National Head Start Association

I chose to focus on the National Head Start Association website.  Their web address is http://www.nhsa.org/  The focus of this website is to offer conferences, professional development, and other services to it's members.  It also provides news and ways to become an advocate for Head Start. 

I was reading through the blog on the website and parents were posting about how they loved the Head Start program.  One parent's story caught my attention.  She was concerned because her daughter was not talking, only mumbled, and the doctor said it was normal.  When she sent her daughter to headstart, they discovered that the daughter was deaf in one ear.  She had to have surgery and did speech therapy through headstart for two years.  When her daughter started kindergarten, she was talking, could be understood, and was doing great.  Had the child not gotten enrolled in headstart, she would have started kindergarten and nobody would have known anything was wrong until it was too late.  This story really caught my attention because being in the early childhood field, we observe these things and have all kinds of opportunities to help children and families.  I enjoyed reading all of the success stories on this website.

Expanding Resources

Establishing contacts with professionals in other countries sounds like a great idea.  It is a good way to expand our resources.  However, I have found it very difficult to locate and communicate with people from other countries.  Most of my emails have came back to me, thinking it is spam.  I was able to communicate with Mrs. Carmin Lica from Romania.  She is in involved with Step by Step Centre for Education and Professional Development.  I also made contact with Kate Yocum.  She used to teach education in Finland, but now lives in the United States.  I sent an email to Mrs. Eva-Hammes-Di Bernardo of the German National Committe for Early Childhood Education in Germany.  I am still waiting to hear back from her.  This assignment was really tough.  I am hoping that I do not have to pick the alternate option.

The website I decided to look at was the National Headstart Association.  I choose this website because I work for headstart and thought it could help me on my job.  The website is very imformative.  It has all kinds of opportunities for workshops and conferences.  I believe this website is a very good one.  The link is http://www.nhsa.org/

My Supports

There are many different types of supports. These can include: emotional, physical, finanical, social, and academic support. My husband gives me support from all of these areas.  My husband is a wonderful support for me.  He supports me by always being there for me emotionally, helping out with household chores, and taking care of our children when needed so I am able to focus on school.  My husband always encourages me to do my best with my schoolwork.  We are a team and I could not do this without him and his support.  I also have a huge support system with my mother.  She helps out by watching my children and always being there for me.  I am very blessed to have my husband and mother in life and to have them help and support me so much.  It would be very difficult without these supports.  I don't think I would be able to go back to school or buy my children things that they need.  I would probably have to work two jobs or live in a very tiny house or apartment if I did not have my husband.  His supports is what I need on a daily basis to keep me motivated to keep pushing on when times are tough.

I often think of the challenges that children and adults face when they are bound to a wheelchair.  They need all kinds of support from others for their daily living.  If I found myself suddenly having to be in a wheelchair I think it would be difficult.  I would need a lot of emotional support.  It would be hard watching everyone else walk or run and knowing that I can no longer do those things.  I'm sure there would be times that I would need someone's shoulder to cry on or to complain and vent my anger with.  I would need physical support.  I would not be able to drive myself places so I would need support there.  I would also need someone helping me around the house doing everyday tasks that would not longer be easy for me.  Finding a decent paying job may be difficult so I would need financial support.  I also would need help with my children.  I have two very young sons and would need help raising them.  I think being in a wheelchair would be very challenging and difficult for me.

Connections to play

My "connections to play" post can be found under the page titled "My Connections to Play."

Relationship Relfection

Having a positive relationship with family and friends is very important.  We need to have strong relationships so we always have someone we can depend on to be there for us.  I have a very strong relationship with my family.  My husband and two sons are so important to me.  My husband is very supportive of everything that I do.  I also have a very close relationship to my mother.  She always helps me in any way that she can and is also supportive of me. 

My relationship with my mother with a very positive one.  She raised me, mostly by herself, when I was younger and growing up.  She worked very hard to raise me in the right way and teach me right from wrong.  She always put me and my needs before her own.  I feel like she is my best friend. 

My relationship with my husband is also a positive one.  We were drawn to each other from the moment we met.  We became very close and had a lot of the same interests.  We became friends first and stayed friends for a few months.  I believe this helped our relationship because we really got to know each other before we got married. 

I believe I have the best children ever.  My sons are 3 and 1.  My relionship with my oldest can be hard at times.  My son was recently diagnosed with sensory processing disorder.  We have a lot of challenges, but we continue to work through them and each day I feel our relionship grows stronger.  My youngest son is a mommy's boy.  He is attached to my hip at all times.

It is difficult to maintain a positive relationship at all times.  There are struggles and disagreements from time to time.  Each person has to figure out ways to deal with issues and work through them.  This is the only want to maintain the relationship.  Talking and trying to work things out is a must.

My husband and I have a great relationship and I feel that are partners when it comes to raising our children.  I believe that all parents should have a partnership when it comes to raising their children.  Whether they are together or not, they must be partners when it comes to their children.  This is what is best for the child.

I hope that I can be a positive influence to the families of the children that I work with.  By having so many positive relationships in my own life, I hope that I can mentor and help build stronger relationships. 

