Support to me means having my back regardless of the situation, and supporting the decisions I choose to make; whether these decisions are good or bad, I would expect for those who love me to have my back. Factors that are supportive to me are my faith in God, my mother and father, my husband, my granny, and my finances.
My faith in God keeps me sane and keeps me going. Faith without work is dead and I intend to excel in all that I do. So it's imperative that I keep the faith.
My support from my mother and father also keeps me going. Sometimes my parents don't always feel that I may be making a good choice but they remember that it's MY decision, but they never leave my side. The chain is broken but I can still run to my parents. They always encourage to do what makes ME happy; NOT what makes others happy.
My husband is my backbone. He is there when I need him and he always offers his opinion and respects my choices. He is here to lift my finger when I can't; he encourages me to press on when I want to give up, and he keeps me on my toes. Gotta love him!
My granny is the rock in the family so it's normal for her to have an opinion about everything. She has been one of my biggest cheerleaders since I was a little girl and plus she spoiled me and still does! I value her advice and her opinion and you can rest assure that if Granny doesn't think it's a good idea, it's NOT a good idea, and I love that about her.
My finances allow me to do what I need to do and that's support my family and myself. I am able to do what I have to do for my children, keep my bills paid, food on the table, and gas in my car.
Without any of this support my world would be in total CHAOS. I wouldn't know what to do! I would feel lost with nowhere to turn.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
My Connections to Play
Like our regular "9-5" is to us, play is to a child. It's their job; it's their life. Play is a child's creative way of learning.
“Play is the work of the child.” – Maria Montessori
“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.” – Mr. Rogers
As a child, I played in the neighborhood with cousins and neighbors. The park was too far away so we would come together and just play with each other's toys. We played lots of games and even created a few of our own. We would also have sleepovers at each other's houses. I like to reflect on these memories and I am now 24 years old.
Play is not as it used to be when I was a child. Children aren't outside playing like they used to. Also you have the fear of a child being kidnapped. When I was coming up we really didn't have that issue. However, I take my children out to play and it is ALWAYS supervised. Still, children do NOT play the way they used to. Parents try to be choosy as to who their children can call playmates and things of that nature. I know that I am going to give my children the same childhood, if not, the best childhood they will remember.
I learned a lot of skills through play as a child. My social skills improved and I learned not to be afraid to experiment with things. I also learned not to hold back with anything. These lessons still go with me to this day. I am grateful for my childhood and I hope to give my children an unforgettable experience.
“Play is the work of the child.” – Maria Montessori
"Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities." -Stuart Brown, MD Contemporary American psychiatrist
“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.” – Mr. Rogers
As a child, I played in the neighborhood with cousins and neighbors. The park was too far away so we would come together and just play with each other's toys. We played lots of games and even created a few of our own. We would also have sleepovers at each other's houses. I like to reflect on these memories and I am now 24 years old.
Play is not as it used to be when I was a child. Children aren't outside playing like they used to. Also you have the fear of a child being kidnapped. When I was coming up we really didn't have that issue. However, I take my children out to play and it is ALWAYS supervised. Still, children do NOT play the way they used to. Parents try to be choosy as to who their children can call playmates and things of that nature. I know that I am going to give my children the same childhood, if not, the best childhood they will remember.
I learned a lot of skills through play as a child. My social skills improved and I learned not to be afraid to experiment with things. I also learned not to hold back with anything. These lessons still go with me to this day. I am grateful for my childhood and I hope to give my children an unforgettable experience.
Relationship Reflection
Relationships are important to me because these are people that I know for a fact will be there for me whenever I need them. Also these relationships help me maintain health and sanity. It's important to have meaningful relationships because these people, once again, help you remain calm and stress free.
The most important relationships in my life are my relationships with God, my husband, parents, grandmother and my children. My husband and I have a relationship that is full of excitement and spontaneity. He keeps me on my toes and he is my biggest cheerleader REGARDLESS of the situation. He lifts me up when I'm done and vice versa. We have an understanding that we must partner together to keep the relationship afloat and balanced.
I pray to God EVERY chance I get and I understand that he is the reason any and everything occurs in my life be it a lesson or a blessing. Everyone should have a relationship with God if they don't.
