When I Think of Child Development

"If we want to invest in the prosperity of our nation, we must invest in the education of our children so that their talents may be fully emploted.-"William J.Clinton

When I Think of Child Development

If I had my child to raise all over again,

I'd finger paint more and point the finger less.
I'd do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less and know to care more.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious and seriously play.
I'd run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.
I would be firm less often and affirm much more.
I'd build self-esteem first and the house later.
I'd teach less about the love of power
and more about the power of love.

By: Diane Loomans

Testing for Intelligence

When it comes to assessing children I think that it's so important to have more than one way to do this.  As a child growing up I always knew that I learned differently then my peers.  It's not that I didn't know what I was learning I just had a hard time expressing what I've learned on paper ( I hope this makes sense).  As time went on I always manage to get by but didn't realize how serious my struggles were until I enrolled in college.  Because so much of my time was spent writing papers or discussion post I had a hard time writing out what I've learned.  If I could verbally tell what I've learned I would do just fine.  I'm still not quite sure what my problem is and maybe some of you will be able to make some suggestions but I feel that many children can learn the same material just in different ways.  It’s very frustrating to know that you want to say but it never comes out on paper when you try to write. 

When it comes to children be assessed across the world I think that we all must remember that children are first children and even older children need to experience different styles of testing.  I know that they learn through many standardized testing, essays etc. but what other ways are we allowing them to be assessed.  This is just a question for any current teachers out there.

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

Domestic Violence

A few years ago I provided case management to a family that had been exposed to domestic violence for years. A mother and her four children came to receive housing and counseling for herself and her children.  My job was to help the family start their new life with the help of resources and safe housing.  After listening and assessing the family I notice right away that the children needed therapy right away.  The oldest daughter would gather all the children and would not let them leave her sight.  She explains to me that her job was to protect them from getting hurt.  One of the smaller children would lock herself in a closet to get away from any loud noises and the other children would begin to scream when they felt scared or frighten.  All of the problems these children faced impacted them socially, emotionally and physical.  One day a teacher found all the children together in the gymnasium under school bleachers.  The oldest sister explained that one of the smaller children didn’t get much sleep because of a bad nightmare and she was trying to protect her from her bad dream.  As an adult I’ve never experience anything like this and to hear and witness what these children had to endure was so hard for me and an experience I will never forget.  The family eventually moved after a year of being in the program and the oldest daughter still calls me to keep in touch.  The last time I spoke with her she said that she is still very shy and loves to read.  She said that she feels safe and her mother and siblings are doing well.  She also explains how she wants to be a counselor to help children the way I helped her and her family.   I always encourage her to pursue her dreams and her passions.  I told her that she would make an excellent counselor and I can’t wait to see her achieve her dreams of helping other children.  I’ve learned that children that have been exposed to any type of violence have a harder time expressing themselves and their emotions.  They sometimes become withdrawn or act out inappropriate ways.  My hope is that our society will realize that many of the issues our children faces impact them physically, emotionally, socially and cognitive.  It’s up to us all to make sure that children are safe and to make sure that parents have resources to get children help when needed.

 

I read this article” ELIMINATING VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN” this article talks about ways government and society can protect and provided services to children that have been expose to violence around the world. 

http://www.ipu.org/PDF/publications/violence_en.pdf

 

Resource

Inter-Parliamentary Union and UNICEF. (2007). Retrieved from Eliminating Violence Aganist Children: http://www.ipu.org/PDF/publications/violence_en.pdf

 

 

Child Development and Public Health

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the health topic I choose to discuss this week.  This is a very important topic to me because I had a client have her 2 week old baby girl to die from SIDS.  When I worked with first time teen mothers this is one of the subjects I discussed often.  I wanted the moms to know ways in which to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. 

