My Connections to Play

"It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them."  Leo F. Buscaglia

"Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold."  Joseph Chilton Pearce

"Play has been man's most useful preoccupation."  Frank Caplan

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation."  Plato

"Play is the beginning of knowledge."  Anonymous


The materials that children need to play...



a bucket to share treasures with friends





 

a bucket for all collected treasures....treasures can be sorted, classified, counted and explored



boxes are a great material for children to play with ...they can be used to hide in and can become anything from a house to a car to a robot to a slide
boxes are a great tool for children to use to expand their imaginations and to use for experimentation and exploration

Materials such as tinker toys and legos are great for children because they are open-ended and children can use them to create anything they want.  The containers are also great for play as well.

Train track pieces that can be manipulated and created to become any type of track a child wants it to be are an important tool for a child.  They learn how to put a track to together so it will work and how they can criss-cross the tracks and use bridges and tunnels to create their very own design.



Books are great for children.  Books can be used to learn about many different types of items from trucks and cars to animals and families to pretend adventures.  When children are exposed to books a whole world of adventure and fun is opened for them.  Children who are read to when they are young and are shown the wonderful experience of reading will be more motivated to learn to read as they get older.



Having the opportunities to play outside and explore nature is very important to young children.  Being able to run, climb, swing, jump, chase and have fun are vital to a child's physical development.

Blocks are an important manipulative for children to use when they are young.  Blocks are open-ended toys.  Children can be very creative and imaginative when using blocks to create anything they want.

I've used pictures of my own children to show the types of toys I purchased for them when they were young.  They still play with these types of toys but have also gotten to an age where they want more video games.  I have purchased video games for them but limit the amount of time they may play with them. I want them playing with more open-ended toys, reading books and exploring outside.  I purchased for my children and created the same types of experiences for them that my parents had created for me.  I strive to buy the types of toys my children can use in many different ways, open-ended toys that require them to think, create, imagine and design.  I want them to have many different types of experiences as children because I understand how important it is to develop the whole child.

 In some ways I feel society has made some decisions for parents in regard to physical activity.  For example, in our town children are encouraged to become involved in organized sports at very young ages.  My 7 year old wants to play soccer in the fall and actually has to "try out" to make the team.  I feel that children at that young of an age should be given as many opportunities as they want to try many different types of sports and physical activities.  I do not feel children should have to try out for a sport at such a young age because they will never be able to learn the sport if they are not given the experiences of trying each sport out.  I think that our society has become focused on the wrong things for children in that regard. 

I believe that no matter what your age, you must play to enjoy life.  The people who are out enjoying life, having fun with life, laughing, smiling, giggling and playing are the people who experience less stress, less physical ailments and less health problems.  We all need to play and for children it is a vital part of development.

Relationship Reflection

Family vacations keep us close and connected

This blog post is to celebrate the relationships that I have with the important people in my life... family and friends.  The most significant people are with me to share milestones, celebrate holidays and to just have fun.  I have a very close family.  We spend a lot of time keeping our relationships close and significant.  We share family meals every Sunday together, celebrate birthdays and holidays together, spend quality time on vacation together, and just in general have fun together. When Kevin and I got married we began inviting our parents over for Wednesday dinners.  This has helped us merge our families into one.  We also spend Sunday mornings at church with Kevin's parents and Sunday evening dinners at my parent's house.  Shared religious beliefs are a way of connecting with others.   One way we are able to stay so close is through communication.  Without our daily texts, emails, phone calls and sometimes unexpected drop in visits our relationships would not be as strong. When I lived in California and England I had to be very specific with communication.  I posted pictures quite frequently on Ofoto for my family and friends to see how the boys were growing and developing.  We skyped frequently so the boys had a chance to talk with their grandparents and relatives.  My parents would visit us and we would come home on holidays to visit with my parents.  My parents pride themselves that they were able to spend almost every birthday with my children even when we lived so far apart.  Our relationships would not have been as close had we not kept in contact  with each other.  




