My Supports

My environment involves going to work and coming home to take care of my family. Where I work helps people on a daily basis. I help people maintain their bills and provide information to the many services available to help those that struggle to pay their bills. The benefit of this is seeing people struggle and not wanting to be in that position myself.
I have a support group, my family. It is important to them that I am happy and becoming an early educator is something that they know I love doing. They know my passion. They are very supportive of what I do and are always encouraging me and asking how things are going with school. My colleagues support my endeavors too. With them encouraging me to reach out and reach up it motivate me to go the extra mile.
My only difficulty is being able to afford my education and trying to keep bread on the table. I’m sure many of us have faced this challenge. I just continue putting God first and asking for continues blessing in everything I do. My life would be very difficult without my God and my family. I continue to pray and do my best. The passion I have inside of me won’t let me quit.
I cannot imaging where I would be without my supports, and you know something,I don't want to know.

"My Connecttion to Play"

Quotes representing play”


A child loves his play, not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard.
Benjamin Spock
American pediatrician
1903–1998



Play is our brain's favorite way of learning.
Diane Ackerman
Contemporary American author


Many children today have video games and cell phones with games on them. Although there are many game to play like board game, on the phone children can play with each other even when they are in their own homes.
Back in the day we had monopoly, scrabbles, and other board games that required you to be in the same room to play and now there’s the electronic phone games that you can play from anywhere in the world. I still like the family and friends board games the old fashion way even though I play a few long distance games myself. Parents need to re-invent family game night and limit cell phone use and video games to encourage children to play and learn. I see the differences in family time and child’s play.

As a child I played outdoors every day after school winter and summer. My friends and me played, talked on the phone and had hours of fun. I played in the dirt, made mud pies, and playing school was one of my most favorite things to do. My mom played with us sometimes and this helps me and my sibling all throughout school. As a parent today my family still plays games and enjoys a lot of family time.





My favorite Play Things

BARBIE TIGHTS

BARBIE

BARBIE SHOES

JACKS -N- BALL

JUMP-ROPE

Relationship Reflection

This is my family.




My oldest son, the one with the dreads is Derrick, 33 will be 34 on September 14th , the other gentle is my younger Desmond son 28 will be 29 on September 20th , my daughter Denise 14, 15 on September 19th. All of my children’s birthdays are in the same week. The other young lady if my daughter –in-law and KaAmyla (Mya) my grandson Adonis 5 and 6 on October 2nd and granddaughter Amari will be celebrating her 2nd birthday on September 20th the same day as her dads.
I have always had and still have a very close and loving relationship with my children. They are my world. I mentioned in my discussion that Desmond is away and that I’m here at he and his wife’s home to help mentally, emotionally, and financially. I intend to be here for at least the next two years and Mya is very grateful. My son has gotten involved in a legal matter and was sentenced today. He knows that I will protect his family and that I am here for him.
I don’t want to go into details let’s just say that I am a loving and supporting parent and grandparent. Whenever my children need me I am there for them. This move will allow me and my daughter-in-law to for an even closer relationship and the value of my presence is greatly appreciated. Although I know there will be disagreements and challenges I support my family and we have an opportunity to develop and even more loving relationship.
I know my grandchildren love me being here because they have come accustom to seeing me on a regular basis. They use to visit every weekend and now I’m here full time. We prepare meals together, go shopping, read, and spend a lot of quality time without the television together. Mya and I have begun to build a partnership in raising the children in the household together, the chores, the grocery list, laundry and all else that comes with family and providing children with a happy, joyous, and respectable relationship. Being in a household with two heads may present some challenges and we will look at the matter (s) as they surface and try to meet with the resolution.
Keeping my personal biases out of the relationship assure a healthy, happy and relationship in building a partnership within the family without outside influences.

REFLECTING ON LEARNING

I don’t need and explanation for what I have become. My most passionate hope for my future is to become a resource for early childhood education. I want to learn all there is to know about early childhood and early childhood education. Teaching young children and families about anti-biases, what is fairness, and social justice will enable me to be a part the future for all children. My passion is to excel in early childhood and grow to become a successful educator and bring value to teaching. I may not have an opportunity to teach all children and I may not be able to meet all family’s needs, but I will put all my learning experiences and knowledge towards being the best early childhood professional I can be. My passion is for the hope of the future, educating one child at a time. I am a teacher and my passion is to teach. I look forward…

My community of practice: my colleagues, my friends, my instructors, and all the early childhood professionals in the world. Those that I have met, those that I will never meet, and those that have paved a way for me to be the person I am today.