When researching SIDS I found an article that I wanted to share.   One of the ways we share in United States to reduce the risk of SIDS is to keep baby’s sleep area close but separate from where you and others sleep. After reading this article The Natural Child Project-Co-sleeping Around the World I learned that majority of mothers and babies around the globe today, co-sleep.  In much of southern Europe, Asia, Africa and Central and South America, mothers and babies routinely share sleep.  The article goes on to state that most cultures that routinely practice co-sleeping, in any form, have very rare instances of SIDS. SIDS occurrences are among the lowest in the world in Hong Kong, where co-sleeping is extremely common.  Reading this information and knowing what I know about different cultures, I don't want  to be offenseive when telling mothers the risk of co-sleeping. Reading this article has casued me to change my approach so that I can be culturally sensitive to this subject and respect different cultrals but still discussing the risk.

Resource:

http://www.naturalchild.org/james_mckenna/cosleeping_world.html

 

Childbirth Around the World: Japanese

After reading this article in Parents magazine,  I was shocked to learn that the majority of Japanese women strive to give birth without the use of painkillers. This is something that I have heard about with American woman but majority of the women I no including myself have used “painkillers” during labor.   There is a belief among Japanese that labor pains act as a kind of test that a woman must endure in preparation for the challenging role of motherhood. This centuries-old belief endures despite the fact that a growing number of doctors in Japan are recommending epidurals for their patients, suggesting that they create a more peaceful birth experience. Although more women are beginning to exercise this option, centuries of tradition still keep many others from considering the procedure.

Japanese women deliver in hospitals, but it's not a given that the baby's father will act as the labor coach or even be in the room. Fathers are permitted to be present at the birth only if they have taken prenatal classes with the mother-to-be; if a C-section is performed, they must go to the waiting room. In general, hospital stays in Japan tend to be longer than in the U.S.; mothers can expect a minimum of a five-day stay for a vaginal birth and 10 days or more for a cesarean delivery.  This is so different from my experience.  I feel that it’s very important for fathers to be present during the birth of their child.  I also think that men need to take a couple of parenting/prenatal classes especially if it’s their first child.  This will give the dad some knowledge of what to expect from a professional.  This can be in the form of attending regular doctor’s appointments with the expecting mom or attending prenatal classes before the baby arrives.   In America, woman who delivery vaginal and she and the baby are ok sty no longer than two days in the hospital.  If the mom had a C-section, mothers stay anywhere from 3 to 5 days.  I stayed one day after the birth of each of my boys but would have loved to stay one more day.

 After leaving the hospital, mother and baby often stay at the mother's parents' home for a month or sometimes longer -- it is a cultural tradition that women stay in bed with their baby for 21 days. During this time friends may drop by to greet the new baby and join the family in eating the celebratory food osekihan (red rice with red beans).  When I left the hospital I went home to my house and the next day family and friends came over to visit.  I don’t want to even imagine my house if I was in the bed for twenty-one days!  I feel that giving birth is a remarkable experience and woman need to rest after the birth of a baby and take it easy as much as possible.  I really enjoyed reading about Japanese child bearing experiences and how they were quite different from my experience.   

Resource
http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/vaginal/birth-customs-around-the-world/?page=4
Retrived on November 4, 2010

My Personal Birthing Experiences

I have two sons ages fifteen and three years old and really loved being pregnant with them both.  I truly love being pregnant and learning about my baby while pregnant.  My first birth was pretty easy, my water broke at home and I went to the hospital with no pain and had him seven hours later.  My second son kept me in labor for over two days and I felt every single contraction.  Being pregnant was a wonderful and rewarding experience for me and both times I learned a lot about prenatal and child development.  During my second pregnancy I was more aware of how babies develop my health and the importance of my environment.  Knowing this made me so excited to share with other expectant mothers the importance of prenatal care and its impact on the well-being of the child they were carrying.     I can truly say that it was two of the best moments of my life.

A Note of Thanks and Support

I have enjoyed this course and my classmates.  My classmates have encouraged and motivated me by their words and drive.  I too have tried to do the same by offering words of encouragement and support.  Working, raising a family and attending school isn’t an easy task but it can be done with support, the right attitude and dedication.  I wish all of my classmates the best of luck in their future endeavors and I pray that we will continue to be a voice for children all around the world.

Code of Ethics

NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement Commitment

Section I

Ethical Responsibilities to Children

P-1.1-Above all, we shall not harm children. We shall not participate in practices that are emotional damaging, physically harmful, disrespectful, degrading, dangerous, exploitative, or intimidating to children.  This principle has precedence over all other in this code.