Quotes & Thanks

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. ~Stacia Tauscher


You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance. ~Franklin P. Jones


Children make your life important. ~Erma Bombeck
Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity. ~Kay Redfield Jamison

I would also like to say thank you to all of my classmates in this course.  Thank you for responding to my blogs and sharing your opinions and ideas.  I hope we can continue to communicate through our blogs and learn from each other.  I would personally like to thank the following:

Althea Richardson       http://alirich2401.blogspot.com/
April Darringer            http://addarringer.blogspot.com/
Kisha Hawthorn           https://kshhawthorne.wordpress.com
Melanie Balakirsky      http://melaniebalakirsky.wordpress.com/
Giavanna Whooper      http://ladygiavanna.blogspot.com/
ShaKeema Solomon     http://shakeemasecsb.blogspot.com/
Roslyn Brooks              http://rozecs.blogspot.com

Testing for Intelligence

Viewing children holistically is a great way to get to know the whole child.  It is also a great way to assess children.  It allows teachers to assess so many different skills, not just the academic skills.  They are able to assess fine motor skills, gross motor skills, language development, social skills, and the environment in which they live.  What I think should be assessed is all the skills combined.  I believe through play, observations, one-on-one time with the child, and speaking with families about the child are ways that we can measure and assess a child’s social and academic achievements.  Assessing the whole child is more than just focusing on academics.  Young children learn best through play and they can comprehend more than people realize. 

Young children in Sweden are assessed through observations.  “Swedish preschools are now part of a strong culture of assessment. Young children’s development and learning is documented through tests and measurement, and is assessed using a variety of diagnostic tools”(Arpi, T., 2011).  They assess numerous skills and do not place as much importance on the academic skills as they do social skills.

References

Arpi, T.  2011.  Early pedagogical assessment of young children at preschool.  Retrieved at:  http://www.ufn.gu.se/english/News/newsdetail//early-pedagogical-assessment-of-young-children-at-preschool-.cid1040399

Stress on Children's Development

There are so many different things that can place stress on a child.  Abuse is something that our country deals with on a daily basis.  I have a first-hands experience dealing with abuse.  When I was growing up, my dad was very abusive towards my mom.  Mostly, it was mental abuse but it became physical a few times.  The last three years before they finally got divorced was really bad.  They would fight all the time and my dad was really mean to my mom.  I witnessed everything.  I was 13 when they finally got divorced.  That was 16 years ago.  The violence that I witnessed put a stress on me.  I never wanted to go home from school.  I was always worried when I had friends over that my dad would do something in front of them and I never told anyone what was going on.  I wanted to disappear and pretend that it wasn't happening.  I wanted everyone to believe my life was good and that my family was wonderful.  I was affected by it though.  Even today, with my husband and children, I will catch myself snapping at times without realizing it.  At times when I am mad, I catch myself wanting to break something or throw things.  I have to remind myself to calm down and that I do not want my children going through what I went through.  It is a struggle at times.  My marriage has been affected by my childhood.  So many children experience that type of abuse and even worse than what I went through.  As a teacher, it is my job to watch for the signs of abuse and make sure the children know that they are loved.  I want them to know they can talk to me if something is going on.  I never talked to my teachers and sometimes I wish that I had talked to someone.  I want my students to know that it is not their fault and to get them help.  Abuse affects every part of their development.  I believe it is happening in every part of our country today.

Beating of children is a widely accepted and sanctioned practice in Nigeria culture. It is used as a way of instilling, discipline in a child. (CWRIN, 2001; WRM, 1998), it is therefore a usual practice in most home, and is used frequently as a mode of discipline for any offence even if it is trivial or grievous.  It is very common for the children in part of the world to experience abuse.  It is a way of life there.There are a few things that can be done to help prevent child abuse in Nigeria.  One of the things that can be done is giving women more freedom and power.  Everyone should make efforts to support family values.  Everyone effort should be made to adopt or foster these children.  These are just a few of the ways to help solve the problem of child abuse in Nigeria.

References
Children’s and women’s Right in Nigeria (2001). A wake up call. Situation Analysis (Eds). Anthony Hides. National Planning Commission Abuja & UNICEF Nigeria.
Women Right Monitor (1998) child labour; A new dimension to the Malaise. (Eds) Nwogu S. and Enwerem G.H. Journal of women justice Programme 1(13) 11-15.

Child Development and Public Health

I have chosen to write about the topic of immunizations.   From the time babies are born, parents have the options of giving them immunization shots to protect the infant and child from harmful diseases that, in the past, killed hundreds.  "Immunization protects children not only from diseases but also from serious complications, including deafness, blindness, sterility, and meningitis" (Berger, 2009).  Children have to have immunizations and be-up-to date on their shots in order to start public schools.  Immunizations has become a hot topic lately with parents blaming immunizations for causing autism and other problems in their children.  "Many parents are concerned about potential side effects of vaccinations.  For example, in recent years many parents were almared by reports that the MMR vaccine caused autism, but that hypothesis has been repeatedly disproved" (Berger, 2009).  I believe the greater risk is by not vaccinating your child.  In the United States we have the option and opportunity to protect our children from these harmful, deadly diseases and complications.

