My Connections to Play

Two quotes:

Essential Play Items When I Was Little:

My favorite toys growing up help me realize that I wanted to me a mom. Helping my children grow and experience life is fulfilling and enjoyable.

Role of play in your childhood:

Play for a child has changed so much since I was a child.  When I was little we used our imaginations and did not depend on electronic devices for entertainment.  My parents limited the amount of time my sister and I were allowed to watch television allowing us plenty of time to pretend we were mommies or teachers.  Children today use game consoles and electronic gadgets to help them play.  Times were simpler and I remember pretending I was anything I wanted without needing electronics.  Children need to use their imagination I feel it helps their brains develop fully.  Encouraging children to pretend and explore the possibilities available to them it helps them see what could be.  

As a child I pretended I had children and it helped me see what I wanted when I grew up.  I now am a mom with four fantastic kids.  I enjoy playing with my kids and watching them play the kids are supposed to play.  Children should try out different options when they are young, not that it will make adult life easy or worry free but it can shed some light on the possibilities available to them.  Let them pretend they are firemen, mechanics, a dog catcher, or a stay at home parent those pretend situations help children grow and learn realizing their aspirations. 

Relationship Reflection

                 Christopher and Amanda Meier (Married February 22, 1997)

The relationship and encouragement I receive from my family and friends is what helps me through the tough times and help me celebrate the great times.  Through my adult years I have faced my stumbling blocks both with my education and with my career and it is from those I have learned just how strong I am and exactly what I am truly capable of.  My biggest supporter is my high school sweetheart and husband of almost 14 years, Christopher.  He sits with me as I pull all niters writing and proofing papers for submission and encourages me when I feel like I can't read one more textbook or article.  Or when I choose to stay home instead of going out and having fun with our friends.  He helps me focus on the final goal and that great feeling I will experience when I am able to someday help children that would otherwise be lost in the system.  It is because of his love I feel I have made it as far as I have because I know I would have probably have given up a long time ago without such a strong supportive man by my side. 

            Amanda and Bobbi (University of Phoenix Class of 2007)

Developing quality long lasting relationships personally and professionally take time and effort on all persons involved parts.  Relationships are built on trust which takes time to build.  Another key element to a positive relationship is communication that can be honest and open even in the difficult times.  No ones life is problem free, it is the relationships that help you through those times that really make the world of difference.  It is not hard to be a friend when things are going well a true friend sticks around and helps a person through the hard ones.  A friend that has stuck by me through the years during the good times and the bad is my best friend and colleague Bobbi.  I met her in the first few weeks of classes when we were both working towards our Associates Degree.  We helped each other and encouraged each other all the way through to gradation for our Bachelors Degree from the University of Phoenix.  To this day she is the first one I call when I need to vent, need a shoulder to cry one, or call to celebrate a good grade received in a class that was giving me a hard time.  Bobbi has truly been by my side through the good times and the bad ones, she is my best friend and confidant whose relationship means the world to me. 

Considerations and Reflections

"The way parents are with children is how children will be with the rest of the world" Susan Miller

Parents can be the most influential parts of a child's life. How the child is treated and how much love the child is shown effects how the child will love during it's lifetime. Attachment is an important piece of a child's social and emotional development. When a child has strong relationships growing up the child has the ability to feel love and for those that may come into his or her life. An attachment with parents helps build the foundation needed to have meaningful friendships and relationships that can lead to love. In my heart I feel that children can learn what it takes to maintain meaningful relationships it just may take longer and more work than those that grew up in loving homes.

Children vs Standardized Tests

Personally I feel children deserve to be given a chance to to succeed. Every child is unique and that means testing children should not be looked at as "universal". Learning styles are different and they way a child test can also be different. There are so many kids that experience test anxiety and that should be considered when standardized tests are performed. Offering options to kids that maybe need more time or could benefit from someone reading the questions out loud could make the difference of the child achieving a succesful score or failing. The needs of the child should be just as important as find out what a school know and comoares to other schools in the country.
A childs success or failure following stardized testing can effect how the child feels about themselves and those around them. A childs emotional intelligence can be considered a learned strength but if those involved with their everyday life a failure like the test given can hinder a childs understanding of emotion and how they feel anout themselves. I don't think evaluating a child's emotions is correct because just like adults children as long as it is done appropriately should be encouraged to express themselves.. So many time society tells boys not to cry and that is not fair, just they are boys doesn't make it ok to tell them they cannot express emotions. A child's emotional intelligence can effect their interpersonal intelligence. How a child feels aout themselves can effect how they show sensitivity to others feelings and moods. In order to communicate well children need to learn how to communicate and part of that is communicating emotionally.