Section II

Ethical Responsibilities to Families

I-2.9 -To participate in building support networks for families by providing them with opportunities to interact with program staff, other families, community resources, and professional services.

Section IV

Ethical Responsibilities to Community and Society

I-4.7- To support policies and laws that promote the well-being of children and families, and to work to change those that impair their well-being.  To participate in developing policies and laws that are needed, and to cooperate with other individuals and groups in these efforts.

Significance in my Professional Life

Each one of these statements mean a great deal in my professional life because the all involve supporting, respecting and the well being of children and families.  I have used Ethical Responsibilities to Children I-2-9 as an opening and closing statement in many  of my trainings to early childcare providers.  I explain that we all as early childcare professional have to remember that we have to protect children and continue to be a voice for them always.  Our job is to never bring harm; suspect or witness any harm to them or bring harm to them and any such should be reported.  I have also made it my mission to make parents aware of the resources available to them and to be a support for families when needed.  One of my goals is to continue my professional development so that I can be a loud voice for children, families and the early childcare profession.

Growing Your Collection of Resources

The Program for Infant/Toddler Care Retrieved on October 4, 2012 http://www.pitc.org/pub/pitc_docs/home.csp

National Head Start Association   Retrieved on October 4, 2012
http://www.nhsa.org/

Lakeshore     Retrieved on October 4, 2012 http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/general_content/free_resources/freeResources.jsp?f=m

Course Resources from the Week

• 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
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
  
  Note: The following article can be found in the Walden University Library databases.
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-53.
  Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title.

• Article: 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
• Websites:
• • World Forum Foundation
    http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
    This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the media segment on this webpage
  • World Organization for Early Childhood Education
    http://www.omep-usnc.org/
    Read about OMEP's mission.
  • Association for Childhood Education International
    http://acei.org/
    Click on "Mission/Vision" and "Guiding Principles and Beliefs" and read these statements.

• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/
• Children's Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
• Institute for Women's Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.preknow.org/
• Voices for America's Children
  http://www.voices.org/
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/

• YC Young Children
• Childhood
• Journal of Child & Family Studies
• Child Study Journal
• Multicultural Education
• Early Childhood Education Journal
• Journal of Early Childhood Research
• International Journal of Early Childhood
• Early Childhood Research Quarterly
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Studies
• Maternal & Child Health Journal
• International Journal of Early Years Education

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

Significant Contributers to the Early Childhood Field

"If we want to invest in the prosperity of our nation, we must invest in the education of our children so that their talents may be fully emploted.-"William J.Clinton

"There is nothing more precious to a present than a child, and nothing more important to our future than the safety of all our children."- William J. Clinton

"Education is not a problem. Education is an opportunity". -Lyndon Johnson

"Poverty must not be a bar to learning and learning must offer an escape from poverty".
 -Lyndon Johnson


Media Segment

"We as professionals in the Early Childhood field have the opportunity to shape a child's life for the better." Escobido, S. (2012)

"That young children from young african american families do not succeed in school not because they could not, but because they did not have the tools that were needed to succeed."
Derman-Sparks, D. (2012)

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010) The passion for early childhood [Video webcast].
In Foundations of early childhood studies. Retrieved from http://www.courseurl.com

http://thinkexist.com/quotation/if_we_want_to_invest_in_the_prosperity_of_our/337174.html

 

Personal Childhood Web

There have been so many people who have nurtured and cared for me when I was a child.  The people that stand out the most are my mother, father gramma, sister and teacher. 

  My mother is a very spiritual and loving woman.  She loves to cook and spend time with family.  My mother cooked for us everyday and   prayed over us every night.  She volunteered at school events and our extra curricular activities. Growing up I remember my mother went back to school, worked part-time and cared for her family.  She did this all without me ever hear her complaining.  My mom made all her children feel special by taking us by ourselves to our favorite place.  My favorite place was the Chicago Aquarium and white Castles.  When I think about how I was raised I see myself repeating the things my mother did for me as a child.  I cook breakfast for my children every morning. I pray with them every night and I take them to their favorite place.  My mother was very influential in me returning back to school.  She has motivated me and encourages me often.  I hear her telling me you can do anything you put your mind too.  Her favorite versus from the Bible is Philippians 4:13 “I Can Do All Things through Christ Who Strengthens Me”. I believe and I have received this message and use this versus with my children.