In other parts of the world, children are not as lucky.  "More than 1 million children in developing nations die each year bcause effective vaccines against AIDS, malaria, cholera, typhoid, and shigellosis are not yet ready for widespread use (Russell, 2002).  Another 2 million to 3 million die each year from diphtheria, tetanus, and measles because they have not been immunized against those diseases (Mahmoud, 2004).  100,000 children in India died in 2005 from meales alone (Dugger, 2006).  I feel very lucky to live in a country where I can protect myself and my children from these diseases.  I wish there was more we could do to offer help and aid to these developing countries.  It breaks my heart to know that so many children die each other because they are not protected from the diseases. 

References

Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Dugger, C. W.  (2006).  Mothers of Nepal vanquish a killer of children.  New York times, pp. A1, A16.

Russell, M.  (2002).  South Korea: Institute helps spread use of vaccines in Asia.  Science, 295, 611-612.

My Childbirth Experience

My experience giving birth to my second son felt like a roller coaster ride.  There was not a dull moment during the entire thing.  My due date was September 11.  It was August and I had already tried to go into labor twice.  The second time the doctors stopped the labor and sent me home on full bedrest.  Two days later, on August 12, my water broke.  It was 5:30pm.  My husband was at work 45 minutes away.  Our hospital was 90 minutes away.  My husband rushed home and around 6:30 we headed for the hospital.  On the drive to the hospital the contractions started and I thought I was dying.  When I had my first son I had an epidural before the contractions got too bad.  I had not felt much with him.  But this time I was feeling it and all I could think about was getting to the hospital and getting an epidural.  I was also scared before I knew from an ultrasound earlier that week that my baby was already over 8lbs.  My doctor had decided that I would have a C-Section with this baby.  I was very scared about that since my other son had been born vaginally.  We got to the hospital around 8pm.  I could barely walk and in tears from the pain.  The nurse got me settled in a bed and checked me.  I was dialated to a 6.  I couldn't believe I had dialated that quickly.  I asked again for an epidural.  I was told as soon as they got me upstairs to the labor and delivery floor I could have some pain medicine.  On the ride up the elevator I felt the need to push and the nurse told me there was no way I could be ready to push.  I was only at a 6.  When we got into a room I demanded that they check me again.  They did and I was at a 9.  This was all within 15 minutes.  I knew then that I wouldn't be getting an epidural and I was even more scared.  I do not like pain.  I had gotten an epidural with my 1st son when I got dialated to a 4.  I knew this would not be good.  There was no time for an epidural, no time for a C-Section, and I was about to have a big baby.  It was happening so fast I didn't have time to think much about it.  My doctor happened to be at the hospital on call and he rushed in.  I don't remember a lot about the events of having him because it all happened so fast.  I do remember the pain.  It was awful but I knew that I had to do it.  I remember several nurses coming in waiting and I was told that since my baby was premature that he would probably have to go to the NICU after he was born.  During the delivery, my son got stuck in the birth canal and the cord was wrapped around his neck.  My doctor had to jerk and pull to get him out.  When he came out, he was not crying and he was blue and bruised from head to toe.  My husband and my mother was in the room and they both later told me that they thought he was dead.  I don't rememer much about it other than my baby wasn't crying.  It didn't sink in at first that the baby wasn't placed on my belly immediately or that my husband didn't cut the cord.  I remember asking is he ok and all my husband and mom would tell me was that they were working on him.  They got my son breathing and soon he cried softly.  They put him next to me briefly so I could see him, then he was rushed away to the NICU.  He was born at 9:22pm and weighed 9lbs, 2oz, and 21 inches long.  All of this happened in four hours.  I am still uncertain if he was truely premature or if my due date was wrong.  He spent two weeks in the NICU.  He just recently turned 1 and is still doing great.  I picked to write about my son's birth because it was an experience that I will never forget.  I never dreamed that I would have a baby, let alone a 9lber, without any drugs.  I still worry about my son's development because he had problems when was born.  He is thriving and meeting all of the developmental goals so I think he will be ok.

I have decided to compare my childbirth experience to the women in Central Africa.  In developed countries 99% of women receive prenatal care and are attended by skilled health personnel during labor. In Burundi only 25% of births are attended by skilled health personnel. In Rwanda only 10% of mothers receive adequate prenatal care and only 31% give birth with a skilled attendant (Vanderlaan, J., 2011).  Most of these women in these countries will not deliver in a hospital setting, but will have their babies naturally at home.  I made it to the hospital (barely) with mine but, like these woman, I did not have any pain medication.  Natural childbirth is a way of life for these women.  It was not something that I chose for myself, but I am glad that it happened.  I have the experience of knowing what women in other parts of the world go through.  I have a new respect for these women.

References
Vanderlaan, J.  2011.  Birth in Central Africa.  Retrieved on September 7, 2012 from http://www.birthingnaturally.net/christian/africa/index.html