In closing..

I would like to take this time to express my appreciation of this course and of the blogs of my classmates.  I did not get a chance to post to all blogs but there were some exciting ideas and great opinions on the blogs I chose to comment on.  I value the opinions of others and it was helpful to read my ideas expressed from another perspective.  I truly appreciate all of the insight that I am leaving this course with and I thank you for your support, effort and expression of your ideas! This has been a fun ride and I wish all of you the best!

Thank You :-)

Quotes to Live By.....

Children begin by loving there parents; after a time they judge them; rarely, if ever, do they forgive them.  -Oscar Wilde

Those who educate children well are more to be honored than they who produce them; for these only gave them ice, those the art of living well.  -Aristotle

Children's games are hardly games. Children are never more serious than when they play.   -Montaigne

If a child is given love, he becomes loving ... If he's helped when he needs help, he becomes helpful. And if he has been truly valued at home ... he grows up secure enough to look beyond himself to the welfare of others.  -Dr. Joyce Brothers


I chose quotes that reflected some of the ingredients of establishing a secure attachment with children.  I know these quotes by heart as I often refer back to them when I feel like an overwhelmed parent. They not only help me to see the bigger picture of life but these quotes also help me to stay focused on what is important in my life.

Measuring and assessing our children

I believe that the only thing that should be measured on a child is their growth development in relation to other children. I am not a fan of standardized tests being used to measure intelligence.  Likewise I do not think that we should measure the feelings of children.  No two people are exactly the same in all aspects so it would be unfair to compare people.   We assess the abilities of children, often forgetting that each child learns and grows at their own pace.

Jamaica is a fascinating place and I pride myself on knowing so much about their heritage.  Though corruption runs rampant throughout the mainland, there are still so good points to make about Jamaica.  In Jamaica, children begin to attend school as early as 2 years old.  Though school begins early in life and most school-aged children are in school in Jamaica, the test scores on standardized tests are not very good with only 60% of the students averaging passing grades.  There are 5 or 6 standardized tests that are given throughout the year but many students are still illiterate by the end of the school year.  

Again, I do not believe that standardized tests should be used to measure intelligence. There are no two people that are exactly the same or that learn the same.  Some people test well, others do not. I do not think that it is fair to judge someone's intelligence by way of standardized testing as there are certain factors, i.e.. having a bad day, hunger, tiredness, etc. that could affect one's ability to concentrate and do well.

References
 No Author.(2013). Jamaica. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/jamaica/index.html

(2013). Standardized tests. Retrieved from:

http://teaching.about.com/od/assess/a/Standardized-Testing.htm

Poverty

My mother was a teen parent. Growing up, my family and I didn’t have much.  I lived in public housing in an area of the city where the crime rate is mid-range to high.  I didn’t wear the latest clothes or have the newest toys. There was not always a lot to eat and sometimes my mom would skip meals in order for us to get second-helpings of dinner. Looking back, my two sisters and I were faced with adversity at early ages! However, I can’t recall any times in which I felt inadequate or less than.  Though I grew up financially poor, I was definitely showered with enough love and affection to feel rich.  My mom made sure that we went to the circus each year and that she took the time to bond with us.  That is what I remember most about my childhood experiences.  

I believe that you are shaped by your experiences but you also get to choose how those experiences will affect you. The consequences of growing up in poverty would definitely be greater if I didn’t receive the love that I needed to overcome my environment.  I have many friends that grew up in the same environment as me but they didn’t have nurturing mothers to help them see past their situation.  There are many people that were raised in poverty who went on to achieve great success. When asked, most would probably say that they wouldn’t change their childhood experiences for anything in the world!

Poverty is widespread in Africa.  Children are forced to drink water that is often too contaminated for consumption. A lot of children wear tattered clothing and no shoes.  There isn’t an abundant supply of food to go around and education is not freely given as it is in other countries like the United States of America.  However, family life is strong in Africa.  Though children face adversity everyday, most of them manage to maintain smiling faces.  I believe that such joy derives from the strong bond and love of their families. Though the children don’t have much, they have families that are full of love. 

Poverty can be devastating. It may strip you of your pride and make you develop a pessimistic attitude about the future. Poverty in the physical sense is not chosen for children, it just happens.  However, poverty of the mind is definitely a choice. We either let our experiences define us or we can let our 

experiences shape us.

                       

Malnutrition

In certain African countries, Libya for example, a mother must have five children to assure that one reaches the age of fifteen. In Northeast Brazil, 48 percent do not survive the first year of life; by the age of four, 63 percent have succumbed. In parts of Southeast Asia, 40 percent of the children die of disease in their first four years. This is a proportion of deaths not reached in the United States until the age of sixty (Berg, 1967).  

