My Connections to Play

“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity”

Quoted by: Kay Redfield Jamison

“Play keeps us vital and alive. It gives us an enthusiasm for life that is irreplaceable. Without it, life just doesn’t taste good”

Quoted by: Lucia Capocchione

Growing up for me it was my sister and me, along with my 2 male (1^st) cousins. Many of the times we played it was inside with one another. Our parents worked, while our grandparents watched over us until our parents came home. My grandparents weren’t too excited about us going outside to play with other children. They believed it was enough of us to play with one another. I can remember times we made forts out of sheets, my sister and I would play cook with our kitchen set feeding our male cousins and times where we traveled make believe with our baby dolls in our make believe cars. We use to have so much fun with one another. Our grandparents nor parents had to worry about us getting into other trouble because we were busy inside playing with one another. My grandfather encouraged us to play with one another and taught us that we don’t need a crowd of people to have fun.

Observing the way children play today compared to when I grew up is totally different. They are more into electronics and games instead of old school play. For example my younger sisters are 9 and 11 and do not know how to hula-hoop or play hop scotch. They can barely jump rope. Today’s society is more relaxed and less interested in actual play.

I enjoyed play during my years, and I still do years later. I understand how important play/bonding can be to a child. I encourage my toddler to play every day. When she comes home from school I make sure that I take at least 30 minutes of my time to play with her. Although I’m a matured adult, I still enjoy playing. I’m a BIG KID AT HEART!

Special Thanks

I personally thank each of you for sharing your stories, research information and your inspiring blogs. I thank you all for the support you have shown towards me as well. We succeeded as a class without knowing one another personally. I hope that you all continue to succeed in everything that you do, and I wish you all the best for next semester.

Quote about Children

The quote I chose was:

Whatever they grow up to be, they are still our children and the one most important of all the things we can give to them is unconditional love.
Not a love that depends on anything at all except that they are our children.
Rosaleen Dickson

ASSESSING CHILDREN

As a human being I believe that we are all different in our minds, body and spirits. When we were younger we developed at different stages amongst others and the same pattern exists today. In my opinion there are no two persons including twins whom develop alike. Children should not be assessed. Each child is different and may learn easier than others. A child’s background, culture and ethnicity should be taken into consideration before considering there is a learning delay. Often time’s children are being taught at school but have no one to tutor them while at home. Education should be taken seriously but I do not agree with school boards giving a test to determine where that child stands. That’s considered labeling and not every child is able to comprehend with standardized test. Some adults may become over excited or nervous when taking test and cause them to not do as well. This may occur with children also. The pressure of a test may cause them to become tensed and not able to concentrate.

VIOLENCE

As a child my parents were married but not happy together. My father was an aggressive police officer that like to drink and cheat on my mom. I remember times when he would come home bickering with my mom for no apparent reason. My sister and I were quite small at the time, I probably was 12 years old at the most. Hearing the yelling and screaming made my sister and I very uncomfortable. We would be inside our rooms hugging one another while our parnets were arguing. That made me feel scared and unconfrotable. I survived by praying. My parents have been divorced for over 13 years now. My sister and I was glad they made that decision.

In China the population is high, along with the poverty rates. It has become better over the years but it still exists. Growing up in a huge country in poverty can take away from that child. It can harm their self esteem, they shut others out, they have a smaller chance to receiving a great education.

http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=countryo

BREASTFEEDING

I never found breastfeeding to be so important until the day I delivered my daughter who was born 2lbs and 15oz. The doctors stressed how important it was to breastfeed a premature baby. I was told how healthy the milk was, and that it would help my daughter from becoming sick. This subject is meaningful to me because it expresses reasons to mothers on why they should choose to breastfeed. According to researchers babies are likely to be less sick due to the hormones and antibodies. Breast milk contains immunities to diseases and aids in the development of baby's immune system. (It also been proved that it can reduce the risk of SIDS (Women’s Health).

I discovered that in New Zealand when babies are breastfed they are more intelligent.   (Horwood and Ferguson). Mostly all children in Pakistan are breastfed. It is recommended that babies be exclusively breastfed for 6 months (Hanif 2011).  

The information towards breastfeeding impacts my life because I plan to have more children. My first child was breastfed until she was 5 months, so hopefully the second go round will last until the 12^th month. In researching several articles I’m still convinced that breastfeeding is the option for me. Once I decide to birth again I will remember that breast milk helps to keep babies from getting sick and may even make baby girls less at risk for cancer as they become older.

References:

Horwood and Fergusson, "Breastfeeding and Later Cognitive and Academic Outcomes", Jan 1998 Pediatrics Vol. 101, No. 1

http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/why-breastfeeding-is-important/ empowering women to live healthy lives

Hanif, H.(2011).  Trends in breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices in Pakistan, 1990-2007. Breastfeeding Journal 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2012.

The Birth of my Daughter

Having my daughter was one of the best feelings ever! I was overwhelmed with joy. Steps leading to the deliverance of my child was terrified. I was having sharp pains and shortness of breath on a Saturday night. My husband rushed me to the hospital where i was later admitted to discover that i had high blood pressure and fluid around my heart. To my discovery i was diagnosed with preeclampsia. I was in shock of the entire situation especially when the doctor told me that i may have an emergency C-section that night. They closely monitored me and i did not have a C-section that night. At the doctors discretion I spent a week in the hospital being closely monitored on special diets. After a week of being there, the doctor decided that it was no longer healthy or safe to keep my child in the womb any longer. He scheduled me a C-section for the next morning. At 32 weeks i gave birth at 8:32 am on March 19, 2010 to a beautiful baby girl who weighed 2lbs and 15oz. It was a blessing that see did not need any breathing machines she breathing fine on her own. Moments after her birth she was rushed to the NICU to be tested and closely evaluated. I never held her on that day. Luckily my husband was able to walk her over to the NICU which was very briefly. I was able to hold my baby girl for the first time on March 20, 2010. Holding her i instantly felt a bond. I was attached within seconds. My daughter spent an entire month in the NICU before released to come home. I called the hospital every 3hours to check on her, and went to see her 3 times out a day. Each night before I left, i cried hysterical. I was devastated, that i had a child who was unable to return home with me. On April 19, 2010 i was ecstatic that my daughter was coming home to live with her parents forever.

The birth of my child was a special event in my life. It was a scary moment, but God answered our prayers and saw fit for my child to survive. Today she is a healthy and active toddler whom i love more by the minute. I cherish every moment i spend with my child because it could have been another outcome to my situation.