I have seen first hand how differnet schools in the U.S. Are from those in Mexico. My family would go to Mexico for Christ,as vacation and while my sister and I rarely had homework my cousins would be studying during their vacations. I use to look at their homework in camparison to what I was use to and thinking that I had it easy. The expectations in Mexico seemed so much strict than what was expected from kids in the U.S. My cousin were always talking about the examinations given immediately following vacation and how if they did not study they would not do well which in Mexico would cause disciplinary consequences at home. Children are expected tontake their education seriously because that would determine the future for the child and opportunities available after graduation. From a child's perspective I could see the differences in expectations and although my education was good I wonder if my cousins got more out of theirs compared my sister and I.

Consequences of Stress on Children’s Development

External stressors for children may include separation from family or a change in family composition whether that be through the birth or adoption of a new sibling or loss of a sibling or family member. Both can cause a child to feel uncomfortable.

I was born in March of 1978, I lived with my mother and older brother, he was 2 years older than myself. I have no personal memory of that time of my life so I spoke to my brother about what he remembers and the story was heartbreaking.

This is a long story but for the purpose of the assignment I will provide the shortend version. . .

At the age of one my mother dropped my brother with our aunt and grandmother for the weekend. She took me with her and although that seemed odd to my aunt she didn't think twice about it. Life continued as usual and when it came time for my mother to come pick up my brother Aunt April got him ready. Mother came and picked him up but I was not with her. As it turned out she traveled to Montana and to visit with some friends but when she went home she did not take me home with her she left me in MT. Questions were asked at home as to where I was and why I was not around. My mother had very few answers. After about a month of not returning for me the friends contacted my mother and asked if she intended to come back. When she said no she had no intention of returning for me they asked her to sign over parental rights so they could put me up for adoption. After doing so I was put into the foster care system where I was moved from foster home to foster home until Catholic Social Servioce could find me a home and family. I was finally adopted at the age of two and a half. During this time my brother was left with no idea or answers as to where his little sister went and why she was not at home with him and mom. I asked him how he felt during this time and he said scared and very confused. He said he lived with the thought that if he misbehaved she might decide to send him away too. His childhood was spent dealing with the feeling of anger and loss, he compared it to the death of a sibling since all je knew was I was gone and not coming back anytime soon. His answers came at the age of 16 when he went to my aunt and asked the questions that had been bother him for years. Aunt April told him that when mom had gone to MT she had made the decision to give me up for adoption. We did not discuss the details of the conversation past that because it brings up a lot of anger on his part and sadness on my part.

I also dealt with issues of abandonment and the feeling of not belonging. I grew up questioning why no one wanted me and what I had done wrong to be given away. As a result of being given away after spending the first year with my mother I hadpve had to deal with attachment issues because in the back of my mind I was waiting for people to leave me. As a protective measure my mind and heart had a hard time getting attatched and when I finally did feel comfortable I worried all the time that that person would leave me.

This experience effect my brother and myself in a negative manner both in regar to our cognitive and psychosocial development. My brother had the memories of his little sister and the me worked of losing me and not knowing until a much later age what exactly had happens and why. His emotional development was compromised because he had a hard time trusting and his family. I dealt with issues because since I was small but not a newborn when this happened I had bonded with my mother, brother, and other family before I was torn away and forced to build and bond with complete strangers. My imagination ran with thought of what could have been and questions of why as well as my perceptions of relationships being tainted because of the feeling confusion and not knowing where I truly belonged.