Sharing holiday celebrations with family is important





Enjoying a football game with my siblings...shared fun experiences keep us close and connected





Summer fun with the boys and Kevin...I'm the target of the water fight that is about to commence...fun shared experiences keep us connected





Merging two families into one...shared family meals and consistent times we know we will be together keep us connected. 



My friends are very important to me as well.  We make it a practice to get together once a month to talk about our lives and families with each other.  We share stories about our work, families and lives to keep our relationships strong and connected.  I have friends that I keep in contact with in Florida, California and England by emailing them, calling or texting them and keeping in contact on Facebook.  Social networking has become a way to reconnect with people that I haven't kept in close contact with and am now able to reconnect and establish new connections and relationships with.  Communication is vital to relationships. 

Keeping connected with my friends and knowing I can count on them when I need them the most is valuable to relationships.

Teachers must have a connection with the families they serve.  They must learn about each child and family so they can find the best ways to connect and teach each individual child.  When teachers have fun with the children and families in their class, learn about their customs and cultures and connect with the children on what interests them most, then each child will get more out of their experience in the classroom.  Whether talking about my own family, my friends or the families in my classroom, communication is vital to the success of each relationship. 

When I think of child development

"There is no development without relationships"  Dr. Jack P. Shonkoff

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm"  Ralph Waldo Emerson

"No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child.  The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure"   Emma Goldman

The Tone of Voice
I'ts not so much what we say
As the manner in which we say it.
It's not so much the language we use
As the tone in which we convey it.

"Come here!" I sharply ordered;
And a child cowered and wept.
"Come here," I softly whispere;
And into my arms he crept.

Words may be mild and fair,
But the tone pierces like a dart.
Words may be soft as summer air,
But the tone can break a heart.

Author Unknown

Testing for Intelligence

The definitions of IQ and achievement test according to Berger are an "IQ test is designed to measure intellectual aptitude, or ability to learn in school.  An achievement test measures the mastery in reading, math, writing, science or other subjects" (Berger, 2009, p. 323).  Schools use these test to determine how well the children are learning and how well the teachers are teaching.  It has been said that the tests do not really measure how well a child is learning because the teachers have started "teaching to the test" and the results show what the children have memorized and not necessarily internalized.  England has the same issues regarding testing as we do in The United States.   According to a news article from the BBC news two teachers unions are boycotting the test and do not feel they actually measure what a child is learning.
"Mick Brookes, NAHT general secretary, said: "The current system has resulted in thousands of children moving to the next phase with misleading information about their ability.  It has also led quite unjustifiably, to schools and their communities being labelled as 'failing' with the consequence of damaging recruitment of head teachers and worsening their working environment" (BBC, 2010).  The schools are concerned that the tests do not accurately portray what the children are learning and feel that the children spend their primary years preparing for tests.  "The Sats tests are taken each year by about 600,000 pupils in England and the results are used for the annual primary school league tables.  In previous years, pupils have taken tests in English, maths and science - but the test for science has been removed. The Schools Minister rejected the criticisms of the tests" (BBC, 2010).  He goes on to talk about how they have been working with the teaching organziations to explain to them that drilling with practice exams is wrong and that if the teachers have been teaching the curriculum all year the children should have no issues with the tests.  The issues of achievement testing is not just a US issue as I have shown here as teachers in England are having the same battle.  To test or not to test...that is the question.

Reference

BBC News. (2010, January, 26).  Sats boycott ballot for teachers in England. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8479426.stm

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

 

