my brother, my friends, and I spent the majority of our time using our imaginations and creativity and participating in cognitive play, physical play, and other forms of play that have been described within the course. All of these types of play were supported by our parents, peers, educators, and the entire community.

In some ways, play is similar today as it was during my childhood. However, there are many more differences. Play in today’s world is very focused on whether it is or not age appropriately and politically correct. At the same time, play today relies much more on technology and does not challenge children socially, physically, or in terms of his or her imagination.  The differences aside, it is believed that play has been a very important part of my life and remains to be very important of children of today in order to ensure healthy growth and development on a variety of levels.

Relationship Reflection

Relationships and partnerships are extremely important to me because it allows me to better serve and understand the needs of my clients and their children. For example, if an honest and effective relationship or partnership has not been formed, I will not be able to understand the challenges that the parents and child face. I also will not be able to understand the objectives or goals that parents and children wish to achieve. This will compromise my ability to develop a social story that is effective and addresses the needs of the child and his or her parents. At the same time, relationships and partnerships are extremely important in my personal and educational life. In addition to providing support, these relationships allow me to meet my social needs and experience personal and professional growth.

Currently, I have several positive relationships or partnerships in my personal and professional life.  These individuals include my mother and other family members, my friends Lynn and Rose, and my classmates and clients. The relationship with my mother and other family members are positive because we support one another and provide each other with love and guidance. The relationships with my friends Lynn and Rose are positive because we assist each other on a professional level and share our love for dogs. For example, without this positive relationship I would not have my children’s books available in the libraries of several hospitals in Manhattan nor would I be privileged with having my books be part of the exit packet for children at St. Jude’s Hospital. Finally, my relationship with my classmates and clients are positive because we push each other to learn and grown, provide each other with guidance, and provide benefits to each other.

Several factors contribute to the development and maintenance of these relationships.  In addition to honesty, effective communication, openness, and correspondence all contribute to the development and maintenance of these relationships.  Overtime, I have encountered challenges in developing these and other relationships. Overall, it is believed that active listening, compassion, persistence, and the belief to agree to disagree have allowed me to overcome conflicts or challenges.  There are several charachteristics which I believe allow these relationships to form into of a partnership. In addition to a certain degree of “give and take”, the charachteristics of mutual respect, admiration, and working together to achieve a common goal would allow these to relationships to become partnership.

Because I have the ability to develop strong relationships and partnerships will all types of individuals, I see this as a benefit to working in the field of early childhood. As a result of this skill I possess the ability to establish trust, facilitate growth and development, encourage collaboration, and meet the needs of children, parents, and community members.

When I think of child development....

The quote that I have selected is as follows:

Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.  ~Neil Postman, The Disappearance of Childhood (introduction), 1982

I selected this quote because it really symbolizes the impact that adults and those working in the field of early child development have on children, the world, and the future. Like many working in the field, I also entered the field to make a difference and have an impact of children and the community.

I would also like to extend a personally and professional “Thank you” to Rebecca and Chelsia. Both of you have played a role of pushing me outside of my comfort zone and making me rethink the other side of the argument. You have also educated me further on the field of early childhood in your Blogs and discussion posts. Thank you again, for everything.

Testing for Intelligence?

Testing is an excellent way to fully understand the needs of children. As a result of this, I fully support all types of testing and measurement processes as long as they do not compromise the well-being of the child or hinder the growth and development process. In additional to cognitive testing or measurement, I also believe that children should measure and tested on an emotional, physical, and social level. Without knowing where children measure up on these levels, educators, professionals, and care givers would not be fully of where how to provide these children what they truly need in order to foster healthy growth and development. In turn, professionals and care givers will be able to provide children with all of the resources that they need.  Without these tests and measurement processes, professionals and care givers would be blind to the needs of children and may not be providing them with the resources that are needed.

This belief is also held in the country of England. Within its school systems, children are subjected to national tests and SAT tests for English and Math as early as six to seven years of age (Woodlands Junior School, 2011). National tests and SAT tests are utilized throughout a child’s education in order to assess his or her cognitive abilities, social abilities, and physical abilities (Woodlands Junior School, 2011). Once children reach the age of 14 or 15 years of age, he or she is  tested in order to receive his or her General Certificate of Secondary Education (Woodlands Junior School, 2011).

