My Connections to Play

Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.

Fred Rogers

You see a child play, and it is so close to seeing an artist paint, for in play a child says things without uttering a word. You can see how he solves his problems. You can also see what's wrong. Young children, especially, have enormous creativity, and whatever's in them rises to the surface in free play.

Erik Erikson

When I was growing up I was always allowed to go play outside with my friends and cousins. We had a park that was right behind the first house I remember living in. My mom would allow me and my cousins to go play there for what seemed like hours. We would run, play, swing and slide to our hearts content. We would make friends with other children from the neighborhood and make up games while we were out there. My most fond memories of my neighbors and cousins all have to do with us playing. When we get together as adults most of the stories that we tell have to do with us and some sort of play.

When I compare children of today and of the past I do not see a lot of children playing outside anymore. When I was younger your friends would come over everyday to ask if you could play or you would go over to their house to see if they could come out and play. If I do see children playing outside they are not playing with each other. They may be playing with some electronic toy that does not allow for others to join in or they are not not as social as we used to be as children. My hope for my children and other children growing up in these times are that they begin to be taught the importance of playing with others and are encouraged to play with others.

The role that play has played in my life is that it helped me to develop socially via making friends, physically while playing at the park, playing tag, hopscotch and other games that required gross and fine motor skills and it also helped me develop intellectually as I gained problem solving skills via games such as hide and seek, connect four, Battleship, checkers, Life and Monopoly. The skills that I learned during those times are skills that I had to use through middle childhood, my teenage years up through adulthood. I still enjoy playing to this day and do it every chance I get.

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important to me because they help keep me healthy mentally and physically. With all of the stressors that we face on a day to day basis it is very important to me to have someone that I can go to when I am feeling the pressures of day to day life.

                The two most important relationships/partnerships that I am in now are with my husband and my mother. My husband and I have a very special relationship that we also both see as a partnership. We both work together to make sure that our relationship works. Where I am weak he is strong and vise versa. We know and understand that we must work together in order to be parents to our children and keep our household running.

                My relationship with my mother is also very important to me because my mother is my motivator. Having her in my life and now living in my home, she gives me the motivation to continue my education and the encouragement I need when I feel I am too tired to read one more article or log on one more time. I watched my mother go to school to get her degrees during my childhood and have an even deeper respect for her now that I am also a mother and perusing this degree in early childhood studies.

                If I did not have these two relationships or people in my life I do not think I would be sitting here typing these words. Some the challenges to developing and keeping relationships are that sometimes we get so involved in ourselves that we have to remember that just as these people are pouring into us we must also take the time to support and motivate them as they also need the same things that they are pouring into us.

                            As an early childhood professional I know that I must build and strengthen relationships with the children, families and communities that I work with in order to ensure the success of my programs. 

When I think of Child Development

Congratulations to all of my colleagues who are on this journey with me. I have really enjoyed sharing this experience with you. I finished my undergraduate degree ten years ago and this is my second time "going back to school." I feel that I have made the right decision in choosing this course of study and am looking forward to continuing this educational journey with all of you. - Andrea

Testing for Intelligence?

My opinion on the testing of school age children is that children should be tested in real life situations. I believe the school age children are given too many standardized tests. Children should be assessed on whether they can perform and master certain tasks in real world situations. As a teacher of older children I am often asked when or how can I use this in my real life. I also hear students talking about certain classes that they are “forced” to take to graduate that they feel they will never be able to use in the “real world.” If a child is tested on whether they are able to go into a store and make a purchase by giving the cashier the correct amount of money and knowing how much change to expect I think we would be able to get an accurate assessment as to whether the child has mastered that skill.

France

According to Educational Correspondent Sarah Cassidy (2008):

                           “French primary school education remains tightly focused on facts and basic skills. Spot tests are common, especially dictations to check a child's knowledge of French grammar and spelling. However, formal testing is relatively sparse. All children are given a national test of basic skills and knowledge at about eight years old. The test occurs – crucially – at the beginning of the third year of primary school, not at the end. There is, therefore, little pressure on the children. The main aim is to check the standard of the school.Otherwise, most primary schools have internal tests, or contrôles, in math, French, geography and history, and English at the end of each of the five short terms that make up a school year. A child who is struggling can be asked to redoubler, or go down a year. A brilliant child can sauter, or go up.

There is no national examination to move from primary to secondary education, simply a recommendation by a council of teachers and parents.”

                                                                  References

Cassidy, C. (2008). Our children tested to destruction. The Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/our-children-tested-to-destruction-779790.html

Consequences of Stress on Children’s Development

When I think of my own life experiences and the major stressors mentioned in this week’s blog assignment, I would have to say that I have been blessed to have not have had to personally experience any of these stressors.  