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

On September 11, 2001 I was living in California teaching first grade.   When the alarm went off that morning the radio came on and I remember hearing something about an attack on New York.  I didn't quite understand what was happening so I turned on the news.  There I saw the replay of plane one going into the first tower and as I watched, plane two hit the second tower.  California is 3 hours behind New York so we were seeing the violence unfold the minute we got up that morning.  Unfortunately that meant that some of the children in my class saw it as well because their parents were watching the morning news.  I remember getting to school and every teacher and parent that I encountered was numb and just stunned.  We really didn't know what to say or how to act.  Some of the children were asking questions but I honestly didn't know how to answer them.  How I am suppose to respond to questions regarding terrorism when I don't understand it myself?   I can remember one child, who was 6 years old, thinking how cool it was to watch the airplane hit the building.  He had no idea the consequences of those actions, for him it was like watching a movie or something on tv because that is where he saw it, it wasn't real for him. It was very had to explain to him what was going on and how it wasn't "cool" that planes were being flown into buildings and that many people were being hurt.  Being on the West Coast we were so far removed from the violence as well that again it was very hard for the children to understand.  I think it was hard for all the adults to understand.  That was 10 years ago.  My students at that time are now getting drivers licenses and I am sure have a better understanding of terrorism and war but still I don't think any of us will truly understand why it has to happen.  

The National Association for the Education of Young  Children released a position statement in July of 1993 regarding Violence in the Lives of Children.  At that time they stated that "the culture of violence is mirrored in and influenced by the media.  They also stated that "a large number of children are growing up in conditions that have been described as "inner-city war zones" (NAEYC, 1993).   Children are becoming desensitized to violence like my friend in the example above.  He thought it was neat to see a plane crash through a building and the building come toppling down because he had seen similar violence on tv but he didn't understand how real this was.  He didn't comprehend that people had died and that our country was being threatened.  I have mixed feelings on that as well.  Do we want our children to know all the violence that exists in our world or should we shelter them from it?

Because our country was attacked many children lost their parents.  A former student of mine, who had moved to Boston, lost her father.  He was on the second plane that hit the towers.  Her mother was 9 months pregnant with their second child.  Many families were destroyed by this violent act.  When violence touches children's lives they can experience post-tramatic stress disorder.  According to NAEYC they can experience "sleep disturbances, inability to concentrate, flashbacks, images of terror and nightmares" (NAEYC, 1993).   Our losses didn't stop that day.  Due to the attacks on our country our military had to go to war.  Now even more families have been destroyed due to the loss of husbands, fathers, mothers, wives, sons and daughters.  "As of July (2006), more than 1, 200 children had lost parents in the war in Iraq, and thousands more had parents with serious injuries according to the Center for Studay of Traumatic Stress at the Uniform Servives University in Bethesda, Maryland" (Hardy, 2006).   A counselor at Duncan Elementary on Fort Hood's Army in Texas has started "worry counseling" for the children.  The school has also made accomadations for families of deployed troops, for example because of the time difference between Texas and Iraq parents can't talk to their children at night before bedtime so the school allows them to skype on the computer during school time and that way the children can talk to their parents and keep in touch (Hardy, 2006). 

What we have gone through and endured is not equal to what the children in Palestine are going through.  Parents in Palestine are particularly concerned about their children's moral development.  With so much war and destruction taking place children are not getting the chance to be children.  "Children may be traumatized, either by being forced to fight themselves or by witnessing death and destruction on an everyday basis.  They may experience psychological damage, evidenced in nightmares, panic attacks, withdrawal into themselves, bullying, insecurity,  muteness or violence towards family and friends. If their schools have been attacked or taken over as military bases or if it is unsafe to make the journey to school, they may be denied the most basic education" (Affouneh, 2007, p. 343).   If it is unsafe for the children to get to school they are missing out on positive social and moral development.  "Children in conflict situations may be over-influenced by violence, hatred and aggression.  Children's play in contemporary Iraq includes games such as Americans and terrorists, militias, beheadings, torture, throwing grenades and kidnapping" (Affouneh, 2007, p. 344).   Parents no longer feel they can keep their children safe because they don't feel safe themselves.  "This indirectly affects the relationship between parents and their children, since the children cannot see their parents as totally dependable annymore and may start to lose respect for them (Affouneh, 2007, p. 347).   Children need examples of positive moral character development and that is near to impossible with what they are having to live through.  How sad is it for these children to not know peace and to feel safe?