This is for all of you who have helped on my journey. I never could have made it without you. May your lives be filled with an abundance of children. May my love for you never cease. I can never measure how I feel and my gratitude will last through eternity. Thank you for being there for me. You will always be a part of me.

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

Impacts on Early Emotional Development
I chose to focus on Nigeria. I have always wanted to visit Africa and other parts of the world. There are many children in Africa that lack in education because they lack things like good nutrition and good health. What I find interesting is that Nigeria has the highest number of malnutrition children in the world. “UNICEF estimates that 1.1 million children are threatened with severe acute malnutrition in the region, which is fuelled by poverty, insecurity and lack of access to clean water.” (Bluesmen, 2012) Many of the residents travel long periods of time to get water just to feed the animals. Children and animals drink the same water and the situation is getting worse.
“Nigeria has one of the highest rates of infant mortality in the world. One in seven children dies before her or his fifth birthday. In response, UNICEF is trying to step up efforts to bring specialist help to the most vulnerable children.”(Boehner, 2012)
Focusing on things that interfere with a child’s emotional development can help us to intervene with obstacles that could hinder that child’s development. Some examples of developmental risk that hinder a child’s growth and development: “children who experience extreme stress are at greater risk for developing cognitive, behavioral and emotional difficulties.” Encouraging children to play and explore helps them learn and develop socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually." (UNICEF, 2012)
“UNICEF strives to improve young children’s capacity to develop and learn, and to ensure that educational environments provide the tools they need to flourish. We want to ensure that no child is at a disadvantage and that all girls and boys can realize their fullest potential, both inside and outside the classroom.” (Boehner, 2012)
As an early childhood educator I will work for the benefit of children here in the United States and all over the world. We’re stomping out hunger one child at a time. Teaching children with varying disabilities is a challenge. I will equip myself with the tools to help all children learn.

“Based on new research and a new understanding of the complete well-being of the child, early child development is increasingly being put on the agenda for children’s rights. Ensuring the healthy cognitive, social and emotional development of young children merits the highest priority of every responsible government, organization, community, family and individual for the sake of raising healthy children worldwide. Reaching children in a holistic manner and incorporating health, nutrition, water and sanitation, education and interventions that support their full development are crucial.” (United Nations Children’s Fund, 2012)

Reference
United Nations Children’s Fund -UNICEF @ http://www.unicef.org/earlychildhood/index_40748.html