My parents help me through everything. They give me valuable information and they are extremely supportive when I need them to be. They tell me things whether I want to hear them or not, and I know that they do it because they love me and want nothing but the best for me. My grandmother does the exact same thing. She raised me and she inspires me to do so much and she is my hugest supporter regardless. She doesn't see me as a failure; she only sees me prospering. I love my granny!
I CANNOT forget my BABIES! These little people inspire me to EVERYTHING I DO! I love them with every fiber of my being and without them I'm nothing. My little ones are the light of my life. They brighten my day and when they're down, I'm down. I LOVE MY LITTLE PEOPLE!
Without these relationships, I would basically be a big ball of mess and NOTHING. As an early childhood professional, building relationships mean everything to me. I can't function and operate as a teacher without my students, parents, and fellow colleagues.
SORRY for the TARDINESS!
The most important relationships in my life are my relationships with God, my husband, parents, grandmother and my children. My husband and I have a relationship that is full of excitement and spontaneity. He keeps me on my toes and he is my biggest cheerleader REGARDLESS of the situation. He lifts me up when I'm done and vice versa. We have an understanding that we must partner together to keep the relationship afloat and balanced.
I pray to God EVERY chance I get and I understand that he is the reason any and everything occurs in my life be it a lesson or a blessing. Everyone should have a relationship with God if they don't.
My parents help me through everything. They give me valuable information and they are extremely supportive when I need them to be. They tell me things whether I want to hear them or not, and I know that they do it because they love me and want nothing but the best for me. My grandmother does the exact same thing. She raised me and she inspires me to do so much and she is my hugest supporter regardless. She doesn't see me as a failure; she only sees me prospering. I love my granny!
I CANNOT forget my BABIES! These little people inspire me to EVERYTHING I DO! I love them with every fiber of my being and without them I'm nothing. My little ones are the light of my life. They brighten my day and when they're down, I'm down. I LOVE MY LITTLE PEOPLE!
Without these relationships, I would basically be a big ball of mess and NOTHING. As an early childhood professional, building relationships mean everything to me. I can't function and operate as a teacher without my students, parents, and fellow colleagues.
SORRY for the TARDINESS!
Monday, October 28, 2013
When I Think of Child Development
I enjoyed this class! Although a lot of obstacles stood in my way, I got to the end!
-Aristotle
-Aristotle
Monday, September 30, 2013
Consequences of Stress on Children's Development
Growing up I was fortunate enough to not personally deal with any of these stressors on the list, but as a collective, my community has experienced lots of violence. Murder, robbery, arson, vandalism, you name it. It is sad to say that I have to raise my children in such a cruel world. But when I sit back and look at other regions in the world, I see that we are a tad fortunate than they are. Won't say lucky but I will say blessed.
I decided to discuss natural disasters and Japan. The most recent natural disaster to strike Japan is Typhoon Man-yi. A landslide claimed the life of a woman. 200 domestic flights were cancelled and their is a fear for a popular plant considering contaminated water seeping through the ground. There was also 2 tornadoes to hit Japan in September injuring at least 65 people. Natural disasters are really common in other regions of the world, and it seems to be difficult for these other countries to bounce back. I breaks my heart to see such tragedies occur.
http://www.disaster-report.com/2013/02/natural-disasters-in-japan-2013.html
I decided to discuss natural disasters and Japan. The most recent natural disaster to strike Japan is Typhoon Man-yi. A landslide claimed the life of a woman. 200 domestic flights were cancelled and their is a fear for a popular plant considering contaminated water seeping through the ground. There was also 2 tornadoes to hit Japan in September injuring at least 65 people. Natural disasters are really common in other regions of the world, and it seems to be difficult for these other countries to bounce back. I breaks my heart to see such tragedies occur.
http://www.disaster-report.com/2013/02/natural-disasters-in-japan-2013.html
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Child Development and Public Health
For this week's blog, I decided to select two topics that are of extreme interest and importance to me. The topics that I chose to share with you guys are SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and Breastfeeding. These two topics are meaningful to me because SIDS is a serious affecting babies everyday. Parents put their babies to bed one minute and the next minute, their babies are dead. This is a touchy topic because it hit close to home. My baby cousin died from SIDS. People may never really know what causes it, but I believe they should really look into it. Breastfeeding is meaningful to me because it is, in my opinion, the ONLY way to properly give your baby the nourishment that their little bodies need as well as pass down antibodies from you. I breastfed both of my babies and they are by far the healthiest little people I've seen. I am an advocate for breastfeeding; I encourage any pregnant mother that I encounter to choose breastfeeding and I go as far as to share my reasons why. It also saves you money! (EVERYONE WINS!)