                                       

   I am a daddy’s girl!   My daddy and mom separated when I was five years old but my daddy made sure he was always around.  He picked me up from school every day and would take me to get ice cream.  I was my daddy’s only child and yes I was and still am spoil. I thought for a long time that my daddy was a super hero because he would always flex his muscles and eat all his vegetables.  He would then pick up things at the time I though were very heavy items.  When I became a teenager he always wanted me to know how a guy was suppose to treat me if we went out on a date.  So every other Friday we had daddy daughter night.  I remember so much about my childhood but the thing that sticks out the most was those daddy daughter nights. My daddy now lives in another state but I talk to him daily.  He sends for my boys every summer and visits us twice a year.  My daddy influenced my life by showing me how a man should be and they should treat a lady.  I LOOOOVE MY DADDY!!

 Gramma is what we call my grandmother.   She was my mother’s only child so my grandmother was always around.  As I sit here and type this I get teary eyed because she’s know longer with us and I miss her sooooo much!  My grandmother made sure as children we were always educated on our family history.  She would take us to Mississippi every summer to visit our relatives.  My grandmother believed that we needed to know our relatives and she made sure we did.  My Grandmother made sure that we were always in the kitchen when she or my mother was cooking.  She believed that all women needed to know how to cook and this is why I love to cook.  When I started going back to school as an adult she would always tell me “baby I’m so proud of you”! When I think about her voice and her face I’m reminded of the love that she had for me and her family.  I want to make her even prouder of me by receiving my Master’s.  I know that she’s looking down at me and still saying” baby I’m so proud of you”!

 

  My sister is my best friend and a diva all the way.  My sister is the oldest of all my three children.  I talk to her at least five times everyday.  Her job requires her to work out of town a lot so we Skype and text as well. When we were growing up we were dressed alike and shared almost everything.  I remember we would play” house” and my brother and I would be her children.  When we would go outside she would always hold my hand and make sure I was safe.  Today when I think of how close we were I wanted my children to be the same with one another.  The only difference is my sister and I were two years a part and my son’s are eleven years a part.  But my oldest son’s always say you and “TT” do everything together and I always say “that’s my girl”!  My sister always tells me that I inspire her but she inspires me to find my inner diva!

My second and third grade teacher Mrs. Reed was my favorite teacher.  As her student I remember wanted to be just like her when I grew up.  She made teaching look easy and fun.  As a child I had a very hard time learning how to write in cursive so Mrs. White would stay after school to help me and some of the other students.  Mrs. White always told her class how much she cared about us all but I learned how much she cared about me the day Anthony B. pushed me down in the hall because I told him he couldn’t skip me in line.  Mrs. White saw him and came running down the hall to my rescue.  She garbed that Anthony B. and took him straight to the office for a paddle because at that time we could get paddle at school.  She then took me to her class and cleaned up my lip that was bleeding, hugged me and told me how very sorry she was for what he had done.  That entire week I was her helper and ate lunch with her the entire week. When I moved on to other classes I would always go in her class and help her with the smaller students.  I learned from Mrs. White the passion and love that teachers must have for their students.  Not only did she care about me I knew that she sincerely  cared about me and my education.

    

http://www.4lifehappykids.com/pdfs/100_ways_praise_child.pdf

100 Ways to Praise A Child

Quotes

"One hundred years from now..it will not matter what my bank account was, the type of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove, but the world may be different because  I was important in the life of a CHILD".-Forest E. Witcraft

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world".-Ghandi

 "Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful".-Albert Schweitzer


                          

Welcome

Greetings Viewers,

Thank you for taking the time to view my blog. I pray that the information shared will be informative and beneficial as you read my views on topics/issues that I feel are important. Remember that these are just my views and I welcome you to share your views on any of the issues posted. 

I Wish You Well,
Tawanda L. Stewart