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

Child Development and Public Health

Hello everyone,

According to the resource center for the national sudden and unexpected infant/child death and pregnancy loss consortium (SUID/SIDS) sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the third leading cause of infant death for 2009 and the leading death for infants from 1-12 months; these statistics are from the United States, which have declined drastically since 1999 (National SUID/SID Resource Center Statistics, February 2013, p. 1). America comes in second in the highest numbers of SIDS after New Zealand, with the lowest number of SIDS in countries such as Japan and Netherlands.

There seem to be a few commonalities in both countries, for example, many of these deaths are primarily among the disadvantaged, poor, many from  racial and ethnic groups. In America the highest seems to be from non- Hispanics, blacks, and American Indians, and in New Zealand the highest number of SIDS were from the Maori’s, an ethnic group. According to Mitchell et al. (1993) in New Zealand the highest numbers again appear to be in those infants from the ethnic group the Maori, as compared to non-Maori group (13).

This reason this topic is of great interest to me, is because I know of an infant who died as a result of SIDS, in the late 80’s. He was 12 months old, when his mother found him in his crib, the autopsy revealed that it had been SIDS. The impact of this death was overwhelming to everyone, but most significant on the parents, who were doting parents. I have since been an advocate for educating young mothers of the importance of placing infants on their backs to sleep, and of maintaining the crib and or area where the infant is free from any objects which can cause entanglement and or suffocation.

   

References

Mitchell, E. A., Stewart, A. A., Scragg, R., Ford, R. P., Taylor, B. J., Becroft, D. M., ... Allen, E. M. (1993, January 2). Ethnic differences in mortality from sudden infant death syndrome in New Zealand. British Medical Journal, 306(6869), 13-16. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1676357/

National SUID/SID Resource Center Statistics. (February 2013). http://www.sidscenter.org/Statistics.html

Best Regards,
Magda.

Child Birth in Your Life and Around the World

I had the privilege of being part of several of my sister’s live births. I have to say my sister is a trooper; she had her first three children without any type of pain killers including any epidurals and two these three babies came into the world weighing in more than 9 pounds. I can still recall the event; the center was a maternity center where there were midwives. My sister was in labor for three hours, when she began to crown. She was given the choice of deciding which position to give birth so she decided to have the baby in a squatting position, which alleviated the contractions and did not work again gravity. I can still remember the midwives encouraging her and guiding her along as she began pushing, and the baby beginning to appear through the birthing canal, I was apprehensive and thought maybe the midwives might become careless miss and let the baby fall, but thanks to their expertise that did not occur. It was the first natural, and not to mention horizontal birth I had been present at. I have to admit that it was the most amazing and wonderful event I had ever witnessed. Having been one of the firsts to see the baby arrive into the world was breathless, being able to hold her within seconds of her arrival, priceless. I have chosen this example because of the birthing method my sister chose to embrace. This method did not include drugs, the center was dedicated to only women and the main focus was the mother and her baby.  The midwives were phenomenal to say the least, their knowledge and expertise superseded anything I could say or imagine. The other important fact about this experience was the setting of the room, which was recreated to resemble a family’s bedroom instead of a hospital room, and family members from both sides were welcomed to be a part of the wonderful event. It was as I mention earlier the greatest and most amazing event I have ever had the privilege of being a part of. I believe that giving birth is just a minute part of child development. The development of a child truly begins the second that mother learns that she is with child, not after the child is born. She should begin with a proper nutrition and care of her physical and mental health as well. Limiting exposure to any harmful elements that may affect the growing baby within her is of utmost importance.