These statistics were devastating! Yet, what bothered me the most is that 45 years later the statistics hasn't had a drastic change.

In the United States, though nutritional foods are available in abundance, we still opt to eat foods that no good for us. Though developing nations are malnourished due to a lack of nutrition, our country suffers from malnutrition due to..... empty calories?

References

Berg, A. D. (1967). MALNUTRITION AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. Foreign Affairs, 46(1), 126-136.

The Birthing Experience of Sub-Saharan Africa.....

Teenage mothers who have tried to deliver their own babies at home often fail, resulting in a baby being lodged inside of them where most eventually die due to a loss oxygen and poor blood circulation.    Hundreds of thousands of girls have fistulas and the damage is often irreversible. In comparison with birthing in the United States, Sub-Saharan African countries have quite a long way to go in the advancement of medicine and medical treatment.

I never even considered trying to deliver my own baby. There was medical care provided each step of the way and as a result, I was able to be proactive in promoting good health in my baby. I am thankful for the many obstetricians that I had to choose from. I am blessed that I was afforded the opportunity to have my baby in an sterilized environment, reducing the chance of my baby being exposed to harmful bacteria and other hazardous risks.

After reading several articles about birthing in Sub-Saharan Africa, I can truly appreciate the United States and accessible healthcare, even as affordable healthcare is such a hot button topic.

Childbirth In Your Life and Around the World

I can remember it like it was yesterday. At 6:30 a.m. on 03/30/2005, I was rushed to the hospital. The baby was on their way. I endured a difficult labor from 7:00 a.m. on 03/30/05 until I had to have an emergency C-section at 3:30 a.m. the next day......Alas, Imani was delivered by way of cesarean section at 3:45 a.m. on 03/31/05, my everything! I remember the pain being so severe that I wanted to jump out of the window and smack everyone that I encountered on my way down! It was intense and excruciating! Nonetheless, once I saw her, the pain magically disappeared. Weighing in at a whopping 9lbs 13oz, 22 inches long, she was the beginning of a real love experience. My daughter means so much to me and I chose her birthing experience because giving her life was a pivotal moment in my life.  I believe that the birthing pattern that an infant follow is a precursor to their personality and the way they will do things throughout life.  My baby was stubborn and was born when she decided that it was time. Now at 7 years old, she is still stubborn and figures things out on her own time. Nonetheless, she always has perfect timing, whether I realize it or not.

My Supports

My Supports

My daughter and her paternal grandparents are my immediate support system. They assist me in baby-sitting so that I may attend work and other events that my daughter is unable to go.  Without them, I would have never been able to finish college or hold a steady job.  If anything ever happened to them, I would be distraught! This blog assignment has made me more appreciative of all that they do and help me with in my life.

My Connections to Play

Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.

Kay Redfield Jamison

People tend to forget that play is serious.

David Hockney

Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold.

Joseph Chilton Pearce

My family supported me in my play by attending my exclusive, imaginary tea parties. They allowed me to take my children (baby dolls) along with me when we went outside and they helped me draw out my blueprints for the buildings that I wanted to construct using my legos.

Looking back over my life, I wish I would've played longer and enjoyed being a child.  As many children, I was in such a hurry to grow up!  I think a major problem that is faced by today's youth is that  often times, they are not afforded the luxury of choosing to enjoy their childhood.  Because of the many demands that society impose on advancement, children are being forced to grow up in record time.

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important to me because they to teach me about myself.  The older I get, seemingly, the wiser I become. The wiser I become, the more I realize that I attract who I am.  The word relationship is so broad in that it describes almost any interaction, ie. waiters/customers, parents/children, husband/wife, police officer/speed demon, etc.  As far as meaningful relationships go, I have two relationships that mean the most to me. My relationship with GOD is imperative to my well-being as is the relationship that I have with my child. What maintains my relationship with my 7-year-old daughter is open communication. If she were asked about the importance of communication, she would respond by saying that communication is the key to successful relationships. My daughter motivates me to be a better person. I am still a bit self-centered but I have learned to care for someone more than I care for myself. In many ways, my daughter has taught me to be humble, patient, responsible, reliable, sensitive and nurturing. While being a parent is such a rewarding experience, it an also be challenging. My baby and I overcome the challenges of our relationship by acknowledging that we have a partnership. This is my first time being her mommy and this is her first time being my baby. That being said, we learn through trial and error.  We keep what works and revamp what doesn't.  I believe that my parenting skills would definitely be a contributing factor to my career in early childhood education.  Armed with real-life experience in what it takes to understand children, teach them, love and nurture them, I will have an advantage over other early childhood professionals that rely solely on their academia degree to help them achieve success.

New Beginnings

Your life is a result of the choices you make... If you don't like your life it is time to start making better choices.  

-Unknown