Reflecting on Learning

As an early childhood professional, my most passionate hope is that every child will be accept regardless of their difference or vary ability. My hope is that professionals will work together to teach children that their identity matters just as everyone else. I hope that families,childrne and professionals will be able to work together to bring a better understaning of diversity. 

I would like to thank all of my colleagues for your work in the field of early childhood. It takes dedication and persistence to work in this field. I am grateful to work with individuals who are eager to aid children in their development. Your hard work is very appreciative and is not taken lightly. This work will help so many young children better understand diversity. 

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The Sexualization of Early Childhood

Sexualization in early childhood can be difficult to handle, especially being that children are developing. It can be challenging for staff, espeically with the many different apsects of sexualility in society. We can not become bias, and teacher our children based upon our bias, but allow children to learn what sexuality is and help them to find their identity. I do believe we are providing our children with to much information, teaching, which can cause confusion. There is often no unity in the area of sexuality, because everyone believes something different. Thus I believe it is best to give children a standard and allow them to learn more as they grow.

I can remember growing, up girls were made to work with girls, hold hands with girls while on trips, and only allowed to sit by girls. There was segration between the girls and boys within the class.

I remember a student getting in trouble for hugging a girl at school. The child was upset, because he stated, he saw his dad hug his mom. He beliefed that hugs meant you like someone. He was not told that hugs are personal and can not be done in particular public places.

My professional experience while working with children is stopping to toddlers from kissing who were girls and experiencing the same with a girl and boy. Again both children see their families perfrom these actions.

These expereince, can cause children to feel confused, not learn how to express their feeliing appropriately because they are not sure of what is right or wrong. The best way to help professional work with children is to allow children to communicate what they believe sexualiation is. They would see this through play. Then the professional would teach in the area that promote helping children to learn the general basis of sexuality.

The topic on sexuality is a great topic. I am learning that sexuality is  very broad in society and learning to depict how to communicate in earlychildhoods has influenced my awareness.

Observing Communication

I observe a 3 year old child and her uncle interact while at church. The young girl begin to play with her uncle by climbing on him and playing with his face. He then begin to talk to her telling her to stop, she began to repeat after him, while tilting her head to the side and staring at him as if he was doing something wrong. The young girl then begin to tell ask for something to drink, the uncle was hesitant because he told her she doesnt listen. The young girl continued to ask for something the to drink. After a few moments, she saw her mom, as proceed to ask her for something to drink. The uncle told the niece, she needs to learn to listen. She did not respond but continued to drink and move about her way. 

Through this interaction, I noticed that children have multiple was to communicate, some verbal, and some non verbal. This child used both ways of communcation, and proceed to get what she wanted through communicating to the right person. 

I also notice, children learn communication multiple ways, by listening to direction, or repeating what they hear. The child repeated what her uncle said, mulitple times, this form of communication, causes for great listening, hearing and quick thought. If the uncle wanted to communicated more effective or affirming, he would have needed to possibly speak to the child in a way that spoke from a directive way. The uncle would have need to let the child know he was serious and not  playing. 

In relation to the child not getting what she requested from the uncle. The child, could believe that her behavior can dictate what she gets and dont get. This can make her feel as though she is not acecptable unless she does what is right. When children ask for something they are trusting the individual that they will provide them with what they need. 

I am learning more and more, that children are indivdiuals we are raising to become adults. Thus we must not always dismiss or silence them. Children communicated their true feeling in the moment, and we can learn alot if we listen effectively to how children communicate. I am lerning to be more open minded, and not shut children down when they communicate. Their communication is their sense of identity, because they are communcating based on how they view the world. I am learning to be patient, kind and understand because children are learning and adults learn more  through communicating with children. 

Moving Forward

My hope that I have in relation to diversity is that we can learn to accept everyone's differrence, and not set a standard of what is normal. Diversity is very broad, and thus we have to be open to learning more everyday in regards to children and famiilies. No one person is the same, so my home is we learn to make difference become a normal.

