Sharing Web Resources Week 4

As I have explored the website Zero to Three further, I have found many podcasts that share a great deal of information about children and how to take further action in policies.  There are several links in which one can access to take action on behalf of children.  There are alerts that you can register to and keep up to date on changing policies as well as link in order to contact my local electives to advocate for the importance of children’s early education.

Through the links, I was able to send an email to my local affiliates in order to advocate for early childhood and the importance of new funding.  I have always desired to take the opportunity to be more involved in community awareness and advocacy, but wasn’t sure where to begin.  I felt a sense of gratefulness that I took a step forward to help children.

I could not find any direct information in regards to economists, neuroscientists, or politicians on the website.  There were however, indirect citations in regards to policies and how it relates to children.

Zero to Three has given me greater insight to health and development as well as maltreatment of children.  The maltreatment link gave alarming statistics.  Infants and toddlers are disproportionately at risk for maltreatment. They account for over three-quarters of child maltreatment fatalities (http://www.zerotothree.org/maltreatment/child-abuse-neglect/child-abuse-and-neglect.html).  Children deserve a better life than what some are experiencing.  It is important that website like Zero to Three be shared with other to continue the education of adults. 

Reference:

http://www.zerotothree.org/

International Contacts - Part 1

I was fortunate enough to make contact with a professional in Moyobamba, Peru.  His name is Odaer Aflatoun.  I have found our conversations to be very interesting since he does not speak English and I have had to rely on Google for translation.  Not everything he has written has translated perfectly to English.  

I recently asked Odaer how poverty is effecting the education of children in Peru. Odaer (personal communication, May 10, 2012) stated that the conditions of poverty are greatly effecting quality education.  Some children are not able to access quality education due to lack of state funds.  Classroom materials are insufficient and schooling is only available in urban areas.  This means that if children want to attend school, some are walking one to two hours just to get there.  From Odaer’s perspective, little is being done to help change the poverty issues in Peru, but he is an advocate supporting many organizations in their efforts. 

Through my conversations with Odaer Aflatoun, I have better insight about how poverty is effecting children outside of the United States.  It is sad to me that some children do not have school readily available for them.  This is a concern for the future of these children and their families.  Odaer referenced a couple websites that he uses for resources on poverty that I explored for further information about Peru as well as other countries.

www.worldvision.org 

and

www.care.org

  

Sharing Web Resources

One of the professional website that I chose to follow and subscribe to their monthly newsletter is ZERO TO THREE, www.zerotothree.org.  ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit that informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers.  Their mission is to promote the health and development of infant and toddlers.  The tools provided on the website derive from research and is presented in many formats for adults working with young children.  The website contains materials that promote the understanding of key issues affecting young children and their families, including mental health, language development, early interventions, and the impact of culture of early development.  

I found many resources within ZERO TO THREE's website that linked a child’s diverse culture into learning and development.  The newest resource for parents is the e-newsletter.  It offers science-based information on how children learn and grow each month from birth to age 3. The monthly e-newsletters include:

-Age-based information about child development

-In-depth articles on common child-rearing issues and challenges

-Parent-child play activities that promote bonding and learning

-Frequently asked questions

-Research on child development and what it means for parents

Another resource included on this website is podcasts.  I listened to a couple of them in regards to this week’s topic of diversity and found the information helpful in understanding the upcoming demographic changes.  There were multiple resources available on this website alone, that I spent hours just perusing many articles.

Global Contacts

I have taken several steps in order to obtain professional contacts outside the United States.  I used the resources given through the course as well as a few of my own personal leads.  I have attempted to make contact through two community college representatives, a cousin who lived in Germany for ten years is getting my a couple phones numbers, and I have also emailed some contacts through searching Google.  None of my attempts have paid off yet, but I am hopeful that in the upcoming week I will establish communication.

The early childhood website I decided to study is Zero to Three, http://www.zerotothree.org/ .  I particularly liked this website due to the various topics the website addresses.  Zero to Three mission is to inform, train, and support professionals, policymakers, and parents to improve the lives and promoting the health and development of infant and toddlers

"My Supports"

I am a mother of three beautiful children, a wife, a manager of an early childhood facility, and currently pursuing my masters.  My daily environment, often times, is very exhausting and there are days I am not sure I can fulfill all duties.  To me, support is the foundation of life.  A person needs to have sources of support emotionally, physically, and practically.  Each day I am thankful for the support given to me from all the fabulous people in my life.

My husband is my number one support.  He is supportive of my emotions, dedication to higher education, my work, our children, our home and every single aspect of daily life.  Without him, my world would not be the same.  My children provide me with unconditional love.  They bring out my inner child and a smile to my face.  At work, my employees and the children we provide care for give me strength and motivation to continue to provide a safe and fun learning environment.