Another part of the world that I chose to explore was New Zealand. New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean with a population of about 4.4 million people. SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants one month to one year in New Zealand; it claims the life of about 45 infants each year. Most of the victims are between two and four months old. Breastfeeding in New Zealand is not as popular. In 1800s New Zealand, breastfeeding was the norm, but by the 1960s, bottle feeding became very popular. Everyone's attitude about breastfeeding became skewed. By the mid-1880s breastfeeding began to become time-consuming and inconvenient to the lifestyles urban, middle class women wanted to have. So they were encouraged to start bottle feeding their babies to avoid the stresses of breastfeeding.
I learned that people are encouraged to put their babies on their back to sleep to avoid SIDS. Although lying flat on your back is a big choking risk factor, it is important. I argue this to this day. Also, SIDS occurs in families of ALL races and socioeconomic status; it is NOT caused by suffocation/choking or immunizations, it is NOT contagious nor is it a result of child abuse/neglect, and it CANNOT be prevented.
My information was borrowed from:
www.sids.org.nz and http://breastfeedingnz.wordpress.com/breastfeeding-in-new-zealand-did-you-know/
Hope you enjoyed my post!!!
Another part of the world that I chose to explore was New Zealand. New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean with a population of about 4.4 million people. SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants one month to one year in New Zealand; it claims the life of about 45 infants each year. Most of the victims are between two and four months old. Breastfeeding in New Zealand is not as popular. In 1800s New Zealand, breastfeeding was the norm, but by the 1960s, bottle feeding became very popular. Everyone's attitude about breastfeeding became skewed. By the mid-1880s breastfeeding began to become time-consuming and inconvenient to the lifestyles urban, middle class women wanted to have. So they were encouraged to start bottle feeding their babies to avoid the stresses of breastfeeding.
I learned that people are encouraged to put their babies on their back to sleep to avoid SIDS. Although lying flat on your back is a big choking risk factor, it is important. I argue this to this day. Also, SIDS occurs in families of ALL races and socioeconomic status; it is NOT caused by suffocation/choking or immunizations, it is NOT contagious nor is it a result of child abuse/neglect, and it CANNOT be prevented.
My information was borrowed from:
www.sids.org.nz and http://breastfeedingnz.wordpress.com/breastfeeding-in-new-zealand-did-you-know/
Hope you enjoyed my post!!!
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Week One: Birth and Its Importance to Child Development
- Write about a personal birthing experience. It can be your own birth, your child's birth, or one you took part in. What do you remember about the event? Why did you choose this example? What are your thoughts regarding birth and its impact on child development?
- Choose a region of the world or a country, other than the U.S., and find out how births happen there. Write about what you learned, and the differences and similarities with your experience (in the personal example you provided). What additional insights, if any, about the impact of the birthing experience on development, did you gain from this comparison?
I am the mother of two and I can remember BOTH of my birthing experiences like they occurred yesterday. Before I gave birth to my three year old son, I was in so much pain. The doctor would not admit me to the hospital until I was four centimeters. It was PURE TORTURE! So I walked and walked and walked and WALKED. I was in severe pain until I finally went back to the hospital. I was admitted and the medical team gave me some medicine to help me relax and rest. Epidurals are a pet peeve so I did not want that. However, I was only at the hospital for an hour when I was told it was time to push. I pushed for half and hour and my little fella made his debut.