I chose to continue to explore the country of Cambodia as I mentioned them in last week’s blog post. As I previously mentioned the country of Cambodia had a very high percentage of breastfed babies in 2010. Water Pollution was one factor that contributed to this high percentage. According to the Water for Cambodia website, Over 50% of the rural Cambodian population does not have access to safe drinking water (Water for Cambodia, 2013). The website also reports 20 percent of childhood deaths of children under the age of 5 are a result of waterborne illness. I imagine that this would cause the children there to live their lives afraid of death and becoming ill. They may not want to get close to other children socially for fear of losing their friends or their friends losing them to illness.  

Water for Cambodia. (2013). The Problem. ) Retrieved from http://www.waterforcambodia.org/

Child Development and Public Health Topic: Breastfeeding

I chose the topic of breastfeeding because I chose to breastfeed both of my children and believe that it is one of the best things a mother can do for her children. While I do understand that not all mother’s may be able to produce milk or breastfeed their children as long as they wish to due to low milk production I believe every mother should at least try as breast milk is the best source of nutrition for children. I was able to breastfeed my daughter for 10 months but was only able to breastfeed my son for 6 months. Breastfeeding came very easy and naturally for me after having my daughter. I tried to learn as much as I could prior to having my daughter and I also took a lactation course during my third trimester so that I could be prepared when she arrived. My mother and mother in law did not breastfeed their children so I could not go to them for help. I did not receive very much encouragement to breastfeed from them because of their lack of knowledge for the subject and their negative feeling towards it. After the birth of my daughter they were able to see why I was so determined to breastfeed and was able to educate them and dispel of their preconceived notions about the process. Looking back at the process I wish that I could have had more time at home with my children in order to be able to strictly breastfeed them for the first year of their lives but I had to return to work so I had to pump and store milk for them to receive while I was away from them. This was not an easy process and is what led to me having to stop breastfeeding both of my children due to my milk drying up.

Breastfeeding in Cambodia

The World Health Organization recommends “exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health”(WPRO, 2013)  It is also recommended that breastfeeding continue for up to two years or more while ensuring that the child receives nutritious and safe foods as their nutritional requirements change with age.

WHO reported 74% of infants were exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of their lives in 2010.

Country Year Infants exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life (%) American Samoa (USA) 1997 20.00 Australia 2001 46.00 Brunei Darussalam 2003 14.60 Cambodia 2010 74.00 2008 66.00 “An innovative and engaging media campaign, coupled with extensive health-worker training and the establishment of Mother Support Groups resulted in healthy children and a reduction in the infant mortality rate” (UNICEF, ). The elimination of “roasting” the process of warming the mother following children birth by layering clothing and staying in a small room on a bed over hot coals and consumption of wine and herbs to keep warm has also contributed to the increase. Exclusive breastfeeding also prohibits the baby from being exposed to dirty water via formula consumption. Breastfeeding and its Impact on my Future Work As the director of a Teen Parent childcare program, I will continue to share my breastfeeding experiences and new found information with the teen mothers that I teach and mentor. I will continue to provide them with the encouragement and resources that they need to make their experience as comfortable and rewarding as it was for me and my children. World Health Organization (2013).  Infant Nutrition Retrieved from : http://www.wpro.who.int/topics/infant_nutrition/en/index.html UNICEF East Asia and Pacific (2013) Breastfeeding in Cambodia is the new “normal”. Retrieved from: http://www.unicef.org/eapro/media_20202.html

Childbirth in Your Life and Around the World

Childbirth in my Life and Around the World

I have chosen to speak about my own experience of giving birth to my children because these were two of the most important and best days of my life. Looking back on giving birth to both of my children I remember how happy I was to finally be able to see their faces. Unlike most people I have spoken to about childbirth I found giving birth and the pains of labor to not be as bad as everyone made it out to be. I found being pregnant as the worst experience of my life and would never put myself in that position every again. Being pregnant to me was very uncomfortable and the feeling of constantly being nauseous, tired and agitated did not sit well with me. Being an athlete the majority of my life helped me to prepare and get through the labor and delivery process. I treated my labor as if I was competing in a championship and I was not going to let any pain stop me from achieving my goal, giving birth to my children. I stayed calm, focused and had my husband at my side cheering me and coaching me to the finish line. I had an epidural to ease the pain for my first child but did not have one for the birth of my son. I felt so accomplished and overjoyed with myself after giving birth to my son without pain medication. I would not recommend this to everyone as everyone has a different tolerance for pain. Both of my children were born in a hospital and I was under the care of an OB/GYN who was very supportive of me during both pregnancies.

I believe birth impacts child development as it demonstrates the end result of the development that takes place inside a mother womb. The fetus has been nurtured and grows inside of its mother all while it is developing from a single cell into a full term baby that has a functioning brain, organs and limbs.

Childbirth in Canada

I chose to compare my childbirth experience with my close friend from Canada. In Canada pregnant mothers are seen by a doctor as I was but they are not required to pay for any of their medical care. We both gave birth in hospitals under the care of a doctor but I had to return to work after 12 weeks and mothers are allowed to take up to a year off to be with their children. I believe being able to take up to year off with your child allows mothers to bond with their children and spend time nurturing and caring for their child during a critical learning period in the child’s life.