Relationship Reflection

There are only two people that I have developed great realationships with....My mother and my oldest son.  I am the mother of three boys and of course I have a relationship with all my children, however, my other two children are only 2 years and 9 months.  The relationship with my mother developed first of all by her being my mom and me being her daughter.  My relationship with my mother means the world to me and it keeps me grounded.  What keeps our relationship healthy and strong is the fact that we speak to each other daily, we listen to, encourage, motivate, and support each other 100% in all our endeavors.  I lend my ear as well as my shoulder if she needs to release a few tears and I always try to be positive.  The characteristics that distinquish this relationship from others is the fact that I know my mother will always be honest with me and I know I can talk to her about anything as well as tell her anything without worrying about her repeating it to someone else.  I would be nothing without this relationship because I would be nothing without my mother.  The relationship with my son began the moment I discovered I was pregnant. This relationship affects my life because it gave me a new purpose in life.  It taught me how great it feels to care for and love another person unconditionally. This relationship stays healthy and strong because we have mutual respect for each other and I allow him to openly and respectfully voice his opinions. He is comfortable enough to discuss anything with me.  What distinguishes this relationship from others is that there just simply isn't any other love better than the love a mother has for her son.  Without this type of relationship I believe it would be easy for my son to be pressured by peers and lose focus on the things that are important to him in life. 

Quote and note of thanks

"Children should be taught how to think, not what to think" - Margaret Mead . I just really like this quote because it so closely relates to "if you give a man a fish he can eat for a day, but if you teach him how to fish he can eat forever". It is very important that our children have the ability to think for themselves, self regulate, problem solve, be create, use their imagination, etc. because all of these factors help the child to develop appropriately, have a better quality of life, and prepares them for adulthood.

I would like to thank all of my colleagues for the very informative posts, the professional knowledge, the personal stories, the constructive critiques, the encouraging comments, and the great advice. It has truly been a pleasure networking with each of you and sharing in this experience at Walden.  I wish each and every one of you the best of luck in all your current and future endeavors.

Early childhood assessments

When viewing the whole child I believe health and physical well-being, social and emotional development, approach to learning, language and literacy development, general knowledge about the world around them, and motor development are important factors that should be assessed or measured.  These factors determine how well the child will adjust to new settings and how they will progress academically, ensures they have good health which is very essential to school readiness, shows their ability to regulate their emotions, form social relationships with peers, learn from observation, participation and direct instruction, as well as direct their own learning.

In Finland, children are given health examinations by local health care centers that test on the basic skills needed in school as well as the maturity level of the child in preparation for starting school. A team of experts and professionals also assess the pupils' difficulties in learning.  Together they create an individual plan and use initial and on-going assessment tools and pedagogical log books for gathering follow-up data.

Childhood Stressors

Not that I have lived a perfect life however I am proud to say that I have not experienced many stressors in my childhood.  The only incident I can recall is one year during the month of February we experienced what was called an "ice-storm".  It rained heavily and all the water froze throughout the entire city.  Tree branches could be heard breaking and hitting the ground, streets and powerlines were coated and covered with ice, and there were no means of communication by telephone.  Because my house was totally electric we didn't have any heat so my family and I spent the first night trying to deal with it by wearing several layers of clothing and blankets.  The next morning we put pots and pans on the barbecue grill and cooked our food.  The cold became so unbearable my parents took my brother and I to my aunts apartment because she was blessed to have a fire heater.  There were so many people staying in my aunt's apartment.  My parents stayed at our home and endured the cold to ensure vandals didn't enter in our absence.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a viral illness that usually affects infants and children younger than 5 years old.  Last month this disease killed 17 people and infected 35,000 others in China.  This is a major stressor in the lives of the children there.  The health department has issued warnings about the disease outbreak and informed parents and teachers to seek medical attention if symptoms are noticed.  They are advising people to lower the risk of infection by thoroughly washing their hands, disinfecting dirty surfaces and soiled items with chlorine bleach and by avoiding contact with those that are infected.