 

The country of the world I have chosen to share about is Spain. I was drawn to this particular country because of the choices given to mothers to give birth, either private or at a public clinic. I thought it is interesting how we have choices in America, but with different outcomes. In Spain for instance if the mother decides to have a baby in a “private hospital” while she will be entitled to stay in a private bedroom;  the hospital may not have state of the art equipment in the event that something should go wrong. In which case the baby will be transported to a public clinic or hospital where the state of the art equipment can be found no matter how run down the hospital maybe. Another interesting fact about Spain’s labor room’s staff is that if the mother is having trouble during delivery, there is always the possibility that one of the attending medical staff members all in the name of “trying” to speed up the birth might just decide to throw themselves on the mother’s stomach, in order to speed up the delivery. Another interesting fact I learned while conducting this research is that if you request an epidural there is a chance you may not get one, and if you do receive pain medication you may not know what type of pain medication it is, which is why many expectant mothers decide to deliver naturally.  However, I have learned that the Spaniards do expect fathers to hang around the hospital as long as the mother is there, which can be anywhere from 1 to 3, and in some instances even 4 days. The family is given all the documents needed to provide proper care for the baby, and his mother before the family leaves the hospital. The baby is seen by the doctor within two weeks after birth, and parents are advised that if any emergency should arise they should seek immediate attention a public hospital’s emergency room. Learning about Spain has made me truly appreciate the American way of labor and delivery a great deal more.  

 

References

 

http://www.tumbit.com/how-to-guides/articles/18-having-a-baby-in-spain.html

 

A Note of Thanks and Support

To all my colleagues,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your sincere support and encourgement. Once again I have truly enjoyed reading your posts, all of which have been engaging and are driven by the years of experience you bring to the field early childhood. I have learned so much, and have admired how each of you has shared many of your goals and your passions. I hope that we can continue growing while in this program, either through our blogs or the student café.  Thanks once again!


Best Regards,

Magda

Eamining Codes of Ethics and Committment:II

DEC: Code of Ethics

III. Responsive Family Centered Practices ---ensure that families receive individualized, meaningful, and relevant services responsive to their beliefs, values, customs, languages, and cultures. We are committed to enhancing the quality of children’s and families’ lives by promoting family well-being and participation in typical life activities. The early childhood special education profession will demonstrate respect for all families, taking into consideration and acknowledging diverse family structures, culture, language values, and customs. Finally, families will be given equal voice in all decisions making relative to their children. The following practice guidelines provide a framework for enhancing children’s and families’ quality of lives.

Enhancement of Children’s and Families’ Quality of Lives

2. We shall recognize our responsibility to improve the developmental outcomes of children and to provide services and supports in a fair and equitable manner to all families and children.

As professionals it is our responsibility to ascertain that all children who we come in contact with show growth and improvement in their development, this can be accomplished by providing  parents with any and all resources available for the continual growth and  development of their children.

Examing Codes of Ethics and Commitment

NAEYC  ..

Section I

Ethical Responsibilities to Children

Childhood is a unique and valuable state in the human life cycle. Our paramount responsibility is to provide care and education I settings that are safe, healthy, nurturing, and responsive for each child. We are committed to supporting children’s development and learning; respecting individual differences; and helping children learn to live, play, and work cooperatively. We are also committed to promoting children’s self-awareness, competence, self-worth, resiliency, and physical well-being.

Ideals

1) 1-1.1—To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care and education and to stay informed through continuing education and training.

2) 1-1.5—To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions.

These codes depict the importance for us to continue pursuing and keeping abreast of all that the information highway has to offer in the field of early childhood. But most importantly due to the injustices involving children around the world today, including in our own backyard, for example in many  child care centers today, children have fallen victim to rape, physical abuse, which has lead in many cases to fatal injuries, in the hands of those who are responsible of their well-being.  Keeping informed of new policies that will assure that all children are protected from those who aim to bring them harm,  should be of utmost importance.

Growing Your Collection of Resources: IIII

 

 

Eye On Education is an independent and innovative provider of books and professional development services for the educational community.
Our mission is to provide busy educators with practical information on professional development, educational leadership, school improvement, student assessment, data analysis, teaching skills, and other related topics. One of the few remaining family-owned publishing companies, Eye On Education publishes only resources

http://www.eyeoneducation.com/Default.aspx

Growing Your Collection of Resources: III

Head Start and Beyond:
A National Plan for Extended Childhood Intervention.
Edited by Edward Zigler and Sally J. Styfco

A Review:

"[This]  book is accessible to an unusually wide range of audiences in child development, education, and social policy, including researchers, program designers and evaluators, and policy makers....I highly recommend this forward-looking volume. It is full of insights and good ideas." 