I would like to set a goal of speaking with families on a regular basis about diversity, equity and social justice,  I would like to bring in different families on a regular basis and have them talk about each topic. Hoping to bridge the gaps we have made in relation to bias.

Lastly, I would like to say to my colleagues, lets continue in the vain of looking deeper and moving beyond our bias. I thank each of my colleagues for your dedication to this field of study. It takes persistence, commitment, and a willing to change. So thank  you for dedicating your life to helping children develop and grow. Our job is truly inmportant and its the professional that help to develop our children of  today. Again thank you for being so committed. 

Creating Art

From A Different view

I see the world through the eyes of my culture

I was taught we are all different.

I never knew what made us different, 

It is color, size, sex, language.

Know one ever told me, what the difference was.

I soon begin to find out  we are different. 

Our difference come from the view we choose.

Some choose the view of race, culture, age, identity.

I soon learn to choose the view of people, places, and things.

I gain a different view, as I began to expand my thinking. 

Only our view makes us different, either we are people, places or a things. 

Thus I often wonder how can we get others to see from this view. 

Then I realized, it all comes from changing the view of what others have made us view.

It times to look from a different view, then we can become less bias, and experience the greatness of difference.

We Dont Say Those Words In Class

I witness a child say to a woman that she was fat and started laughing. The parent heard what the child said, and quickly grabbed the child and talked to the child. I heard parent say to the child that what he said was not nice and he needed to apologize to the lady. The parent used words to reprimand the child, letting the child know that he could not say things like that to an adult and talking about people could make them sad. She reminded the child of a time, when it felt said because somone talked about him. The child, felt sad and went to apologize to the lady. He stated he was sorry and would not say thing like that again. The child was then made to sit down until it was time for him to go home. 

The message communicated to the child, would be becoming aware that saying things such as "someone being fat can hurt someone's feeling". It can also make a child feel that they can not express themselves in the way they see the world. The child may see things differently and not fully understand when to say something and when not to say something.  A child may also feel punished for speaking what they believe.

An educator may have responsws and said to the child. What can you see about the lady that is similar to you. We all have similarities and we all have differences. Everyone is made in a different way, yet we people. Let choose ways to see how difference make us diverse and not something thats bad. 

Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

• Your response to those who believe that early childhood centers should avoid the inclusion of books depicting gay or lesbian individuals such as same-sex partnered families.

As a professional, encountering someone who believe early child centers should avoid inclusion of gay and lebisian would mean that I would being bias. Thus if I encounter someone who believes this should be the case, I would encourage them to teach their child their own belief. I would acknowledge their belief, yet I would encourage them to talk with those who create them curriculum. I can understand how a parent may not want their child to be exposed to certain things, yet because of society we would have to include all identities in order to avoid being prejudice or bias.  Although, I would agree with the individual because of my own belief, as a professional, I would encourage them to teach their child, and not focus on trying to change a system.

• How you would respond to a parent/family member who informed you they did not want anyone who is perceived (or self-reported) homosexual or transgender to be caring for, educating, and/or interacting with their child.

In the case of a parenting coming to me regarding their preference of someone of other sexual identities not caring for their child, I would suggest to the parent to talk with the supervisor. I would also inform them that we can not discriminate, thus it would not be proper to isolate the child from the teacher. The best suggestion would be to have  the parent withdraw their child.  I would also let the parent know that all staff are professional, and sexual identitty does not play a role in the care, eduation or interaction of the child. Thus the parent should be open to allowing the individual to do their job, because one's identity should be separate from their professionalism. Again, promoting that we can not discriminate, be prejudice or bias. 

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Professional Hopes and Goals

• One hope that you have when you think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds (any format and any length)

My hope for working with children and familes is that we can all come to understand and accept each other differences. I hope that we can allow children and families to implement their ways into their learning, oppose to just having one standard.

• One goal you would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice (any format and any length)

One goal I would like to set in early childhood is to develop a open communication between families. I would seek to communicate with the children and families daily, seeking to speak on diversity, equity, and social justice.