The challenge I thought about was the ability to not work.  Not working creates new challenges that support would be necessary in life to survive.  If I was not able to work, financially our family would need to tighten our life style and most likely down grade our home.  Our children would need to readjust their lifestyles and how they are used to living.  My husband would need to support our family financially. Without these supports my life would feel empty.  Life would be difficult to set goals and strive for better things without the cheerleaders on the sidelines cheering me on.

"My Connections to Play"

Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.

Michael Jordan
American basketball player

Play allows us to develop alternatives to violence and despair; it helps us learn perseverance and gain optimism.

Stuart Brown MD
Contemporary American psychiatrist

Growing up I had an old milk truck for a fort.  I spent countless hours using my imagination as I played.  I remember taking trips across the world, being a mom, delivering milk, or just having good ole fun with cousins during play.

As a young child, my brother Matt was my best friend.  We played together all day long (even when he didn’t want to).  As we got a little older, our play become more cooperative and we played together taking turns.  Our little red wagon is an example of a play time that represents my younger self.  Matt and I would pull each other around everywhere as we went exploring the world around us.

As a young child, I was pushed into the world to explore on my own.  I was the oldest of my siblings and many times was left in charge of watching them as we played outside.  We basically had two rules:  look out for each other and come home when it starts to get dark.  I can’t say that I remember really being supported in play as a child.

My definition of play has been clearly define as an adult and differs greatly from what I knew play to be as a child.  Today I have learned the importance caregivers have of guiding children’s play to support their growth and learning.  I hope to educate more caregivers on the significance of play.  Specifically the staff at my center as well as the families I provide care too.  Educating caregiver’s is vital to a child development.

Play is vital for both children and adults.  Play is as important to our physical and mental health.  It can be a stress reducer and adults still have the capabilities of learning new skills or becoming more comfortable with uncommon concepts.

Relationship Reflection

Jon and I have been married for 14 years.  He is my soul mate and my other half.  Our relationship is based on loyalty, honesty and love.  Together we form a partnership in providing for and raising our family as well as taking care of each other.  We have fallen in love over and over again.  Sharing the same philosophies and goals for our family has created a stronger partnership.

   Alixx is my 17 year old daughter.  She and I have a wonderful relationship.  We are open and honest with each other.  I ensure that I give her quality one on one time to build a strong relationship in which she feels comfortable, empowered, and guided.

Kamryn Ann is my eleven year old daughter.  She is very impressionable so I tend to spend lots of time talking to her about life.  The two of us have very different personalities.  In order to build a stronger relationship with her, I put myself in her shoes often and value her individuality. 

Jace is my 8 year old son, my baby, my love.  He has special needs and I tend to cater to his needs.  He has a huge heart and approaches life and its challenges positively.  Together we remind each other to stay optimistic and kind to others.  I have created a safe, warm and loving environment that he can successfully thrive in.

My mother, Teresa is my rock and inspiration.  She has taught me many lessons in life.  One lesson she taught me is to stand up for what I believe in and fight for what I want in life.  My mother and I are just like best friends.  We share common interests and understand each other’s unsaid words.  We have had our share of ups and downs, but always know each other are there when needed.  We have a mutual respect for on another that has built a strong relationship between us.

My Father-in-law, Bob and I have built a strong relationship.  He is a strong man who has faced many obstacles in life, one being the loss of his wife, Judy.  We have shared many conversations about life and he has brought the love a Jesus further into my life.  Our relationships continues to grow over time.

My two brothers, Marty and Matt are two very different people.  Marty and I share qualities of being out-going, adventurous, and thrill seekers.  Matt and I share qualities of having big hearts and willing to help anyone out in need.  We still have our disagreements, but that is what makes us love each other even more.  We use humor and respect each other’s likes and differences.  These factors have all contributed to our healthy relationships as siblings.

Through my experiences I have learned that relationships need to be nurtured.  They are built upon mutual respect and creating a safe environment.  Effective communication is another key quality to good relationships.  In order to maintain positive relationships there must be give and take.  We all make mistakes, sometimes through selfish thinking.  How we respond to other’s actions or how we correct our mistakes builds trust and forgiveness. 

I relate the relationships I have built with my love ones very similar to the relationships that I build with children and families on a daily basis.  Many of the same qualities are present in both settings.  Children and families need to feel safe, nurtured, and respected as well.  Open communication is a key quality too.  My relationships with families, turns into a partnership as we work together to help their child succeed educationally.  Building partnerships has a large impact on creating an effective program as well as my effectiveness as a professional in ECE.