Reference

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (1993, July).  Violence in the lives of children a position statement of the national association for the education of young children. Washington, D.C. NAEYC. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSVIOL98.PDF

Hardy, L. (2006, September 5). When kids lose parents in our war in Iraq. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?vid=15&hid=125&sid=4ecadc13-7a7a-4e66-8836-6d22cb2cb707%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ehh&AN=23254003

Affouneh, S. (2007, September). How sustained conflict makes moral education impossible: some observations from Palestine. Journal of Moral Education, 36, 3. p 343-356. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=125&sid=4ecadc13-7a7a-4e66-8836-6d22cb2cb707%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ehh&AN=26706371

My story regarding breastfeeding...Japan's story to increase breastfeeding

While pregnant I was unsure if I wanted to breastfeed or not.  I knew I wanted to try it, but was unsure if I would like it or if was something I would even be able to do.  Aaron was born by c-section so while the doctors finished stapling me back together he was taken to the nursery to be washed, foot printed and get his first immunizations.  As soon as I was in recovery they brought Aaron to me.  The nurse had me immediately try nursing and he took right to it.  It was painful at first and there were times when I wanted to give up on it but we stuck it out and I nursed him until he weaned himself at about 10 months.  I couldn't figure out why he was weaning until I realized I was pregnant again.  I don't think I was producing enough milk for him to be satisified so Aaron received formula for 2 months time, from 10-12 months, and then I switched him to milk.  Aaron never developed any food allergies or skin issues unlike my second son, Alex.  Alex was born by c-section as well and once in recovery I tried nursing him.  He also immediately took to it.  Alex was nursed until he was 14 months old, he never received formula.  I started rice cereal with both boys about 4 months of age.  Then increased the baby food intake to trying vegetables, fruits and meats.  At about 10 months of age I started table food.  Aaron never had any issues with trying adult food.  When Alex was 10 months old I gave him some cottage cheese (the same age I tried it with Aaron).  He started to swell up and got red itchy welts any place the cottage cheese had touched him.  Apparently Alex was allergic to dairy products.  The doctors told me to not try any more dairy products and to nurse him as long as possible.  When I weaned Alex from breastfeeding I was to put him on soy milk.  Alex is now 7 years old and is still allergice to dairy and nuts.  He also had severe eczema as an infant/toddler.  When he was 3 years old he began to outgrow some of the eczema but he still has sensitive skin.  I've always wondered why being pregnant in the same area and feeding and raising my kids in the same way produced one child with allergies and one without.  After reading an article about a study done in Japan regarding breastfeeding and allergies I was surprised that the results showed a higher proportion of completely breastfed babies having a greater risk of allergic diseases, such as eczema, wheezing and food allergies (Kusunoki, Moritmoto, Yasumi, Heike, Mukaida, Fujii, Nakahata, 2010).  I had always thought that breastfeeding was so much better for my children and that is why I chose to breastfeed.  The study went on to say there had been conflicting data over the years where breastfeeding used to be considered proactive in fighting against ashthma and other allergic diseases a number of recent studies have shown that breastfeeding might in fact be a risk factor in their development (Kusunoki et al., 2010).  After reading this study I still would have breastfed my children and if I have any more children I will attempt to breastfeed them as well.  I was unaware of Alex's food allergies until he was 10 months old so at that point I had already nursed him through most of his infancy.

Personally I feel there were many benefits of breastfeeding my sons.  The bonding that took was place was irreplaceable for me.  That isn't to say that bottle fed babies don't bond with their parents, bottle fed babies have the opportunity to bond with many adults, any adults that spend the time feeding them and holding them while they are being fed.  I loved nursing my babies and I wouldn't have changed the fact that I nursed them as long as I did.  There were times that it was very hard being the only parent that could feed them (Alex never would take a bottle even with expressed breastmilk in it) but in the end it was one of the things I remember most about their infancy and one of the moments I treasure. 

