CHILDREN ARE GOD'S GIFT!
It's my birthday!!

I woke up this morning and it was 6:19 OMG!! Normally, am up by 5:45. I like to get up in the mornings and fix Neville breakfast, fix his lunch and sit with him and chat a little before he leaves at 6:30 or so. So you can just imagine how shocked I was that my alarm didn't go off and no one woke up on time!! I hurried to the kitchen and what a surprise I got! Now, I went to bed at about 1:10 and I was the only up, yet when I got to the kitchen, there was a cake that says" Mom Happy 55th Birthday!! Our children are truly God's gift, they may not be perfect in our eyes but we should remember that if we train them right, when they are older they will not depart from it. StaceyAnn McFarlane, got up when she was sure I was asleep and made and decorated a cake, made dad's lunch and cleaned up the kitchen.. Thanks Stacey, you really made my morning beautiful!! Lets see what's up but if nothing else I am truly blessed and am happy (hubby was in on it )

                                      Three of our four

MY SUPPORTS

When I think of support, I think of my connections, my family, friends and acquaintances. These are the people who I talk to, laugh with, disagree about issues and join forces with for a cause that is of benefit to someone’s need. However, I am most thankful for my greatest support, my husband who is my rock. He inspires me to think that I can do, endure, create and withstand anything that I need to. He taught me to believe in myself and value my own opinions. He is very patient and understanding and it helps that we are both studying at the same time. He helps without complaining and is always calling me where ever he is, checking if all is well and if I am on top of my school work. I have grown from doubtful and fearful to brave and strong because of his encouragement, I truly appreciate him.

Then there is my daughter, who is my big fan, she supports me in things that are challenging for me, for example, technology stuff that I declare I do not want to learn about, she holds my hand and guide me through. She is the ear that listens when I need to speak without interruption, I vent until am dry and is ready to take another try. She would always ask if I am feeling better. She encourages me to be myself and to take on any project that I feel I need to do and just do it. Everyone else in my circles calls on me for help support, advice, prayer, home remedies and parenting tips, just to name a few of the areas that I am called upon as resource person.

If I did not have my husband and my daughter as my daily support, it would be very difficult to cope and to make sense of my life and to find purpose in what I do. I would not have been able to face the challenges that I do without them by my side. I would have given up on my dream and not further my studies, I would be a very unhappy person who would not be able to encourage others and discovering that I am gifted in doing so, I am grateful for my husband and daughter and I always let them know.  

The challenge that I would not like to have to face without my supports is the loss of a loved one. When this happens, and it has happen to me over and again, it feels like something knocked the wind out of you and you are floating away effortlessly. That is the time when support is most needed, not just the few days but months after, when everything reminds you of the one gone. A song on the radio, a favorite food, a trip to the grocery store or a neighborhood event. Even relative coming to visit can be trying if there is no support after they are gone.

There is a song by Dennis Brown (1969),that begins with the verse “No man is an island, no man stands alone, each man’s joy is joy to me, each man’s grief is my own……each man as my brother, each man as my friend”. I think that is what support really means, that we all need someone to lean on, everyone needs support.

MY CONNECTIONS TO PLAY








Essential play items when I was young:
1.Friends



2.Dolls                                                              



3. A bat and Ball (very versatile items)

Childhood connections

When I was growing up, play was a natural part of life for children and adults alike, it was in our daily routine. During summer vacation, adults would sit outside under a tree and watch us as we play games such as cricket, marbles, hopscotch, jacks, market, just to name a few. They would cheer us on and often times join in, while others kept scores or played dominoes while they commentate. Play was a community affair, and an important part of our culture, it was how we practiced to become adults

 Play was sometimes even more important than our meals and that was normal. I remember times when we were engaged in a game of dandy shandy or baseball (rounders) and no one thought of food. So it was with any kind of play, we lived to play as it was the most important activity to us as kids. When we were doing our chores, we involved play and then it did not seem like work at all. For example, when we were cleaning the floor, which was pure wood, we would sing songs and make extra sounds with the cleaning brush as we danced, it was beautiful and motivating.

Play today seems very different, the activities are not the same and the benefits are very limited. When we played as children, we were boisterous, noisy and sweaty, we used up a lot of energy. We learned skills that built our creative ability and sharpened our thinking, we were very confident because we made choices and enjoyed the outcomes. Almon (2002) says about play that, “It allows them to digest life and make it their own. It is an outlet for the fullness of their creativity, and it is an absolutely critical part of their childhood”. We were not familiar with the word stress. We did not sit for long periods of time except during church or school lessons so obesity was a foreign word to us. We played hard and slept hard and was ready to go again the next day. We made great friendships and lost some to a game or two, we made up with some and moved on with others, remembering the great times we spent together.

My three year old nephew (now 10) stayed in my care for a year, I taught him and gave him recess time. He was so excited about recess that he said he wanted to attend my school so he can have recess because it was fun. The activities that young children are engaged in is either sitting with a hand held electronic game. Their fingers, mostly their thumbs, do all the activities or the computer mouse does the clicking while they sit and eat. The children do not spend free time outdoors socializing and learning with each other. If they are outside playing, its instructor directed and formally scheduled. It is not a spontaneous choice decided by children who just want to have some fun.