• A brief note of thanks to your colleagues

I woud like to thank all of my colleagues for dedicating your time and effort to early childhood, I also would like to say this class was very insightful and for each of you that stuck with it, shows your dedictation to being more educated in diversity, equity and social justice. I hope you continued this journey as we seek to make a difference in each child and families life within early childhood. Again, I say thank your for seeking to help in this field. 

Welcoming Families From Around the World

• The name of “your” family’s country of origin

My family is from Germany

• At least five ways in which you will prepare yourself to be culturally responsive towards this family.

1). I would prepare myself by studying the language of the country and general facts about the country.

2). I would ask the family abut information regarding their culture. 

3). I would prepare the things that are would make them comfortable, food, and information abouut my country.

4). I would also implement ini the currriculum information about their culture and their country.

5). I would develop a buddy system for the family and child to help them transition smoothly.

• A brief statement describing in what ways you hope that these preparations will benefit both you and the family.

I would hope that the preparation would help the family feel wlecomed and comfortable. I also would hope this would allow the family to be able to trust, and help us to develop a relationship. This would also help to build a better understanding of cultures,   and build upon the foundation of diversity. Preparation would also help to eliminatee bias,prejudice and oppression. This would benefit the relation and help to ensure the families needs are met. 

The Personal Side of Bias

• What memory do you have of an incident when you experienced bias, prejudice, and/or oppression, or witnessed someone else as the target of bias, prejudice, and/or oppression? Keep in mind that one can encounter such incidents in real contexts, including online environments, as well as in fictional ones, such as movies, books, television shows, and the like.

I recently experienced prejudice at  my employment. I currently work with children and often communicate with their parents. One of the parents needed a babysitter and I could oer hear her talking out loud. I then proceed to ask her if she needed helped. She looked at me but proceeded to talk to another young girl and asked her if she was free to babysit. She then except the other girls instead of me. 

• In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?

The prejudice diminshed equity because it should discrimination especially since we were from different races. It showed that one person was favored over the other and did not look for work ethics but not being fair by asking both of us and seeking who was avaliable. 

• What feelings did this incident bring up for you?

My first initial response was feeling of being rejected and feeling overlooked. I then realized people are allowed to have preference. So I overlooked it and gave the other young women well wishes. 

• What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity? 

What would have to change is seeing individuals for who they are oppose to be categorized by how we look. We have to look at identity beyond race. We see everyone as equal and never allow our preference to cause us to be bias, prejudice or oppress any one. 

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

• Describe at least one example of a microaggression which you detected this week or remember from another time. In what context did the microaggression happen? What did you think and feel when you observed the microaggression or when you found yourself as the target of a microaggression?

I  experience micoagression from a supervisor, who suggest through email that we remain professional, My  coworkers and I are mourning the loss of a coworker. The supervison implied that we must focus on our job and the children and not be consume with the matter and remain professional. I felt as though the supervison was implying that we as individual would not be professional as many of us are of the african american ethnicity. I felt a lttle upset because I do not believe the supervisor intent was to be support, but to imply that we may be unprofessional because of what happended and how it happened.  I felt as though she dismissed the facot of what has happen as well as trying to provide some sense of comfort. Her commen suggest do your work, do slack, and mourn later. This is understandable however, I do not believe it need to be discuss especially in the tone and in the same email as noting the loss of an coworker, 

• In what ways did your observation experiences this week affect your perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people.
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• The experience heightne my sense of sterotypes and prejudice. It can be a stereotype that some races are very dramatic when grieving and can stir up trouble. I know that can be for some however, I believe there are some who knows how to be professional regardless of what is happening. So this experience help me to understand more regarading how microagression can be expressed in multiple ways. 

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

• • Their definition of culture
  • Their definition of diversity
• Then reflect on the answers you received and ask yourself:
• Which aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received—and what are some examples?
• Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission?
• In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?

After talking with a family member, friend and an acquaintance. 

