My Supports

The factors within my daily environment that are supportive to me would have to be my husband. He is the greatest and most dependable person there is. His support is undeniably phenomenal; he helps with the household chores; if I am ill, he stays by my side until I am well and have regained my strength and am physically able to continue my daily responsibilities. , and he laughs at all my silly jokes. The benefits of having my husband as my support is that he is always aware of what is needed in the household, there is someone to always discuss issues that confront us daily. My world would literally fall apart without my husband present, after 18 years of growing to trust and know someone other than family members, the only person who shares everything it would be devastatingly drastic to wake up one day without him by my side.

Being a single mother would be the challenge I chose to imagine, and the thoughts I would have with regard to supports would want and need, would be strong male figures in my children’s lives; individuals whom I would look at as strong pillars of the community, and my children could emulate.  I find that my church would be that support; I can find members who could assist with emotional support, as well as spiritual. I can find other mothers with children who I can share concerns when confronted with difficult situations.

 

My husband is my best friend, and the greatest support this side of heaven, he is the most valuable person in my life. Without him life would extremely difficult, he is the one I turn to when I am afraid, or have uncertainties, when life storms and tempest rage. Life is difficult as it is when one is alone without a person who one can rely on, humans need other humans in order to survive, and for me that is my husband.   The members of the church can be more than just members,after time become not just  a strong community but also where one can  find the support one needs, such as emotional, and spiritual. Since the members are of all ages, there are women who can take the roles of mothers, grandmothers, aunts and sisters. The men likewise, and even great still they can stand in the gap is there is no father figure in the house.

Life without these supports would be difficult if not impossible, I know for a fact that this would be the case without my husband. After many years of having him by my side, I would be at a total loss without him. The members of my church are also valuable to me. The fellowship and time spent together is precious and priceless. They depend on me, just as much as I have come to depend on them. Many time we come to depend on the people in our lives, and  many times taking them for granted until that time when they are gone. Which is why I try to acknowledge and praise him and others in my life every chance I get. Life without those who we love, and who love us,  would be extremely difficult and hard. Thanks.

 

Best Regards,

Magda DeVictoria

My Connection to Play....

Two Quotes

“Play is our brain's favorite way of learning.”

Diane Ackerman
Contemporary American author

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.”

Fred Rogers
American television personality
1928–2003

 

  

 

    Describe how people supported play when you were younger and/or the role of play in your childhood.

My mother was the greatest supporter of play in my life; she did this by playing board and card games with us. We would play for hours, especially on cold raining or snowy weekend nights in New York. She taught me how to play rummy five hundred, and even to this day, I usually don’t win.

 

    

       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.

     

What I view as play during my childhood, if not today. Board games which encouraged family time were the games of choice, today, children play video games which do not require another partner, and the video is the child’s competitor. Card games are only played in the casino, not at the kitchen table while the mother prepared dinner. Children are rarely seen outside, playing hop-scotch, or jumping rope as I remember playing as a child. I remember chasing and being chased, playing tag, and there was always a brief minute or two for patty cakes, or London bridges in the school yard during recess.

 

 

                                                                                       

                  

       Include your thoughts regarding the role of play throughout your life and/or the role of play throughout childhood and adulthood.

As I reminisce on my childhood days of play, I but hope that it was the same today. I rarely see children playing after school, riding bikes. No longer do I hear the happy shrills of little girls. Are all the games today so structured therefore leaving no time for laughter?

               

                                                     

   

     

 

Relationship Reflection

Building strong and everlasting relationships is important for many reasons. The first relationships we build are those with our care-taker during infancy, it is through this relation we learn about love, trust, and those special bonds. In many cultures including my own, bonds are formed within the family structure first, for example bonds between parents, aunts and uncles and, cousins. The bonds formed between my cousins and I began during my infancy and continue even to this day. We have forms bonds of friendships through trust and communication, which have become stronger throughout the years. The lines of communication in any relationships are an important factor in keeping any relationship alive. Trust is another factor in maintaining these relationships, whether family or friends, or colleagues, if the trust between any two individuals is severed in anyway, it can be difficult to bond again, if at all.

 

"I continue to believe that if children are given the necessary tools to succeed, they will succeed beyond their wildest dreams!"

David Vitter, U.S. senator .

"Every child you encounter is a divine appointment."

