My Connections to Play

All throughout my childhood I loved playing with my younger sisters.  We often came up with new games and activities to keep ourselves busy while our parents were working.  I was always in a rush to grow up looking forward to being an adult.  As an adult, I see that I was being silly and had no idea what was in store for me.  The following two quotes are familiar to me and made me smile when I saw them, reminding me of the easier times as a child.

Stay a child while you can be a child. - STEPHEN SONDHEIM, Into the Woods

Children's games are hardly games. Children are never more serious than when they play. - MONTAIGNE, Essays

I always played in my backyard as a child.  We had a giant closed in yard with a swing set, pool, and lots of grass to use as our playground.  The following pictures were items that I was never seen without.  The first one is a shovel to dig up dinosaur fossils, which I was convinced I found at one point.  The second is the container in which I kept whenever I found a cool insect or weird object when I was digging.  The final is what I remember our swing set looking similar too.  It brings back a lot of fond memories.

Growing up we were always encouraged to play.  We were allowed to play outside with the neighborhood kids and were not looked for till dinner time.  My parents set the downstairs of our house up so that we had a kitchen area as well as our toys all in a central area.  We would be down there for hours on the days when we could not go outside.  The parents in the neighborhood also made sure we had the right equipment to play baseball or soccer games amongst the children on the block.  Everyone was very active and had a great time playing outside.  They all supported our play and encouraged us to go outside and interact.  We were taken to different parks to play larger games of baseball and never thought twice about staying till all hours of the night.

Play today is very different from when I was a child.  Parent’s are working much more and often have to rely on either people outside of their families to watch their children or technology to keep them occupied.  Children, even the preschool children in my class, are being placed in front of a TV or game system and left alone for hours.  They are not being encouraged to get off the couch and run around outside for some fresh air.  They are no longer creating games or rules like I did while I was a child and are often lacking the imagination to come up with their own methods or strategies when they play a game.  My hope for the young is that they learn to put down the controllers and turn off the TV.  They need the physical activity and the fresh air.  Children need to run around and get out the extra energy that they are building up by staying indoors not doing anything.

Play always played an important role in my life and it still continues to do so.  I enjoy being active and going out to do things.  The activities in which I partake have changed over the course of the years but they are still similar to those that I enjoyed as a child.  Without play as a young child, I feel that I may not be as active and enjoy interacting with others.  It prepared me for the real world in terms of sharing and listening to other’s ideas before expressing my own opinion.  Those experiences have shaped me into the adult today who still loves to have a good time and run around with the soccer ball at the park.

Relationship Reflection

Relatioinships are extremely important to me.  I have always had one pariticular person in my life who I was extremely close to or looked towards for assistance.  I have been with my fiance for 3 years now and will be married next year.  We have been friends for at least 10 years proir to our dating.  Without him, I have no idea how I would make it through my day.  Relationships help us develop and become stronger as an individual.  They also help give us the social interaction that we some times need that others will not be able to provide for us.  Having one particular relationship or partner that is able to calm us when needed or make us happy on a rough day, helps to make each day more enjoyable.
 
I have two main people with whom I have positive relationships.  The biggest one would be my fiance who is able to put up with me on my roughest days, regardless it be from stress or something that happened at work.  Another positive relationship is my mother.  She has gone through a lot in her life and it gives me inspiration to keep trying and working hard. Nothing has come easy for her and each day she walks around with a smile on her face just happy to be alive. 

The relationships I have with my fiance and my mother are completely different.  I feel more comfortable telling him certain things about my finances or about a fellow co worker where as my mother is my confidant and the stuff I cannot tell him I know I can tell her.  My relationship with my fiance is positive because he has helped me grow to be the person I am.  Although we have only been together a short time, we have been in each other's lives for much longer.  We have always been looking out for each other, making sure the other one was making the right decisions in life.  Whenever I get upset about something small, he is quick to bring me back by reminding me of all the good I have in my life.  The support I get from him helps to make our relationship stay strong and give us the confidence that we will be successful in marriage.  The relationship with my mother also has positive factors such as her giving me the comfort of confiding in her information that I normally would have kept to myself.  It helps us have trust and know that the other will not share the secret.  My mother is also very honest with me.  I consider that factor a very big aspect of strengthening our relationship.  Some times the truth hurts but we need to hear it anyway.
 