 Author J. Reynolds, Child Development Abstracts and Bioliography

Growing Your Collection of Resources: II

The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE)


The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) studies Administration for Children and Families (ACF) programs and the populations they serve through rigorous research and evaluation projects. These include evaluations of existing programs, evaluations of innovative approaches to helping low-income children and families, research syntheses and descriptive and exploratory studies.

We also coordinate performance management for ACF. View examples of Performance Plans and Reports.

We have three divisions:

• The Division of Economic Independence focuses on welfare and employment.
• The Division of Child and Family Development focuses on child care, Head Start, Early Head Start, and child abuse and neglect.
• The Division of Family Strengthening focuses on teen pregnancy prevention, youth development, healthy marriage, responsible fatherhood, and home visiting.

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre

Growing Your Collection of Resources: I

Part 1: Position Statements and Influential Practices

• Course Media: "The Resources for Early Childhood"
  Five early childhood professionals discuss their preferred and trusted resources.

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
  
  Note: The following article can be found in the Walden University Library databases.
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-53.
  Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title.

Part 2: Global Support for Children's Rights and Well-Being

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
• Websites:
• • World Forum Foundation
    http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
    This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the media segment on this webpage
  • World Organization for Early Childhood Education
    http://www.omep-usnc.org/
    Read about OMEP's mission.
  • Association for Childhood Education International
    http://acei.org/
    Click on "Mission/Vision" and "Guiding Principles and Beliefs" and read these statements.

Note: Explore the resources in Parts 3 and 4 in preparation for this week's Application assignment.

Part 3: Selected Early Childhood Organizations

• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/
• Children's Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
• Institute for Women's Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067
• Voices for America's Children
  http://www.voices.org/
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/

Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library
Tip: Use the A-to-Z e-journal list to search for specific journal titles. (Go to "How Do I...?", select "Tips for Specific Formats and Resources," and then "e-journals" to find this search interface.)

• YC Young Children
• Childhood
• Journal of Child & Family Studies
• Child Study Journal
• Multicultural Education
• Early Childhood Education Journal
• Journal of Early Childhood Research
• International Journal of Early Childhood
• Early Childhood Research Quarterly
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Studies
• Maternal & Child Health Journal
• International Journal of Early Years Education

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

Edward  F. Zigler Ph.D.

“The greatest enemy of children today is poverty. We're not doing enough”

 Edward  F. Zigler Ph.D.

“Here's the strategy that I have used. It's taken me decades to learn it, and it has worked: In the good years, work very hard to win everything that's possibly winnable. In the bad years, work just as hard to keep your losses to a minimum. There are good times, and there are bad times. But you have to stay in the game.” 

Edward F. Zigler Ph.D.

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

“I see adults finding their voice as a result of doing this work. It’s like they reclaim and heal things that happened to them in their childhood that maybe no one had help them work with when they were younger.” Louis Derman-Sparks

 “We as professionals in the early childhood field have an opportunity to shape a child’s life for the better…” Sandy Escobido

“Not here to save the world, just here to make a difference in the community that I’m working.” Raymond Hernandez MS Ed.

“It’s not all about you, you got to take your ego out of it and think about what’s best for this child…” Renatta M. Cooper

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

 Dr.Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005)

“If the children and youth of a nation are afforded opportunity to develop their capacities to the fullest, if they are given the knowledge... to understand the world and the wisdom to change it, then the prospects for the future are bright. In contrast, a society which neglects its children, however well it may function in other respects, risks eventual disorganization and demise."

Dr. Urie Bronfenbrenner

“Witness the American ideal: the Self-Made Man. But there is no such person. If we can stand on our own two feet, it is because oth...ers have raised us up. If, as adults, we can lay claim to competence and compassion, it only means that other human beings have been willing and enabled to commit their competence and compassion to us--through infancy, childhood, and adolescence, right up to this very moment.”