Our attitudes and abilities that we display as adults can be traced back to the days when we were young children. The games and the roles we liked when we played, are mirrored in the way we function as adults. As children, we played with others and developed our social skills and creativity, flexibility and patience. We lead, cared, shared, bargained, some stole, fought, followed and made decisions as we role played the adults around us. However we learned to think, decide and function as children, is typically the way we operate as adults in our lives today.We probably still “play” in the same manner today, unless we experienced something different and by whatever means, changed for the better.

Reference

Almon, K. (2002). The vital role of play in early childhood education. Gateways, 43. Retrieved from http://www.waldorfresearchinstitute.org/pdf/BAPlayAlmon.pdf

Relationship Reflection

Relationship Reflection

A relationship is a connection between two or more, people in this case. There are different types of relationships that we will encounter throughout our lives, from birth until we leave this life. The first is that between us and our parents, then siblings and into extended family. These early relationships is the foundation of our social skills/ connections and other behaviors that are formed in us, and stay with us throughout our lifetime. What we learn here, from that which is modeled before us, good or bad, will affect those relationships with siblings, friends, romantic relationships, colleagues, neighbors and those later in life.

Relationships are important to me because they are the building blocks for love, companionship, trust, emotions, purpose, usefulness and support. They give me a sense of belonging and boost my self-esteem. It is fulfilling to me when I am able to listen to someone who need an ear, or is able to give an encouraging word when it is needed. I like to be “there” when am needed and I like to know that there are people that I can call on, talk to, laugh or cry with, give to or get help from or just hang out or share with at any time.

The first relationship that I held dear to me was with my oldest brother, he was three years older than I am. Along with my older cousin, we were the only children in the house, Tony was (he passed a few years ago) my big brother and he was my hero. I would follow him around everywhere he went until sometimes he became annoyed with me. He took care of me, I knew he loved me because if I were in trouble with our grandmother, he would ask her not to punish me. When she asked if he will take the punishment for me, he said no but asked her to make it a little one, for that I loved him more. My grandparents who raised me were very important to me as they taught me values and morals, they set examples and gave me the guidance that shaped my character and set the tone for me in becoming who I am today. The relationships with my Sunday school and regular school teachers, also the members of the community in which I was raised played a significant role in who I am today. In that culture we truly lived by the old saying, “it takes a village to raise a child”.

A few people that I would like to mention with whom I have positive relationships are: My husband Neville who is my best friend, my human rock, all-time support in all things, my love and confidant. He always let me feel that I can do anything, always letting me know that I am appreciated. He stands by me whatever the circumstance and never gets frustrated, he never thinks that I fail but always say, “Take a break and try again” or “it is not that important”

My Daughter Staceyann is very special to me for many reasons, she is my daughter and that’s enough! However, of great value to me is the strong support we are for each other.

Even though I bonded with my dad in my late teens, we have built a strong relationship talk with him every day because I believe that it is important to stay connected this moment is all we have.

One of the most precious relationships that I have entered into recently is the one with my new granddaughter Hannah. She is two months old and the joy of our lives, I have the privilege of caring for her on a daily basis and it is amazing. This is one relationship that is priceless to me and it could not have happened at a better time. I am studying about child development and get to see it all come alive before my very eyes.

   There are many challenges that we face when entering into new relationships and another thing to survive and maintain these relationships. Some relationships are momentary, we connect with people in different circumstances for different and varied reasons. We sometimes want relationships that we cannot have because they may be the opposite to our value or belief systems. They may be out of our reach geographically or socially incompatible, but whatever the reason, we have to make a decision. People come into relationships with their expectations of the other. Also a preconceived idea of what the relationship is going to be, not taking into consideration that the other party or parties may also have their idea of what they want out of this relationship. Yes we are looking for what we want in a relationship, but we have to be able to communicate that fairly and be willing to reach a compromise in some things for it to work. We must have well developed communication skills or be willing to acquire them for the sake of growing and building workable relationships.

The special characteristics I see in relationships that make them work are; truth, forgiveness, patience, giving, unconditional love, compromise, humility, good listening and communication skills, a heart for fun and spontaneity and wisdom to read between the lines.

I believe that my years of experiences in various types of relationships, trial and error included, has taught me that I do not know everything. I have come to realize that the more I learn, the more I should seek to learn so that I will have a wealth of knowledge and capability to make insightful, inspiring contributions to the families I serve. I will also be a resourceful and effective professional that will impact families, colleagues and other professionals, in the early childhood field.

                                          My husband

                      My daughter

 Family time

 My dad

My Hannah

Good friends

Family

QUOTES ABOUT CHILDREN- Week 8

If a child is given love, he becomes loving ... If he's helped when he needs help, he becomes helpful. And if he has been truly valued at home ... he grows up secure enough to look beyond himself to the welfare of others.