Along with positive factors, there can also be many negatives ones as well.  I have had friends that I have known since kindergarten that we no longer talk.  It is difficult at times but they were not being very supportive or helpful in my current situation.  By them not providing me with the support and guidance that I needed and only focusing on the negative, it hurt our relatoinship signifcantly to the point where we stopped talking.  Being able to tell someone your honest opinion, especially a close friend, is always helpful but when you insist the other person is wrong and never let them figure it out for themselves, there can be quite a bit of problems.  Another challange to developing and maintaining relationships can be something simple as communication.  Without either person willing to pick up the phone and call, the lack of communication can ultimately end a friendship.  Friends should not wait for the other to call.  Often everyone gets wrapped up in their own lives and forgets or too much time passes.  We need to remember to call when were thinking of them and just say Hi.  A little goes a long way.

A partner is someone who you can depend on in good times and the bad.  Whenever someone quickly throws in the towel, they are not the right person.  A partnership has to be mutual between two people.  If one is putting in all the work, the relationship will never make it to a partnership stage.  In order to be a partnership, two people must be willing to work together and solve any issues, listen to the other person, provide care and compassion when needed, and most important communicate with each other.
 
The experiences I have with relationships impact my work as an effective early childhood professionally quite a bit.  By having the strong relationships with my fiance and mother, I feel more confident talking with the families of my students as well as my coworkers.  I enjoy talking with others and listening to what they have to say.  The families that come into my room are more comfortable discussing their problems with me because they know I will listen and not interrupt.  I enjoy what I do and working with the families is another perk.  By having the strong relationships that I do, I am able to strengethn the ones I have within my school by taking time to listen and talk with everyone.  Communication is the most important tool anyone can use.

Favorite quote about Children

Below is my favorite quote about children that I have come across throughout my studies. 


“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.”
― Margaret Mead

I find this to be extremely true, especially in today's society.  Often adults are telling children how they should feel about specific situations and not allowing them to think for themselves.  We need to show young children how to think rather then simple telling them what we feel they should.  They need to be able to figure out their emotions and interests on their own.

Testing for Intelligence

Viewing young children as a whole is essential, especially the younger children such as preschool age.  They are too young to be tested with standardized tests such as the school aged children are.  One thing that should be measured among the young child is their physical development.  Observing how the child is developing physically, such as running, grasping pencils or crayons, can be an early detection for something further.  Assessing them this way is more age appropriate then handing them a test and expecting them to understand.  Even tests that are more verbalized to them such as asking them about colors and shapes can be difficult for some.  They may not have any prior exposure and may not understand and may become uncomfortable with the topic.

In Italy, the children are assessed at the ages 6, 11, and 13.  They are also given another test before entering college.  The test the children are given at these ages are scored and kept together for teachers to review.  The 6 year olds are read the test and the answers help the teachers determine what the student’s level is upon entering school.  The students must again be tested at various ages; the final one is when they enter college.  When students get older, the tests become more standardized and are sent out to be scored.  The teachers are still the ones administering the testing. 

Assessing young children is very difficult.  The results can vary depending on the setting of the testing and the person administering the tests ability.  In my school, we administer a short test for our students.  We ask them the basics such as the shapes and colors along with letters.  They are also asked to write their name and cut on a straight line.  The test is quick and allows us to see how the students are progressing throughout the year since it is done three different times.  I have noticed throughout my year of doing this, that the students will each test differently depending on what was going on around them.  If children are playing around them, the student who is getting tested will not be paying attention because they want to play.  If the child is in a setting where it is just them and the test giver, they will give it their undivided attention and will look forward to the sticker at the end of the test.  I am not sure if this particular test allows us to see if the students are progressing or not.  I feel that by us observing them during rug time or even play, that we will be able to determine without testing how the students at this particular age group.

Reference

http://www.karmoyped.no/sail/products/Assessment%20in%20Italy.pdf

Stress and the Effects on Children

            One major stress that continues to become worse all over the world is poverty.  Growing up I was fortunate enough to have two parents who both worked and were able to provide for my siblings and myself.  I did however, have a friend in elementary school who was not as lucky.  She had only her father and brother and they had to move into her grandmother’s home.  Her father worked multiple jobs to make ends meet and often worked over night, not allowing her to spend time with him.  She was a very outgoing young girl and loved coming to school.  I often noticed when it was time to go home; she would become quiet and withdrawn.  She was often upset at school functions such as honor roll assembles or chorus concerts because her father could never attend.  We spent a great deal of time at my house on the weekends.  She was always very thankful to come over and spend time my family and I.  After elementary school, we had different classes and ended up going our separate ways.  I often hear that she now works in a local retail store and still lives with her grandmother.  Her father was able to leave one job after suffering health issues and she is helping to make up for his income.