Japan is actually working to increase the amount of mothers who breastfeed their babies.  The benefits of breastfeeding is known to the Japanese culture and even after knowing all the facts they still found that less than 50% of mothers were fully breastfeeding at one month after birth (Awano & Shimada, 2010).  "In 2007, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Japan reported that 96% of women prior to childbirth wanted to breastfeed, and after childbirth almost all women started breastfeeding.  However only 42.8% of mothers were fully breastfeeding at one month after birth" (Awano & Shimada, 2010).  The typical length of a woman's hospital stay after birth in Japan is 5-7 days (in the US a natural birth is 2-3 days and c-section is 4-5 days).  The study felt that since such a high percentage of mothers wanted to breastfeed prior to giving birth and they stay in the hospital such a long time after birth that they should try to give more support regarding breastfeeding while the mother and baby were still in the hospital (Awano & Shimada, 2010).   Two hospitals were chosen (with high birthing rates) and a study was performed with two groups.  One group given more support after birth regarding breastfeeding and those that were not.  The women who were given more support felt more confident about breastfeeding and continued to breastfeed longer.  The stastisitcs went from 2007 42.8 % of mothers breastfeeding at one month of age to 2008 72.2% of mothers breastfeeding at one month of age (Awano & Shimada, 2010). 

I believe that to breastfeed you need support.  Support from lacation consulatants if a mother is having difficulty nursing, support from the pediatrician, support groups, friends and most of all family.  Having a partner that supports your choice to breastfeed and having a family that supports and encourages you to breastfeed makes a mother feel more confident about it and therefore they are more likely to succeed at it.

References
Kusunoki, T., Morimoto, R., Yasumi, N., Heike, T., Mukaida, K., Fujii, T., Nakahata, T., (2010). Breastfeeding and the prevalence of allergice diseases in schoolchildren: Does reverse causation matter?  Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. (21), 60-66. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?hid=111&sid=2dad1705-743e-4997-aa53-15806484aabb%40sessionmgr110&vid=11&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9h&AN=47829376

Awano, M., Shimada, K., (2010). Development and evaluation of self care program on breastfeeding in Japan: a quasi-experimental study. International Breastfeeding Journal. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?hid=111&sid=2dad1705-743e-4997-aa53-15806484aabb%40sessionmgr110&vid=13&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9h&AN=54289472

Childbirth-- In my life and around the world

I found out I was pregnant while visiting  my family in Ohio for Christmas in December of 2001.  I can't even begin to describe the excitement I felt at realizing I had a little baby growing inside of me.  I told my family after I had seen the doctor at my 9 week check-up and had the internal ultrasound completed.  I was in awe at looking at my little "bean" on the screen, and that is what we called him until he was born.  I went through all the typical prenatal care visits.  I was teaching 1st grade during my pregnancy and due to many illnesses in the classroom including Fifths Disease and shingles, I had numerous blood tests done to make sure that "bean" was developing ok and that I was not carrying the viruses.  When I reached the 9th month of pregnancy I started to see the doctor weekly.  She assured us that all was well and that baby was head down and ready to go. 

Here is a picture of me during the last month of my preganacy.

My due date was September 3 of 2002.   I finished the school year and taught summer school but was not scheduled to teach the 2002/2003 school year.  I woke up on August 28, 2002 unsure if I was having bladder control issues or if my water had broken.  I called the doctor and she said to go to the hospital and they could check for me.  She was pretty certain that my water had broken because the leaking was continuous.  We packed the car with my large exercise ball, suitcase and baby carseat...just in case.  They admitted me to the maternity ward..  The doctor came in to examine me and said she'd be back after I had progressed but she was going to her office to see other patients.  The nurse came in to hook me up to all the monitors.  While hooking up the baby monitor she commented that she had to place it high on my stomach which made her feel the baby was not properly placed for a natural delivery.  She got the ultrasound machine and sure enough "bean" was breech.  She called the doctor back and they prepped me for a c-section delivery.  I had called my family in Ohio to let them know I was at the hospital at about 8:00 am (West coast time).  Aaron James Hoffman was born at 11:45 am on August 28, 2002.  My parents were so surprised to get a call only a few hours later.  I then explained that Aaron was born by c-section because he was breech.  I went to the hospital expecting to have hours and hours of labor, only to have my baby shortly after arriving.  I never experienced any contractions and in fact they were going to start a pitocin drip to start my contractions but luckily the nurse realized the baby was not head down. 