DR. JOYCE BROTHERS, Good Housekeeping, Aug. 2010

Read more at http://www.notable-quotes.com/c/children_quotes.html#wOpwOKBu8DAj4usp.99

I have found this write up about who children are and I thought it was good: 

Children are:
Amazing............acknowledge them
Believable.........trust them
Childlike............allow them
Divine...............honor them
Energetic..........nourish them
Fallible..............embrace them
Gifts.................treasure them
Here now.........be with them
Innocent...........delight with them
Joyful................appreciate them
Kindhearted......learn from them
Loveable..........cherish them
Magical.............fly with them
Noble................esteem them
Open minded.....respect them
Precious............value them
Questioners.......encourage them
Resourceful.......support them
Spontaneous.....enjoy them
Talented............believe in them
Unique...............affirm them
Vulnerable.........protect them
Whole................recognize them
Xtraspecial.........celebrate them
Yearning.............notice them
Zany...................laugh with them






http://www.alaboon.com/children_are.htm

Week 6 - Testing Children's Intelligence

There are many structured tests that are administered to children, used to measure their minds. Some of the popular ones are; aptitude, IQ and achievement test, which measure different aspects of one child abilities and capabilities. I believe in the whole child evaluation, I do not believe that standardized test do justice to any child. It does not look at all the strengths of the child and therefore is not a true assessment of a child’s abilities. Every child is different and therefore have different strengths and weaknesses and should be tested to discover such. A child’s ability has multiple dimensions and they should be assessed with that in mind.

Testing may vary according to culture and ethnicity, based on practices and beliefs. There is a scenario cited by Berger (2012, p.335) where the professor, as a child, missed school for a week, when a new concept was introduced, and he had a hard time catching up. His mom was convinced that it was because of heredity that he would not do well at math. Berger (2012) continued to say that Nisbett gathered evidence that a child’s IQ can be raised substantially by a collaboration of parents, school and cultures. I believe that the same can also remain dormant by the same elements, based on beliefs and practices.

The use of unstructured tests such as interviews, observations and interactions with the child will better able show the true potential of some children. In this way their true needs will be revealed and then they will be able to receive the help that they need. There are professional therapists, psychologists or learning specialists with a background in educational environments, who are trained to perform these kind of assessments. These can then be evaluated by individual professionals, who interprets and makes recommendations, according to the nature of the observations.

Jamaica’s children and testing:
Children in Jamaica are faced with four different test at the primary level, this takes place over a period of six years. These four major tests are held at the first, third, fourth and sixth grades. All schools are directed by the Ministry of Education to administer the Grade One Individual Learning Profile (GOILP), the Grade Three Diagnostic Test, the Grade Four Literacy Test and the Grade Six Achievement test GSAT). Parents are sometimes concerned with the volume of tests and compares it with earlier times when the common entrance test was the only one at that level,it was an achievement text. Back then,this was the test that tells if you would enter a traditional high school (THS) or a new secondary school. The THS was where the "bright" children went, the "others" went to secondary school. The trend now is the comparison and therefore competitiveness of the schools, taking away the usual team spirit of communities.
                                                                      
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/pages/top-schools

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120425/lead/lead9.html

Berger, K. S. (2012). The developing person through childhood (6th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Urban Jamaican Children’s Exposure to Community Violence.

The country for which I have a special affinity is Jamaica, West Indies. I have chosen to look into Violence as a stressor that impact the development of children in this country. Research was done by the West Indian Medical Journal on Here is an abstract from the research:

Exposure to violence in childhood is associated with aggression in adulthood. The high level of community violence in Jamaica is likely to expose Jamaican children to violence. There has been no detailed study of the exposure of Jamaican children to violence in their daily lives. Some 1674 urban 11-12-year-old children, previously part of a national birth cohort study, completed a questionnaire detailing their exposure to violence as witnesses, victims and aggressors. Their parents completed a socio-economic questionnaire. Jamaican children had high levels of exposure to physical violence. A quarter of the children had witnessed severe acts of physical violence such as robbery, shooting and gang wars, a fifth had been victims of serious threats or robbery and one in every twelve had been stabbed. Children reported being least exposed to sexual violence and to being shot at. Robbery was an almost universal experience affecting children from all schools and socio-economic groups. The single commonest experience as a victim of violence was the loss of a family member or close friend to murder, affecting 36.8% of children. Children's experiences of witnessing violence occurred chiefly in their communities but their personal experiences of violence occurred at school. Boys and children attending primary school had greater exposure to violence as witnesses and victims. Socio-economic status discriminated exposure to physical violence as witnesses but not as victims. Intervention strategies to reduce children's exposure to violence should include community education on the impact of exposure to violence on children, particularly the loss of a significant person, and the development of a range of school-based violence prevention programmes. (West Indian med. j. vol.61 no.4 Mona July 2012)

Take a moment and watch this video below, to hear some of the steps that are being taken to reduce violence and its effects on children.

http://televisionjamaica.com/Programmes/SmileJamaica.aspx/Videos/17840