child development and public health

I chose having access to healthy water to be the most meaningful to me because it is the foundation to all development.  Regardless of the type of environment in which you live, having clean water is essential to good health, good hygiene, sanitation, and the prevention of diseases as well as death.  Since bacteria in water can't be seen it can't be avoided.  Although there is harmless bacteria as well as deadly bacteria, the lack of a good water system means each glass of dirty drinking water is a potential killer.  With out clean water, children are susceptible to diseases due to their immature immune system, adults don't have energy to work, those affected by waterborne illnesses can spread diseases to others, those caring for the sick can't produce income, and money meant to be spent on other necessities must be spent on medicine.  Thus, having unhealthy water negatively affects the entire community. 

In Africa, one of the greatest causes of poverty is the lack of access to clean drinking water.  The people there can't grow food, build housing, stay healthy, stay in school, or keep working.  Without clean water, the possibility of breaking out of the cycle of poverty is very slim.  Many members of the village have to walk miles away from their village to gather clean water.  Once gathered they must carry 40 to 70 pounds of water 3 hours every day.  Imagine how devastating the outcome will be when those people become physically unable to take that long journey on a daily basis?

Personal childbirthing experience

The childbirthing experience I chose to discuss is that of my oldest son.  I chose this example because it was my first experience and the most frightening one as well.  I went to the hospital for a routine visit the same day my son was due.  My doctor informed me that I had only dialated 1cm and it was not time for me to deliver him.  Well I informed the doctor that I was tired of being pregnant and I wasn't leaving the hospitall without my baby in my arms.  I was told that I would more than likely have to have a c-section.  I was in agreement with that because I was ready for my son to be born.  I was admitted into the hospital and my labor was induced.  Because of my low blood cell count I was not able to have any pain medication.  Actually, the contractions were discomforting but certainly not unbearable.  I was extremely proud of myself. I survived 12 hours of pain, but gave birth to a healthy 7lb 11oz most handsome child you ever wanna see.  The funny part was that I had only dialated 1cm when admitted and told I would have to have a c-section because I probably wouldn't dialate 10cm; my son popped out while I was only 8cm.  Yep, 8 stitches!!!!My thoughts regarding birth are that it isn't as hard or painful as people told me.....obviously, I have had two more and considering a fourth. My husband (no ex) was present during the birth of my son.  I learned that in Canada and many European countries that giving birth is considered a "female event" and husbands are not allowed to participate.  The insight I gained from the comparison is that women in Canada and many European countries should in a sense feel belittled.  Its ok for "both" male and female to engage in sexual activities to create the baby, but the woman has to endure the pain and experience the event alone? Wow!!!!!!!!!!

Ideals significant to me

To appreciate the vulnerability of children and their dependence on adults:  This is meaningful to me because early childhood is a very critical time for young children.  Early childhood professionals have the opportunity to mold the children into life-long learners because they are so eager to gain information.  They are like little sponges absorbing all they can from adults.  I educate teachers to nurture and appreciate their vulnerability, to be a positive role model at all times, and to fill them with as much knowledge as they possibly can.

To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and respect their dignity and contributions:  This is significant to my professional life because this is exactly what I teach other early childhood professionals.  During my mentoring process I supply the teacher with the necessary materials required to foster the children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development.  I provide furniture and rearrange the classroom for a better flow,  more functionality, and promote independence of the children.  All commercial materials such as posters and calendars are removed from the classroom and replaced with work done by the children.  All work displayed on cabinets, backs of shelves, and walls is created by the children.  Allowing the children to do this gives them a sense of accomplishment to see what they have constructed being showcased throughout the classroom. 

To become familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care and education and to stay informed through continuing education and training:  This is meaningful to me because I believe in “each one teach one”.  It’s true that the more you know the further you will go.  Increasing your knowledge is very important because individuals are always conducting research and new developments are constantly being made in the field of early childhood education.  Attending trainings is also beneficial for networking purposes.  Teachers can collaborate and share new ideas among themselves.