 The general analyis of culture define by all is the characteristics of a group of people. Their orgin, belief, values. Some belief are culture is the make up of who are and how we view socitey. The definitions correlated to the idea of culture being who we are. As mention in the video, cutlure defines what we eat, drink, wear, and how we interact. One aspect of diversity that was omitted in these definitions was the aspect of culture diversity. The definitiions of the individuals focused on diversity being difference among  people. However we omitted the factor of diversity being a variety and not just being different but alloting for variety. DIversity is not just in ethnicity, There is diversity in gender, race, education, and many other thigs. 

When consider the defintions provided by others, I was able to consider how my mindset of diversity was similar to others. DIversity is often looked at from one perspective and not holisitically, My thoughts concerning culture and diversity is that they both have a major role to play in who we become. Thus it is imporant to know how others defiine these two concepts. 

My Family Culture

• A description of the three items you would choose

The three Items I would take with me would be first my bible. My family comes from a strong religious background and my bible would help to keep my faith strong. I would also take tote bag about the size of a sheet of paper in order to keep things that i need  close to me and anything I gather as I am away. Lastly I would take a solar cell phone because I would be able to communicate with my family which is very much apart of our culutre. We commuicate consistently. 

• How you would explain to others what each of these items means to you

I would tell other that my bible is to read and help to keep my focused. We have a strong back of faith and believe this is what keep us strong and alive. My bag is to carry as I am out and about in case I find something I need to keep. My family believes in surviving and utilizing whatever you need to survive. The cellphone is to communicate, take pictures as I would need to keep any memories. 

• Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you

If I had to give up the other two items. I would download the bible app on my phone so that I could use my phone as an all in one. I would be sad to have to live my physically bible and bag because  I would feel like I am leaving things that I would need. I always like to be prepared and have what I need on me. 

• Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise,

I realized that my family cultures is has alot to do with society. My basic needs seemed to be things that society has deemed as important ie. the cellphone. I definitelty became more clearer to how my family cultures has taught me to survive because of how we had to survive when resources were limited. 

My Supports

• Create a space on your blog dedicated to your support. Title this space, "My Supports."
• Describe factors within your daily environment that are supportive to you, including the ways in which these factors provide support. Describe what you see as the benefits of these supports. How difficult would it be to exist without these supports? What impact would they have on your life if they were gone?
• Share the challenge you chose to imagine and the thoughts you have with regard to supports you would want and need. Again, describe factors within your daily environment would be supportive to you, including the ways in which these factors would provide support. Describe what you see as the potential benefits of these supports. How difficult would it be to exist without these supports? The impact they would have on your life if they weren't there?

My daily environment consist of prayer and my relationship with God. This factor is supportive to me because it allows me to know that their is a greater force working on my behalf.  Prayer allows me to connect with my God so that whatever I need for the day, I believe for the receipt of what I asked. I also have the daily support of my husband, who support me in everything I do. These two factors are essential to my daily task. My husband, provides encouragement, and wisdom, counsel and understanding.  My relationship and prayer with God provides peace of mind, joy, protection, feeling completed, and knowing that I  have all I need. The benefits to these supports are not feelling alone, being able to have trust and knowing that I am able to accomplish what I set my mind to do. It would be very difficult to exist with my husband who is my friend and guidance. Without God and HIs Spirit, I would not know my purpose, feel fulfilled or even believe that I can do anything. My life would not be completely fulflled without my husband because we do alot of work together. If I did not have God or believe in God I would not feel as though  I had a purpose and I would just exist. 

So I cherish the support of my husband and the support I have with my relationship with God and His Spirit. 

One  challenge that often existed for me was financially and having a supportive family. My relationship with God has helped me in regards to my financial challenge because I know believe and trust that God supplies my needs. My husband also help with my challenges because he provides financial stability and support me so that the support I need from family. The benefit of havinig this support is not feeling as though I have to do everything in my own strengthen, knowing that there is help. Again the impact with the support would cause me to feel lonely, poor, and consistently depressed. 