One concern that I have about the testing and measuring processes that are utilized on children is their accuracy levels. If tests are inaccurate, it can compromise the healthy growth and development of these children.   A second concern is the invasiveness of these tests and whether or not they do have the potential to compromise the well-being of a child. If testing or measurement processes are highly invasive, it is believed that it can disrupt his or her holistic environment and have a negative impact on his or her self-esteem or self-image.

References

Woodlands Junior School. (2011). School Tests in England. Retrieved February 12, 2011 from http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/education/tests.html

Consequences of Stress on Children’s Development

One stressor that I was exposed to quite frequently as a child was noise combined with a lack of privacy. My brother and parents loved to create a lot of noise and listen to the television and radio loudly. :0). It’s not that they did it deliberately, it was just their personalities. At the same time, my brother and my parents were and still are dependant personalities and were very open and inclusive. I, on the other hand, was the exact opposite.  As a child, I was (and still am) social, but quiet. I also was (and still am) independent and much more private than my other family members. I did come up with a very creative solution in order to cope with my stressor: my closet. In order to reduce the impact of noise that I was exposed to and my lack of privacy, I built my own little club house in my closet. In there, I hung my favorite pictures, would listen to soft music, and write short stories. I also would write in and hide my diary in my closet to ensure that I maintained my privacy. I was able to locate an old pad lock in the shed and used it to keep my brother out of my closet when I was not using it. Although bizarre, it was my creative solution to escape my stressors. I would also spend extended times in the bathroom, taking long baths to escape my stressor. Funny enough, I still do that today; however, I no longer sit in my closet.

One country and stressor that I am fascinated by is the impact that war has on children in Iraq. According to an article by Howard (2007), as a result of this stressor, it is not uncommon for all ages of children and teens in Iraq to experience vivid nightmares, bedwetting, violence towards others, muteness, panic attacks, and withdrawal.  Not much can be done to eliminate the stressor that the children are exposed to; however, measures are being taken to address the consequences of this stressor (Howard, 2007). Local Iraqi psychologists and foreign NGO’s are actively involved in providing these children with psychological treatment and rehabilitation (Howard, 2007). Despite these efforts, thousands of Iraqi children are left untreated and burdened with the consequences of their stressor on a daily basis. Unless treated, it is a possibility that these children will be plagued for the rest of their life as a result of their exposure to violence and war.

References

Howard, M. (2007). Children of War: The Generation Traumatized by Violence in Iraq. The Guardian. Retrieved January 29, 2011 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/feb/06/iraq.topstories3.

Child Development and Public Health

One public health topic that is of interest to me is immunization. This topic is extremely important to me and the work that I conduct. Although it has not been proven without a doubt, over immunization is believed to be a cause of autism. As stated in an article by Boodman (2011), research conducted by Andrew Wakefield and other scientists strongly suggests that the MMR vaccination is directly linked to the development of autism.  Although this vaccination does not directly cause the disorder, it does activate a gene responsible for autism in many children. Since part of my work deals directly with autistic children this topic and research directly applies to me and my clients.  Knowing this information can provide some of my clients with piece of mind and assist me and parents in the process of treating their children through the use of social stories.

Immunization is not only a common practice utilized in the United States. It is also a common practice in many countries around the world. In fact, the country of Mexico has been found to be more effective at issuing immunizations to their children than the United States (“Mexico More Effective”, 2002). In the country of Mexico, parents have reached a child immunization rate of 96 percent compared to the immunization rate of 79 percent in children aged two and under (“Mexico More Effective”, 2002).

Several things were learned through this blog assignment and reviewing this research. The first thing that was learned was that vaccinations are a necessary part of life in order to prevent the spread and development of disease around the world. If a child is not vaccinated, he or she runs the risk of contracting chronic disease and illness. This, in turn, can impact his or her growth and development. At the same time, immunization or over immunization can cause a disorder in children that comprises his or her well-being, growth, and development. Until more research has been conducted on the matter linking autism to the MMR vaccination, it is still in the best interest of all parents to obtain these vaccinations for their children. Finally, the assumption that the United States was the most efficient country in immunization and vaccination was dispelled. In the future, the topic of immunization can have a positive and negative impact on my profession. If vaccinations are found to be the cause of autism, it could provide myself and my clients with the information needed to treat and educate their children. At the same time, it could mean that fewer children could develop autism. Although this is wonderful, it could mean less of a chance for me to share my skills and stories with parents that are in need.