The Sexualization of Childhood

What is my reaction to the ideas shared in this reading? I have seen this type of behavior in young girls. We as early childhood professionals have to teach our children to pride themselves in which they are not to exploit themselves. Children do what they see parents and other children do. They repeat what they hear. Forming habits and breaking those habits takes practice on both the parents and the child’s need to be encourage rather than discourage.
In what ways have I observed the sexualization of early childhood in my own personal and professional experiences? I have witnessed many episodes of sexual behavior among young children. Young girls with short dresses and boys with baggie pants hanging so low that they are showing their underwear this has become a new fad. Young girls wearing makeup that make them look like grown women. I have a 14 almost 15 year old daughter who is gorgeous. She tells me she is just not that confident to wear certain clothes. She has been wearing uniform to school since she started and loves to dress cute on the weekends. She now wears lip gloss and tints her eyebrows which I don’t mind because she asked if it was ok before she did it just like she ask me for my permission before she does anything. I love her style and her confidence.
I believe I am raising her the right way and I don’t worry about her doing anything out of her character. She does want to be a model right now but I keep putting it off, at least until she gets a little older. I’m just not ready for her to live that life. Now on the other side there are my grandchildren. My grandson already enjoys looking his best. He wears a tie to school even with a Tee shirt. He has started to bite the edge of his shirt and I see that as a problem in which his parents are trying to detour his actions by constantly reminding him to take his shirt out of his mouth.
What examples have I encountered in store advertisements, television, the Internet, other types of media, and/or other types of environments? Young children and teens dressing in too sexy clothing. Their doing commercials talking about sex, pregnancy, and drugs. Children should be shielded from anything that is not good for them or to them. Appropriate commercial like, Oreos and Hi C, not children hanging at the basketball court smoking pot. I have seen many commercials that I don’t care to watch again because it hurts me to see the negative side of what the message is supposed to be.
The internet is becoming too advanced. Technology has become so “right now” that some of us are afraid to send a “normal” email. The use of technology is far too open. It is too easy to view and post inappropriate activities and behaviors. I do monitor what goes on in my home and I would like to monitor every household that have children. If I could create a system it would allow all parents to monitor all children, not just their own. I would spend every cents I have to keep it up to date. I know that is sounds extreme, but I’m extreme. I am one of those parents that feel like every child in the world is mine.
How might these messages impact children and their healthy development? The impact that some messages send to children is that, It’s ok” ok to do drugs as long as you don’t get caught. Ok to show off you body because someone thinks you’re cute, messages that show the exploitation of children, the drug messages. The negative messages take away from a child’s healthy development. We as early educators can always keep moments teachable. Create a learning environment that children will want to take home. We have to remember that children depend on us as educators, as parents, as early childhood professionals, to give them good guidance so that they grow up healthy and emotionally developed.
Considering the ways that might influence gender identity, what children learn about being a girl or a boy, the expectations children may develop about gender, and other related concerns. I believe that boy and girls should have their own rooms, that they should be properly dressed in the presents of others and themselves. It’s not cute to see a little girl/boy in their underwear or without proper clothing. Teaching them about their personal belongings (body) and the importance of keeping themselves from others is one sure way to learn gender difference. The age in which a child should learn about the gender differences is or should be bases on the family’s readiness.
What can early childhood professionals do to tackle this problem and reduce the negative effects that it has on young children?
I believe that as an early childhood professional that I can teach the children in my classroom that they are important. I need to address issues in an appropriate way. I can tell the parents first about inappropriate behaviors or if I see that a child is not properly dressed for the classroom. As for me to talk to children about sexuality would be use only if it comes up and I will make it a part of the curriculum for that day or plan a lesson around it with the parents present. I know there will be times when issues need to be addressed immediately, and situations may cause for fast action, but I would like for the lessons I teach to be planned.
On page 60 and 61 of the text, it talks about “Creating a culturally consistent and respectful program. “ (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2011) It talks about children and their immediate family and children in their classroom and the differences in ways that they play, sleep, and learn. It is appropriate for a child to sit on a family member’s lap or to sleep in the same bed, but in a learning environment that same ac

tivities would be in appropriate. “A culturally consistent learning environment requires teachers to learn about rules, traditions, and expectations of the families in the program.” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2011, Ch. 5, p. 61)

Reference
Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Educational of Young Children and Ourselves NAEYC.

Children from aroung the world
http://www.featureshoot.com/2013/03/photos-of-children-from-around-the-world-with-their-most-prized-possessions/

Evaluating Impact for Personal Practice

Evaluating impact on personal practice
The consequences I might expect from parents when deciding to either have parent teacher conference or some type of activity where the parents are invited. The consequences I see with the children n is the looks on their faces when the parents don’t show up. Suppose I say that everyone may bring their favorite dish share.” And one child’s parent forgets, didn’t have time or was afraid another parent would criticize their dish. One child does not bring a dish would make that child will feel out of place. The likely hood of that is rare but it does happen, what should I do?
“Young children often respond by becoming competitive about who has the most new toys and certain clothing-creating a hierarchical order of has the better and the lessor. Psychologist have expressed concern not only the children are learning to relate to physical objects, especially toys, in terms of getting and giving instead of using and enjoying but also that children are learning to identify and judge themselves and others in terms of their possessions. (Kline, 1993)
I would upset and worried if a child does not feel like he belongs or feels like they’re “better or lesser” than another child. Children are equal and should be treated the same. No one child should ever be made to feel become emotionally upset or physically violent towards another child. “Children receive messages that material things are proof of love and approval.” (Derman-S [arks & Edwards, 2010) Children receive rewards for good behavior, what should they receive what they throw a tantrum or show disrespect towards others?