My Connections to Play

• Create a space on your blog dedicated to play and title this space, "My Connections to Play."
• Select two quotes that you feel summarize what play represented for you in childhood.
• Include two to three pictures of essential play items for your younger self.

    

 

• Describe how people supported play when you were younger and/or the role of play in your childhood.
• Write a brief entry on how you feel play today is similar or different from the play in which you engaged as a child and what your hope for young is now with regard to play.
• Include your thoughts regarding the role of play throughout your life and/or the role of play throughout childhood and adulthood.

When I wwas younger, I experienced play through social, play, dramatic play creative play. My mother brought me and mys sister many toys and we would play together. we greatly enjoyed pretending and imaginative play. Such as playing what we called "house" someone would be the mom, dad, and children, we would also play school, and church.  Play was a way of expresssing what we saw, desire to become, and  allowed me to learn how to social, developing connection within the world. 

Play today is very different from play when I was younger. Many children experience play through technology, or have limited imaginative, and dramatic play. Today play is views as recreational, oppose to a way of learning, most  children are forced to play when parents need a break. Whereas the role of play in my lifie, help to shape and develop my understanding of gender roles, and adult life. I often mocked what I saw during my play.  I also can remember when playing school and church, how I became more and more creative. My mom cultivated our play, by providing of the toys we wanted, she did not allow us to be technology focused. We were made to play outside, and learn how to become creative when we do not know what to play. Children today, are not force into creativitty, it is more focused on structure. 

Play also kept me in my correct development stage,  because I was allowed to play based upon my age group. I play within baby dolls until middle chilld hood, this help me develop the love for children, and taking care of people. I believe play shapes our identity based upon how our play is cultivated. 

 

Relationship Reflections

• Create a space on your blog dedicated to current relationships. Title this space: Relationship Reflection
• Explain why relationships/partnerships are important to you (If you would like, upload a photo or photos of people* who are important to you)
• Identify several people with whom you currently have positive relationships and/or partnerships
• Describe the ways in which each relationship is positive and factors that contributed to developing and maintaining each relationship
• Describe insights regarding challenges to developing and maintaining relationships that you have learned from your experience over time
• What do you see as special characteristics of these relationships that make some, if any, partnerships?
• How might your experiences with relationships/partnerships, including your ability to be an active, reflective contributor, impact your work as an effective early childhood professional?

Relationships are a way to connect with people around you. Relationships are imporant to me because they allow me to communicate with those I love and care for. I value relationships because it allow me and those who connect to me to establish goals, dreams, and work together.  It is not fun to go through life without support, or people to connect with. Thus relationship allows you to have team of people who are with you and support you. Even if there are challenges relationships help to grow and develop you, 

I currently have a relationship with several people that play a major part in mmy life. I have my husband, who is my best friend, we have been in a relationship and married for 6 years. My relationship with my parents was different as I grew up. My parent are divorce since my early 20;s  and I am 29. My mom and I communicate a couple times a week. She lives in Floria. I am her mild manner child so we dont have many disagreement and issues now. My dad and I just talk on occasion.  My sister and I have a great relationship we communicate often during the week. We help each other through life decision, communicate about goals, and dreams, and be sure to allow each other to be themselves My brother and I communicate less frequently but we do have a causal relationship.We all allow check in to make sure each other is doing well atleast montly.  I talk dailly to my friend Jasmine, we have know each other for 7 years and meet through my husband, I can confide in her. We have different role in our relationship and she respect each role that I play. I have 4 godsister who I commuicate regulary they are all older than me and play a great role in my life. Each has their own role and we share the same values. There is much wisdom, guidance, and even countability that we have in each other life. 

Relationships have roles and guidelines. Challenges in relationship is when eacb party does not understand their role or the purpose of the relationship. You also have challenges in relationship when the interaction is oneside. In order to maintain a relationship each party has to put some value, time and action into the relationship so that both parties feel as though their is an equal sharing of roles in the relationship. 