 Dr. Urie Bronfenbrenner

 

My Personal Childhood Web

My Mother (Maria)

My mother is an exceptional and wonderful individual. She is strong, determined, and ever so optimistic, and never ceases to amaze me. She is outgoing, friendly, and ever so energetic, is not shy to speak her mind, or advocate for what is right, and extremely independent. These are the characteristics she instilled into me and my siblings. Her life was always dedicated to her children, and their well-being.

Being the second eldest and the first daughter was her wish come true, the apple of her eyes. My mother and I have an extremely close relationship and always have. I can still recall how she would always help with homework, and was always present in all the parent-teacher nights. She reached out to all my teachers and school administrators. She taught us the importance of education, and always encouraged us to take pride of the work we were responsible for. This is why I have chosen this career path, so that I can help other families to do the same.

We always have had a close and intimate relationship.  We speak via phone every day, and when I lived in Philadelphia we would have dinner at least once a week, go to the movies, or rent a movie, just the two of us. Our relationship has become more important to me the older I become, especially because I realize the struggles she was confronted with as a single mother of four.    

My Aunt (Lola)

My Titi (auntie) as I lovingly called her was the second person in my life who made me feel special. I was her little doll, and she would always make me feel as if I were her daughter too. She would spoil me with clothes, shoes, and anything pretty a little would like. She was always fun to be around, as well as loving and caring. During my younger years I remember that several of my mother’s siblings lived in the same tenement in New York. My aunt would come to visit everyday before and after work. As I grew into a young lady she taught me the importance of behaving like a lady. She instilled in me the love of traveling, and living life to its fullest. She always had a smile and a song in her heart.

I remember after we moved to Philadelphia, she would always come and spend the winter holidays with us, we would stay up all night talking about anything and everything. I would always ask about her travels and the many famous friends she had in the world of music. I her love for me and the kind words said through song is what impacted me the most. Her love for all things pretty and feminine are many of the memories I have left of her, she died in 2007 several days after her birthday.

My Cousin (Evelyn)

Cousin Evelyn is someone I esteem as a sister. She is one of the most intelligent individuals I have ever known. I have always found her love for knowledge fascinating and intriguing. She is probably the only person I know who can type at the speed of lightening. She always tells me how special I am to her. She was my babysitter as an infant, and toddler. She was always nurturing to me and continues to be in so many ways. As an adult she mentored and provided guidance, she was the one person I could confide in, much like a friend. I remember my often trips to New York to spend weekends with her, go out shopping, and as she would say “paint the town red. Her love for knowledge is what has impacted me.

Friend (Julia)

Julia came into my life as a young child, when we move into the same building she and her family lived in. Julia became my second mother, her nurturing and loving ways were always special. She would always be the one to walk us to and from school. Since she was a stay at home mom of four, I was quickly drawn to her family, who took me in as one of their own. She was one of the best cooks I have known, and whatever I wanted she would prepare for me without a moment’s hesitation.  My favorite was a dish we call pionono in  the Puerto Rican culture (a layered plantain dish prepared much like lasagna but without the cheese, just meat, seasoned with Spanish spices and herbs) wonderful, and delightfully fattening, if I might add. She was one of the most devoted mothers I have ever known, who doted and loved her children and those of her neighbors. She was the one whose house was always full with children, but she never complained. Her love for children, cooking and her easy going personality is what impacted me the most, I often think of the way she would lovingly look at me whenever I was in her company.

This poem truly encapsulates the essence of what can be accomplished when both teachers and parents work together!

"One was teacher;
The tools she used were the books and art;
One was a parent
With a guiding hand and gentle loving heart
And when at last their work was done,
They were proud of what they had wrought
For the things they had worked into the child."

Ray A Lingenfelter

These was taken at the Philadelphia International Airport, the art was made by children. The photo does not capture the essence of the mural.

This Image was Drawn by an Older 2 year old.

The Little Bear, my favorite book as a child, and still do today. It is a great book to read to children during circle time. My mother read this book to me in Spanish. It is a book about a baby bear, who is nurtured with much patience and love by his mama bear. Good book to read to your children as well.