References

Boodman, S. (2011, January). Seth Mnookin’s ‘The Panic Virus’ on Debate over Vaccine Use. The Washington Post. Retrieved January 15, 2011 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/14/AR2011011403736.html.

Mexico More Effective than U.S. at Immunizing Children. (2002). Vaccination News. Retrieved January 15, 2011 from http://www.vaccinationnews.com/DailyNews/December2002/MexicoMore22.htm.

Childbirth––In Your Life and Around the World

Hi Everyone.  I would first like to apologize for the book :0).  Being a writer has that effect on me.

The birthing experience that I have selected to write about is my own. Unlike many children, I was not born under normal circumstances. Because her doctor was about ready to go on vacation it was recommended to my mother that she induce labor two weeks early.  My mom heeded the advice of her doctor and was promised that it would be a smooth transaction. This was not the case. After a day and a half of labor, I reluctantly made my way into the world. I began my decent in a dangerous manner. In other words, I was breech and got stuck. After finally making it into the world under violent and dangerous circumstances for me and my mother, we were separated for urgent care. My mother never got to hold me as most mothers do after birth as the doctors and nurses were too busy saving both of our lives. We both made it of course, but it did have an impact on my development throughout my life; although I did not realize this until I was an adult. How did I remember such an event at a very young age? I do have an excellent memory on my own and often remember many things from a very young age. However, about 10 years ago I began having anxiety attacks. I went to a hypnotist (a very good one) and he helped me recall the event.

My mother or father never told me of the event and were surprised (to say the least) when I questioned them about it in my adult life. It was more difficult for my mother than my father, but both confirmed the memories recovered through the hypnotherapy session. The therapist also cured me of my anxiety as well :0). Strange enough, my birthing event did have a huge impact on my life and development. For some reason (Now I know why) I always had to be early for everything and plan ahead. I also had and still do on occasion,  the feeling of not being ready or catch myself saying “I’m not ready for that yet”. I also have always been an overachiever and try to be the best that I can be. Additionally, I also feel as though that I am younger than what I really am. As if that was not enough, I found that I learn some things better in reverse. You may laugh, but when I was learning to crawl, I crawled backwards before crawling forward. When I learned to drive, in order to understand the concept, I had to learn to drive backwards before I could drive forwards. I have often wondered if this was because I was born breech.  Finally, because my mother never got to hold me, I was always more bonded with my father instead of my mother growing up. That of course, is different now.

Ultimately, I chose this example because I can personally relate to how much impact one’s birth can and will have on the growth and developmental process.

The region of Scandinavian, more specifically Sweden, has been selected for the second portion of my blog assignment.  I selected this country because I have friends that live there and one would assume that the birthing process would be similar to that in the United States. However, that is not the case. Unlike the United States and my birthing experience, as little intervention as possible is used (Bergman, 2008). Instead of having a child under the care of a physician, most births involve a mid-wife throughout the pregnancy and delivery process (Bergman, 2008). Mid-wives are also involved heavily in post-natal care (Bergman, 2008). Based on the perception of mid-wives in the United States, one would think that this could be extremely dangerous for the mother and the child. However, Bergman (2008) insists that Sweden is one of the safest and healthiest places in the world during the pre-natal and post-natal process. Unless a situation occurs, similar to my birth; most births do not require an OB-GYN (Bergman, 2008). It can also be argued that my situation or one like mine would not have occurred in Sweden. This is because they do not believe it is healthy for the child or mother to rush a birth and participate in forced labor for the convenience of a doctor. Many insights were gained from this comparison. Although medical intervention seems like a necessary process, it could have negative impacts on the birthing and development process. Another insight gained is how dependant we are in the United States on drugs, conventional medicine, and medical interventions. Maybe the Swedish people do have it correct. It is a possibility that a baby will be safer and healthier with limited intervention that allows nature to take its course.

References

Bergman, L. (2008). Giving Birth in Sweden. The Scandinavian Insider. Retrieved January 8, 2011 from

 http://sosmag.se/index.php/living-here/comments/giving-birth-in-sweden/.