My experiene with relationship, will impact my work as a effective early childhood professional in a positive way. My relationship are majority postiive, and many of them have children who are in early childhood. I have the ability to communicate with them about their children. I also am able to see development in action which is very intriguing since I dont have my own children yet. My relationship all have the same values, and moral so they keep me positive, especially since they support me working with children. 

When I Think of Child Development

As children learn and grow, the abulity to see them grow, brings joty. Everyday is a new adventure with a growing child. Children are very innoncent and their ability to unknowingly make your day is what adds joy.


This is a very key statement, not all children are able to learn and grow in the same manner. This is similiar to the assignment on assessing and measuring children. We must allow children to learn and grow in the way that is best for them without labeling them. There is a difference between advancing and pushing a child, versus labeling a child. Child developmemt is so broad we must look at the whole child and teach the way the child can learn.

https://www.google.com/search?q=quotes+about+children&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiZyuvDuZTLAhWL7RQKHRElCQ4Q_AUIBygB&biw=1093&bih=514&dpr=1.25#imgrc=MSm91DDgQ3b-aM%3A

I would like to send my support and thank you to Lousia L. Your blog was very insightful and displayed a really true heard for the development of children. I thank you for your post that were very thoughful and provided knowledge for us as we journey through child development. I offer you my support as you journey forward and continued to do a great work as we seek to develop children.

To Violet, I would also like to encourage you to continue, your post and writing were great. I know you have a desire to see children develop and become all they can become. I thank you for your great post and your insight as welll, as it has helped to shed light on many areas. I offer you my support as you continue throughout your course work, and work in child development.

Assessing the Whole Child.

• Considering a commitment to viewing young children holistically (i.e., a commitment to "the whole child"), what, if anything, do you believe should be measured or assessed? Explain your reasoning.
• In what ways are school-age children assessed in other parts of the world? (Choose a country or region of the world for which you have a personal affinity.)
• What additional ideas, comments, suggestions, examples, and/or concerns related to assessing young children would you like to share with your colleagues?

The development of a child, extends far beyond the physicial aspect of the child. Development is inclusive of emotions, cognitive, language, mental, social aspects. When we consider viewing a child holistically, we must view the child from all areas of life. This is also should include biological aspects.

The child is first made up of many biologically components. Which we can consider as genetics, some have stated, the makeup of genes, behaviors, etc comes from the DNA of our ancestors. So we can not factor out biology when we are considering the whole child. When assessing and measuring a child, we often see behaviors that come from the nuturing aspects ( how they are raised) and the nature aspect ( the world around them). The question often remains, which has the greatest influence. 

I believe we must focus on every aspect of a child, especially the biological makeup and the enviroment of the child. We can not meausre children as a whole based on age development, because of the many outliers that often exist among children in the same age group. When measuring children, it would be fair to incorporate the stress factors that can inhibit development, as well as the positive factors that promote development. Children have many components to their development, especially in relation to cognitive and lanaguage development. Thus looking at one area to determine how well the child is developing may place limitation and bias on meausring and assessing the whole child. 

In other parts of the world, particularly the Netherlands, children are assessed in 6 dimensions: Children material well-being (focusing on the income level of the child family and deprivation), health and safety (survival and overall health), educational well-being (school achievements and knowing the basics), relationships (emotional and psychological development), behaviors and risk (social problems), and subjective well being (family affluencey. The children are  assessed in all of these areas and provide a score. These are taken among children in rich countries. The Netherlands provided the best score in relation to assessing children and children have a good well being. Most of these children had positive factors that attributed to their wellbeing. 

After, reading the article regarding the well being of children, I beleive this is a great way to assess children, especially to see how they are developing. In the U.S a child is mainly assessed academically. This is often through standardize test but does not factor in difference that occur between children. I greatly believe children should be assessed like this just as they are assessed medically. 