Here is a picture of Aaron right after delivery.

He was perfect!!!!!  I am not upset that I missed out on the experience of labor and a natural delivery.  I didn't know Aaron was breech so I still got to experience the unknown date as to when he would actually be born.

Here is Aaron and I in recovery.

I will never forget the experience...the feeling of being pregnant, the anticipation of waiting to meet the "bean" that had been growing, developing and moving in me.  Aaron was in constant motion while I was pregnant and he hasn't stopped moving since he was born. 

My pregnancy with Alex was uncomplicated as well.  The biggest difference in his arrival was I knew when it was going to happen.  My doctor had suggested since Aaron was c-section that I should do a c-section delivery as well for my second child.  It was nice knowing when we were going to get to meet Alex.  It was also nice because my sister flew out from Ohio to California and took care of Aaron for me while I was in the hospital with Alex.  I think she was pretty excited to get to be there the day Alex was born. 

Here is a picture of Alex...born January 16, 2004 in Mountain View California.

I will never forget the birthing experience of either of my sons.  I treasure those memories, pictures and even the videos.  Our doctor was nice enough to allow video of each birth from beginning to end.  I watch them every year on their birthday. 

Both of my children were born in a hospital setting with proper prenatal care, prenatal vitamins and nutrition.   My sons were both born in California.  There are many midwife options in CA as well but I chose the traditional route of using a doctor and a hospital.  My friend, however chose a water delivery.  She used a midwife, doula and went to a birthing center that specialized in water delivery.  The baby was born but experienced difficulty breathing shortly after.  He was rushed to the hospital and admitted.  He had a hole in his heart that was later fixed with surgery.  Wilder is fine and healthy now.  A few years after Wilder's birth they moved to Costa Rica.  They did not have a hospital near their village.  They debated on coming back to The States to have their second child or having him in Costa Rica.  They opted for Costa Rica but decided against a home birth or water birth.  After experiencing complications with their first son they chose to have their second son in a Costa Rican hospital.  They stayed at a hotel a few weeks before their second son was born and had him in a sterile environment. Sage was born with no complications and perfectly healthy.  Had they not experienced complications with their first son's health right after delivery they would have opted for another water or possibly a home birth.  Being in a different country, far from a hospital, they chose to be safe and start everything out in the hospital environment.

I chose Costa Rica as the region to study regarding prenatal care and birth.  According to World Bank 89.9% of women in Costa Rica received prenatal care in 2008.  They consider prenatal care to mean the women saw a doctor at least once during their pregnancy.  When I talked about my prenatal care, I saw the doctor every month for the first 7 months, then twice a month for 2 months then weekly until the baby was born. According to the tradingeconomics.com website 98.5% of births in Costa Rica in 2005 were conducted by skilled health personnel.  They define skilled health staff as "personnel trained to give the necessary supervision, care, and advice to women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period; to conduct deliveries on their own; and to care for newborns" (tradingeconomics.com).  That does not mean by a doctor, that could be a midwife or doula as well.  Greg Connelly cites very similar statistics in his work for the Global Health Council.  He states "in 2001 the average life expectancy at birth in Costa Rica was 76.6 years.  In 2000, 97% of births were attended by skilled professionals, 89% of the pregnant women were given prenatal care, and 93% of children under 1 had health insurance (Connelly, 2002).  Costa Rica is working to improve the life expectancy, prenatal care, care given to women during births as well as continued health care for children after they are born.  This is very similar to what I experieced as a prenant woman in the US and what my friend experienced as an American woman giving birth in Costa Rica.

References:

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/costa-rica/pregnant-women-receiving-prenatal-care-percent-wb-data.html

Connelly, G. (2002).  Costa Rican health care a maturing comprehensive system. Global Health Council. Retrieved from http://www.cehat.org/rthc/paper5.htm