Wess Stafford, President, Compassion International

Testing for Intelligence

Hello everyone.
     

When considering a commitment to viewing young children holistically I believe that the academic level of each child should be tested. Not all children are created equal, and some children are in need of greater assistance than others. Many times even if the student is extremely bright there may other factors that could be interfering with academic success. So I believe that children should be tested by psychologists and other experts when the circumstances require it. In order to serve the whole child, we must understand what it is that makes this child function.

In Puerto Rico school-aged children are being assessed much the same way the students here in the United States are, especially since the no child left behind (NCLB) mandates were implemented, which means that children as well as the teachers are being assessed.

I think children today are being over assessed, for example 2nd graders in Florida are assessed in the subjects of math and reading 4 times a year. Children today are being over burdened with examination today. What happens in the end is that the children become overwhelmed and refuse to cooperate.

Best Regards,
Magda.

The Consequences of Stress on Children'S Development

Disease is not a stranger in my family. My younger brother was diagnosed with spinal meningitis, which is an inflammation of the membranes (meninges) surrounding your brain and spinal cord ("Meningitis: Definition," 2012, para. 1) before his first birthday. I was four at the time and remember how my family members reacted to the news as they poured into the hospital floor to support my parents. I understood that something was terribly wrong, as I watched as my infant brother who was in isolation, behind the glass window that kept us separated, surrounded by a multitude of doctors and nurses with my mother somewhere in the midst. I remember how my mother reacted when after several long and exhausting hours the doctors finally were able to provide a diagnoses, my mother began crying uncontrollably, not understanding what was happening I became worried and began crying too, concerned for my mother. I wanted nothing more than for my brother and family to be home again. That night and for several weeks while my mother stayed with my younger brother we had to stay at relatives homes, which was really devastating for me and my other two siblings. Our father had to begin working nights in order so that he could take care of us during the day.  My brother survived this disease although he spent many months in the hospital, it wasn’t until 6 months later that he was released from the hospital, but he was completely healed. But the impact was tremendous for our family, even as a young child and as protective as my parents were, it still affected me. Not knowing if my younger brother would come, the image of him in that hospital room with all the machines attached to him tiny body, has been and continues to  a constant picture in my mind, even after all these years. When someone mentions meningitis it immdediately takes me back to that cold wintery night on that quiet, and dim hospital floor, as I watched behind the glass window.         

There are many countries that are facing devastating diseases that are killing both children and adults. For example in South Africa where AID/HIV epidemic has had devastating effects, on adults but especially children, “the number of premature deaths due to HIV/AIDS has risen significantly over the last decade from 39 percent to 75 percent in 2010” ("The Impact of HIV upon South Africa," 2013, p. 1). There were 56.9 deaths for every 1000 born due to this eradicating disease. The number of pregnant women diagnosed with this disease was about 30 percent in 2003, and these numbers have not seem to have declined since then ("The Impact of HIV upon South Africa," 2013). While this disease is preventable the South African government until recently had done little to provide government assistance to many providers. The results have been what I have mentioned above. This is devastating for the many children who are left without parents to take care of them, many of them have to have to be taken in by older family members many times grandparents, who many time do not have the finances to care for the children, many times forcing the families to move from location. These are changes that affect children cognitively, emotionally and developmentally, because they have to deal with the loss of both parents, and in many instances separated from other siblings or even family members and sent to orphanages if no other family member is willing or able to take them in. Many times these children themselves are infected with the HIV/AIDS virus and have to be institutionalized. I can only imagine how children will if they even make it to adults be able to function; the ravishing disease has the power to ruin lives. This chance of many of these children growing into healthy individuals are slim to none, many may suffer from insecure attachment behavioral problems, such as antisocial disorders, or learning disabilities. Thankfully for countries such as the United States has been providing funding to non- governmental organizations (NGO’s) such as USAID to Africa, so that they in turn can provide funding and resources needed in many of the villages where this disease has left its mark.


Best Regards,

Magda.

References

Definition of Meningitis. (2012, August 10). e-newletter: House Call. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/meningitis/DS00118

HIV and AIDS in South Africa. (2013). AVERT, 1-21. Retrieved from http://www.avert.org/aidssouthafrica.htm#contentTable0

USAID South Africa [Fact Sheet]. (2012). Retrieved from USAID: http://sa.usaid.gov/south_africa/node/5