Berger, K. S. (2016). The developing person through childhood (7th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers

UNICEF, Child poverty in perspective: An overview of child well-being in rich countries, Innocenti Report Card 7, 2007 UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Florence

http://www.unicef.org/media/files/ChildPovertyReport.pdf

Stress on Child Development

• From the list above, choose one stressor that you, or someone you know, experienced as a child. Share how you, or that person, coped with and/or compensated for that stressor (including any resources used or any support obtained).
• Choose a region or country in the world that you would like to know more about and/or for which you have a special affinity. Find out, and describe, the kind of stressor(s) that impact the development of children in that region/country and what is being done to minimize the harm.

The development of a child is very delicate and can be alter through stess. Unfortunately some children experience stressor of life that may affect their development. I live near the Chicago area, and have heard and seen the affects of stressor such as violence. This pass summer, I witness the stress that violence caused on a community of youth who witness a dear friend of theirs lose their life to violence. On July 4th a 9 year old boy was shot to dead as he stood outside to play with fire works. As I heard of the news, it really saddened me. I was then moved to compassion to go see about the family. I do not live on the block, my church is on the corner if the block that this happen. We held programs for the youth during the summer so we know many of the children on the block. 

When I head of this great tragedy, I saw the youth that we worked with and many of them were crying, sad, afraid, and could not understand how this could happen to someone their age. Many of the youth begin to say they would not come outside anymore and the community became very afraid do the violence. That same year, we began an afterschool program in other to keep the youth off the streets after school to help keep them self. 

When talking with many of the youth, they otten say, they are afraid and not sure what to do. Many of them live life everyday not knowing what will happen and some of them walk to school. It was challenging to deal with for many of the youth, some have become desensitized and others are afraid.. The best way many of them cope is by staying home, or attending a program that keeps them off the streets, 

Children in Iraq expereince many stressor, from being kidnapped, raise for  war, dealing with hunger, and abuse.These stressor cause challenges in children development. There has been a organization called Humaniam that has been intitated to help provide children with the things that need in order to develop 

http://www.humanium.org/en/middle-east-north-africa/iraq/

Mental health of mothers, fathers, and families in general

• Choose one public health topic from the list above (or one that you think should be added to the list).
• Describe in what ways this topic is meaningful to you.
• Find information about this topic from a different part of the world, and include this information in your Blog.
• Share ways the information you have learned may impact your future work.

The mental health status of mothers, fathers and family plays a critical part in the development of children. The ability to birth a child is a very honorable part of being a woman. Once the child is born, the role of teaching, developing, discipline, and growth is the role of the parents and family. There are times in which this role become difficult or altered because of the mental status of the family and often times the development of the child is hindered.

This topic has become of interest to me because, mental health is very important for those who will tend to children, We have often heard of many unfortunate circumstances where the mental health of a parent or family, cause a negative impact or result in a tragedy of many children. The role of mental health in the mother and father must be measured and evaluated on all levels whenever a child may appear to lack development. I major in psychology because I had a great passion in understanding the behavior of people. Thus mental health is also a great factor in the behavior of people is often can determine how a child develops.

I truly believe their should be an added health evaluation when a mother beccome pregnant.Just as they focus on how the more is physically caring for the child. Their should be prenatal mental health evaluation, this could help to determine how fit the parent in relation to the development and possible prevent some negative factor that may affect the childs development, such as neglect and abandonment.

Other countres such as the UK, noted many women often deal with mental health issues, prenatal(anxiety) and postnatal (depression). Many of these health issues are noted due to biological and social issues within the family. The study noted that childen with mothers who experience mental health issues, often experience challenges during development and were very hard to console.

The information on mental health is a very serious and interesting topic. This topic should be studies futher and solution needed to be noted in order to provide children what they need to develop. My futrue work in this area is to provide a safe haven for children who may experience challenges do to parents who are unfit due to mental health issues. I would like to focus my work on providing what is needed for the children.

Mental Health America.http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/parenting

World Health Organization. Maternal mental health and child health and development in low and middle income countries: (2008.)
http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/mmh_jan08_meeting_report.pdf