When I gave birth to my one year old daughter, the experience was really different than it was with her big brother. I was annoyed, frustrated, and TIRED of being pregnant so I really wasn't as cooperative as I should have been. So this experience was quite difficult. I felt EVERYTHING. It was really painful! I was admitted to the hospital at five centimeters and it took me 10 whole hours to deliver my daughter. It was really tiring and all I thought about was seeing her face and getting some rest. I pushed almost two hours before my ladybug made her debut.
I chose these two experiences because they are a part of me and my life. What other experiences to discuss but my own? Birth is important to child development because it is indeed part of this process. The child has to develop in the womb as well as outside the womb with the help of its mother. Children aren't born knowing what to do so mothers and fathers have to teach them and allow them to experiment in order for them to develop properly.
In China, women believe in herbal remedies and ancient customs to help them conquer birth as well as go through pregnancy with ease. Women must drink herbal potions during labor and they are told to not be afraid during labor. They also find it unlucky to throw showers or take up other customs that associate with pregnancy. In the US we believe in baby showers and medicine and doctors. This would be a nice way to attempt to experience pregnancy but I don't think I could do it.
Friday, August 23, 2013
A Note of Thanks and Support
I would like to extend a warm, heartfelt thank you to ALL of my colleagues who supported me throughout this 8 week journey. I have learned a lot from you all, and I have also developed a new found respect for each and every one of you as well as the early childhood field. I would like to wish each and every one of you good luck as we continue to embark on this journey toward our MSECS!!!
Code of Ethics for Early Childhood
P -1.1 Above
all, we shall not harm children. We shall
not
participate in practices that are emotionally damaging, physically harmful,
disrespectful, degrading, dangerous, exploitative, or intimidating to children.
This is everything to me. Children should not be mistreated while in YOUR care. Parents are trusting us as early childhood professional NOT to place their children in harm's way. We should ALWAYS be pleasant to them. Believe it or not, young children deserve EVERY OUNCE of your respect.
P-2.1
—We shall
not deny family members access to their
child’s
classroom or program setting unless access is
denied by
court order or other legal restriction
We should ALWAYS encourage parents to become active in their child's classroom as well as their education. The only way we should refuse them access is if they are not allowed near their children or if they have placed their children in the line of danger.
7. We
shall be responsible for protecting the confidentiality of the children and families
we serve by protecting all forms of verbal, written, and electronic
communication.
It is our sworn duty to protect any and all information concerning children in our care as well as their families. REGARDLESS of what type of information we receive, we should NEVER discuss it with ANYONE if we are not authorized to.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Additional Resources
Kaplan Early Learning Company -
http://www.kaplanco.com/
Lakeshore Learning -
http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/
Crayola -
http://www.crayola.com/
http://www.kaplanco.com/
Lakeshore Learning -
http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/
Crayola -
http://www.crayola.com/
Important Resources for Early Childhood Education
- NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
- NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
- NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
- NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
- NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
- UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
- http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc
- C Young Children
- Childhood
- Journal of Child & Family Studies
- Child Study Journal
- Multicultural Education
- Early Childhood Education Journal
- Journal of Early Childhood Research
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Quotes and Excerpts from Professionals I Admire
“If you live long enough, you'll make mistakes. But if you learn from
them, you'll be a better person. It's how you handle adversity, not how
it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit.”
― Bill Clinton
“If you want to live like a Republican, vote like a Democrat.”
― Bill Clinton, My Life
“Every moment wasted looking back, keeps us from moving forward.”
― Hillary Rodham Clinton
“Every child needs a champion.”
― Hillary Rodham Clinton
"As I grew up I wanted to continue to be a teacher - because I had a built-in passion that it was important to make a real contribution in the world, and to fix all injustices that existed in the world, and I wanted to do that through teaching."
- Louise Derman-Sparks
― Bill Clinton
“If you want to live like a Republican, vote like a Democrat.”
― Bill Clinton, My Life
“Every moment wasted looking back, keeps us from moving forward.”
― Hillary Rodham Clinton
“Every child needs a champion.”
― Hillary Rodham Clinton
"As I grew up I wanted to continue to be a teacher - because I had a built-in passion that it was important to make a real contribution in the world, and to fix all injustices that existed in the world, and I wanted to do that through teaching."
- Louise Derman-Sparks
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