            A country that immediately comes to mind in regards to a major stressor for children is Afghanistan.  The children over there are being exposed to different aspects of war and are suffering as a result.  Many are developing post traumatic stress disorder from witnessing such events as car and house bombings to violent abuse in their homes.  Some children even have to go into hard labor jobs at a very young age to help supplement the families’ income.  The children are starting to have psychologically disorders, mostly the girls from seeing things that any child should never be around.  One way in which the country is trying to minimize the harm is by creating more opportunities for the children to get educated.  By doing this, the children will have a more promising future, helping them provide for their families at a more suitable job. Unfortunately this task may be very difficult with the challenges that the country is still facing on a daily basis.  Another way in which they are trying to help is by providing preventative healthcare.  This is expensive and many families cannot afford that luxury.  For the sake of the children, hopefully something more can be done to help them live a normal life once more.

Reference

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623112106.htms

http://www.hqlo.com/content/6/1/29

This article does not relate to Afghanistan but I found it to be informative because it deals with childhood and the effects stress has on emotional development.

http://www.education.com/reference/article/stress-as-factor-social-emotional/

Nutrition in India

Nutrition/malnutrition

Nutrition/ malnutrition is a topic of particular interest to me.  I live and work in a town where many of the citizens are at or below poverty level.  They are not able to provide their children with the proper nutrient that are needed for their healthy growth.  Many are overweight because they only have access to fast food because it is cheap and they can get a lot more for their money.  Many rely on their children’s school’s to provide their children with free lunches, which are also not the healthiest despite the countries attempt to make them.  Many children are also going to bed hungry and not sure of when their last meal will be.  I know that I have a few students in my class where they do not have enough money to eat dinner.  Or one particular child lives in a house with multiple families and shares a bedroom with his mother.  Whenever they do have food, the other families eat it before they can.

One part of the world in which I sought information is India.  This country has many issues regarding low birth weights and both iodine and vitamin A deficiencies.  Many newborns are being born with very low birth weights causing a higher rate of SIDS.  They are also getting PEM or protein energy malnutrition.   Some disorders from PEM are irritability, hair discoloration, and growth failure.  Although the children I work with are not this severely malnutrition, it is still difficult to think about children the age of my students suffering like this.

The information that I have obtained about India will help me take a greater appreciation for what I have and how fortunate my students are to be in the program I work with.  The mothers are also taken care of in the Early Head Start program, making sure they are getting the proper nutrition to help their unborn child strive.  India needs a program similar to this to help them help end some of the problems such as the low birth weights.  This will affect my future work by having a greater appreciation for what the parents of my students do for them.  Although they may not be feeding them the proper food, it is the best they can do with what little they have.  It makes me open my eyes and want to help the children in India more. 

References

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/434445/nutrition-problems-in-india

Child Birth Experiences

Since I do not have any children, I do not have a personal experience to discuss or share.  However, I know from what my mother has told me about my own birth that it was scary for her and my father.  When I was born, I was in distress.  I was suffering from an asthma attack as my mother described it and came out all blue in the face.  They immediately rushed me away without informing them of anything and became to do CPR.  After some time, which I’m sure seemed like forever to my parents was crying and fine.  I did not suffer any complications due to that experience and currently do not suffer from asthma.  I’m not 100% sure if that is what caused me to come out blue but it was the explanation they were given.  I also have a 15 month nephew who was an emergency C-section due to the doctors losing his heart beat and not wanting to risk him any further stress, they decided to take him out.  In the end he is perfectly healthy and has had no issues.  It was only scary for all of us, especially my sister.

One country that interests about childbirth and their procedures is Spain.  Having traveled there a few years ago, I like the culture and the people there.  The women there see midwives throughout their pregnancy instead of a doctor.  The births are done as termed by the site, “old fashioned” with stirrups and many people in the room.  There are a high number of C-sections done in the country as well.  Women were complaining because the babies were whisked away before the mother could see them and no one was allowed in the operation room with them.  The experiences described by the women who discussed their child’s births sounded similar to how my sisters C-section went.  The mother did not get to see their baby just like my sisters situation.

One major insight that I gained from the experiences, especially after doing research, is how different every single birth is.  Even after learning about my own birth, it is clear how different and scary they truly can be.  I do not have kids but plan on it someday and now have a better understanding of what to expect in terms of our countries prenatal care and after care.  It was interesting to see how different women are treated in other countries when it comes to childbirth. 

References

http://www.mumabroad.com/interviews-with experts/Midwife_Alex_Weatherhead_on_childbirth_in_Spain-10723