Adoption in other parts of the world is similar to the process families go through in the U.S. For instance in Mexico a child that is given up for adoption is place in a prospective home in a trial stay and during this time the agency involved makes sure that the situation will prove to be in the best interest of the child and family. The Mexican government make every effort possible to place the child with a Mexican family but if that is not possible then the the agency will begin looking at the option foreign adoption. Families coming from out of the country are required to spend a period of time in Mexicio getting to know the child before the adoption can be finalized. This is done so that the family can get ti know the child in surroundings that are familiar to the child. For the benefit of the child the agency makes sure that the care the child will receive will provide the best possible outcome for the child.

In the end I found my brother when I was 19 years old and we are building a relationship that is wonderful. We are trying to make up lost time and get to know each other as much as possible since that opportunity was taken away from us when we were young. We both have dealt with issues as an effect of the adoption not all of them positive but we are both trying to get past the anger etc and enjoy the time we have now.

Child Development and Public Health - Nutrition/malnutrition

Part of being part of the Early Childhood Development field is wanting each and every child to have every opportunity to thrive and and experience happiness. A key this happening is the health and well being includes proper nutrition. Although malnutrition is not always a product of hunger a child cannot thrive and achieve great things if he or she is hungry or deprived of food that has the nutrients their bodies need because children are more susceptible to illness without the vitamins and nutrients their bodies require. Children with malnutrition are unable to grow as tall as are usually underweight making their bodies not as strong as kids with proper nutrition. I personally have a difficult time seeing a child that is not fed or worse yet fed improperly. It is totally out of their control so it is unfair to neglect their health in a way that is totally preventable. Especially since if the reason is lack of funds their are programs available to help like WIC which if the family qualifies can help buy healthy food like milk, cheese, bread, peanut butter, and some vegetables. I realize pride can come in the way of asking for help but parents need to consider what is the best for their children and if swallowing pride and asking for help is necessary then a parent should do just that for the child not for themselves.

This is not an issue only parents in the United States must face but malnutrition is also prevalent in Central America in places like El Salvador and Guatemala. The amounts of children effected by this in these places is comparable to the amounts in Africa and South Asia. Children born to poor families living in rural communities suffer the worst from chronic malnutrition usually setting in before the child is two years old with consequences that can be irreversible. "Healthy nutrition begins during pregnancy and is a cornerstone to survival, health, and development, healthy women run fewer risks during pregnancy and childbirth and well nourished children perform better school giving them the opportunity to grow into healthier adults and offering a better start in life to the generations to come" (The World Group, 2001). There is an increase of programs being introduced in many Central American countries and it is proving to be affordable and effective in helping with prevention, targeting specific demographics, and helping in educating parents in the best ways to help their children.

When I am working directly with children in the future I will be observant to signs of children not receiving the proper nutrition. I want to help in anyway I can so making sure they receive a couple healthy snacks during their time with me could be just one way I can help those little ones. As well as teaching them the importance of proper nutrition so that they can then teach their families. I believe education is vital to help such a serious issue like malnutrition be overcome and it will be one of my goals as a member if this important field to do everything in my power to help the children and families within my community learn and apply the steps necessary in improving the nutrition for the children that are the future of our community.

Reference

The World Group. (2011). Fighting Malnutrition in Central America. Retrieved September 13, 2011 from the World Wide Web: http://web.worldbank.org

