Thank you for another great semester!

You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing. What! Is it nothing to be happy? Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long? Never in his life will he be so busy again. ~Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, 1762

 I thought this quote was so true. We worry so much about our children's future, and how they will be doing in school, and what will they be when they grow up, that we forget to just enjoy them now, in the moment. I think we could learn so much from children, especially to live life in the moment. I know my son reminds me of that every day.

 Thank you to everyone in this class! It was a joy reading your discussions and interacting with all of you. I look forward to continuing our journey together!



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Assessing Children

I was actually talking to a friend of mine, who has a ten year old. He was going through so much stress because of a test he had to take and pass in order to make it through to the next grade. Personally, I don't remember having to take any kind of test like that, at least not until high school. I think giving children at such a young age, these kind of tests, do not really help to assess where they are at. All it does is stress them out. Some people are just bad test takers. Yet if they fail, then they are not allowed to go to the next grade.

I do understand the reason for some assessment tests. Yet I only believe these tests should be only used to figure out where the child is academically, and how they can be helped, if they need it.

I looked at the German school system to see how they assess children. All children go to the same type of school, until the age of 10. At the age of 10, they are assessed to determine which one of four different tracks they will go into. Each track then determines where they will go from there, whether to a university or a trade school.

I think there is too much pressure on school aged children, especially at such a young age. Also, I wonder if parents sometimes put too much pressure on their kids to do exceptionally well, so they do better in assessments. Doing these types of tests do not necessarily do a good job of assessing the child as a whole.

http://library.thinkquest.org/26576/schoolpage.htm

Nutrition/malnutrition in infants/toddlers

I chose this topic because I think nutrition is such a vital part of a child's growth and development. I feel in this country, we have children, to include toddlers, that are already obese because of the lack of proper nutrition and diet in the home. Around the world, children are not developing properly because of malnutrition. No child (or any person for that matter) should be out there starving. It's a shame when we have one country where children are obese because of all the food that they consume, while others are going hungry and can't even get the bare minimum.

According to the world food program, 65 percent of the world's hungry live in only seven countries: India, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia. Also, hunger kills more people than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. I'm not sure how to even begin to try and change these numbers. Volunteering and donating can be a big help, but still will not make the huge difference it needs to. How can we stop children from starving, especially in the developing countries?

http://www.wfp.org/hunger/stats

My Birthing Experience

I'm choosing to write about when I gave birth to my son, because it was just a couple years ago, and that is my only experience about giving birth! I remember being in labor for quite a while, about 12 hours. I had my own labor room, and afterwards, we were in a 2 person room in the hospital. I was able to use a ball and a tub to try and help with the labor pains. My midwife helped me stick to my birthing plan as much as possible. I had to push for about 2-2.5 hours.

Overall, considering it was my first child, my pregnancy and birth was good. I do think that birth has an impact on child development. For one, if something goes physically wrong, then that right there could affect physical development. I have a friend who thinks her daughter seems angry all the time, and she told she wonders if it is because she herself was so stressed during pregnancy and while giving birth. So things that we may not think would affect a child at such a young age, may have more of an impact than we thought. So it's important to keep in mind all the decisions we make, because it could affect our children in more ways than we realize.


I looked into the birthing experience in Turkey. I was surprised at some of the things that they did in the past: Unfastening the woman’s hair, Opening locked doors, chests and windows, Feeding birds, A woman who had earlier had an easy labor would rub the back of the pregnant woman, Shooting in the air, Putting the woman on someone’s back and shaking her, Making the woman jump down from a high place, Making the woman lie down on a piece of cloth and rocking her. Now, they do the same thing that we do in the US. Women give birth at a hospital; for those in remote areas, licensed mid-wives help those pregnant give birth. I couldn't find much information about how the hospitals are in regards to giving birth. However, on one website it was stated that there are a few cities that have new, modern hospitals, that are up to date and have international accreditation. But there are still others where it is recommended that the pregnant woman be evacuated to another hospital when it's time to give birth. http://www.turkishculture.org/lifestyles/ceremonies/birth/birth-traditions-216.htm?type=1 http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1046.html#medical

Thank you!!

Thank you to all my classmates!  Good luck in your future classes, and I look forward to working with you again, and keeping in touch through the blogs!




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Ethics and Guidelines

We shall demonstrate our respect and concern for children, families, colleagues, and others with
whom we work, honoring their beliefs, values, customs, languages, and culture. (Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/63694/CRS-CW-5364583/educ6005_readings/dec_codeofethics.pdf).

To work through education, research, and advocacy toward an environmentally safe world in
which all children receive health care, food, and shelter; are nurtured; and live free from violence in
their home and their communities.  (Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/63694/CRS-CW-5364583/educ6005_readings/naeyc_codeofethicspdf.pdf).

To develop relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with the families we serve.  (Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/63694/CRS-CW-5364583/educ6005_readings/naeyc_codeofethicspdf.pdf).

Let's Move!

I just thought this was a great website.  I'm going to look at ways I can get involved with this.  Matthew is a little chubby, but still young, but I want to make sure he knows how to stay healthy!  And I need to as well.

http://www.letsmove.gov/