A Personal Birth Story

The birth of my first child took place June 16, 1997. I was two weeks over due and scheduled to be induce on the 17th so when I woke up feeling crampy I got nervous. I got up and went to the bathroom with the plan to go right back to bed because my husband was off that day and we had planned to relax in preparation of the following day. I went to lay back down but never did fall back to sleep because it became apparent to me the crampy feeling was coming in waves. I woke up my husband and told him what I was experiencing. We got up and called my OB, he told us we should go to the hospital and get checked out. We then called our families to give them the heads up of the current happenings. I distinctly remember walking down the stairs of our apartment apartment and neighbors asking if today was the day because they were outside enjoying the beautiful morning we were having.
When we arrived at the hospital we registered and we put in one of the labor room because at that time the hospital still separate areas one labor, delivery, and another for recovery. Since then the hospital built a women and children wing where mothers can go throughout the entire birthing process through recovery in the same room. The contractions gradually got more intense and since it was my first I was not comfortable pretty quickly. Our family stated to arrive and although our intention was to only have my huband and his mother in the room my mother and father ended up in there with us. My father sat in the corner reading book and my mother was at my side. Her nature is to be want to be in control and since she has never had children naturally herself the is was a first time for her too making the situation more stressful for my husband because they did not get along very well when we were first married. I remeber she wore an off white pant outfit that ended up getting covered on blood because when the nurse did my iv in she turned quickly not paying attention and accidentally taking the iv tube that was in my hand with her as she turned making it so it came all the way out and blood to spray everywhere. My mother was right there and her outfit took on a significant amount of the blood. My mother did her usual and took and control of the situation making my husband feel like a visitor in the experience. This situation not improving their Already vulnerable relationship but bonding him and I more because we learned we could accomplish anything as long as we worked together. She yelled at the nurses because she thought they were not moving fast enough and pushed my mother law out of the way when the nurse brought in the paper for me to sign for who I wanted in the delivery room with me. They needed my husband and her signature acknowledging they they were ok with the decision. I signed, my husband signed, and when we handed it my my mother law my mother grabbed it and signed it instead then handing it straight to the nurse because in her eyes she was the only other person that should be on the room. Needless to say it ruffled quite a few feather putting a permanent riff between my parents and my in laws.
On with the birth story....
My contractions got to the point where I was ready for the epidural. It was on my must do list from the beginning there was no way I was going to do this without it. By the time we were all set and done the medical staff had to break my water for me and I received 4 epidurals with only one of them offering 100%. The others only worked on half my body making labor excruciating to say the least. We labored from 8am when we arrived at the hospital through the day only progressing to 5 centimeters. With guidance of our nurses we tried walking and warm showers in hopes of relieving the pain that I was experiencing. My doctor came in multiple times to check me and at one point I was in so much pain I asked him to just take the baby via csection because I didn't think I could continue. He chuckled and said no that he want me to experience the birth because he thought it would be best and that he thought i would want it that way. We continued on until about 10 pm when he came in to check because the nurses had called him to let him know the babys heart rate was not looking very good. At that point he noticed that we were only to a 5 and that I was exhausted and in a tremendous amount of pain. He made the decision that a csection was our best option. Rather than just saying this he told me by saying "well I guess you get what you wanted lets do a csection.". My husband was terrified as was I.
I went into surgery soon after the decision was made that it would be best to do the procedure under general anthesia since the previous 3 epidurals had not been succesfull. I said good bye to my husband and remember as they wheeled me into the operating thinking "oh no what if I never see him again?" Surgery got under way quickly because of the distress my baby was in and in the 45 mintues it took them to prep me I had spiked a fever so the situation was not ideal. At 11:55 pm on June 16, 1997 I delivered our son Micheal James Meier weighing 7lbs 13oz.
Family drama continued while I was in recovery. My husband was take into the nursery so that he could be the first to see our baby. We had discussed prior that no one else would be allowed to hold the baby until I got out of recovery because it was important to my husband that I be the first to hold the babbaby my mother was not happy with that decision and while everyone was out side the nursery window she began running her mouth about how she had the right ti be the first to hold the baby and how my husband was wrong in waiting until I was in my room. Before I got to my room my husband got upset and was pulled away from the situation my his best friend before the situation blew out of control.
I was finally taken to my room and my husband brought me our beautiful baby. What should have been the most memorable moment in our lives was stressfull and tense. We made the best out of it and grew through the exerience. I stayed in the hospital a week because I ended up getting a horrible infection as a rerult of my long labor causing more pain than a typical csection. When we finally got home I could not stand up straight and I moved extremely slow. I dealt with postpartum depression making the first month or so not much fun for myself or my husbandpostpartum not the first time birth experience we wanted but in the end we focused on the finaly result and that was that our baby was delivered safely and he was healthy which all a new mom and dad can ask for.
The reason I chose my first child's birth as my birth story is because the other three were planned sections and we had a better idea what we were going to experience unlike the first time around in regards to the birth expience in general and the family dynamic. Although only one of our other three childern actually came on his schedule csection date the others were pretty similar and not as intense as our first. All my children mean the world to me and I would experience each every painful csection again because of the beautiful children we were rewarded afterwards.