One issue that is currently on the rise is cyber bullying. Over 40 percent of kids have been bullied online, according to i-SAFE America, a nonprofit group that educates parents and kids about using the Internet responsibly. The internet, cell phones, e-mail, and instant messaging have made it easier for people to bully each other, from the comfort of their own home. Cyber bullying has produced more bullies than face-to-face bullying normally would. Being able to hide behind your computer screen can make it easier for people to get involved with cyber bullying. There are precautions that parents can take to help prevent their child from becoming a cyber bully or a victim. Parents can keep the computer in a family room, and out of the child's bedroom. Parents can ensure that they always know what their child is doing on the computer, and even put a password or set a time limit for computer use.
Another emerging issue has to do with sex in American culture. Parents need to be aware of what their children are looking up online, what kind of movies they are watching, and what kind of music they are listening to. America's culture has definitely become more open to the topic of sex, and that can make it harder for parents to protect their children from early exposure. Negative messages are being pushed on adolescents and younger girls in a dangerous way. These young girls feel like if they are not "thin" enough or "hot" enough, then ultimately they are not "good" enough. According to research, the sexualization of young girls and women has been linked to eating disorders, depression, and low self-esteem. Also, it hinders the ability for young girls and women to develop a healthy sexual self-image.
After talking about young girls being exposed to sex, the last emerging issue that I have picked is teen pregnancy. It is not only the young teens affected by teen pregnancy, but also their families, and most importantly, the child. The biggest risk for teen mothers is delaying prenatal care, or for some, not even receiving prenatal care at all. Also, teen mothers are at a greater risk for having complications in their pregnancy.
There are precautions that parents can take to try and prevent teen pregnancy. Ultimately, it is up to the teenager to make the right decisions but by effective communication and support, the parents can ensure that they are a positive influence in that decision making progress. Parents need to be clear about their own sexual values and attitudes. Parents need to talk with their adolescents early, and often, about sex and they need to be specific. Also, parents need to monitor their adolescents whereabouts and make a genuine effort to get to know their friends.
This image shows the major brain areas implicated in children with autism. The areas include the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and temporal lobe--particularly the amygdala. Autism may result from the failure of different parts of the brain to work together.Society for Neuroscience - Autism in Children
Autism is defined as a developmental disorder, characterized by impaired communication, excessive rigidity, and emotional detachment.
Children who have autism have impairments in social interaction, particularly in their language development. Children with autism tend to stay in the infant-toddler stage longer than children who do not have autism. Parents with autistic children experience unique challenges.
Children with autism might show a unique talent for mathematical skills, artistic abilities, and an excelled memory development. Unfortunately, this can sometimes lead to unrealistic expectations for the child and due to the lack of progress, parents may experience disappointment.
Another challenge for parents is that children with autism rarely show affection. Because of this, parents receive little reinforcement for the care that they give. All of the challenges of autism are difficult in general. Adding to that stress, is the reactions and the lack of understanding that these parents sometimes deal with. Autism Awareness is very important, not only for us as individuals, but to make these parents feel accepted, understood, and to ensure support for their well-being.
This article gives more insight into the brain of an autistic child. The information is based on a study of the brain by Marcel Just, Akiki Mizuno and their collaborators at CMU's Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging (CCBI). In their study, they found that the reason that autism is linked with confusing pronouns is not just a word choice problem. Instead, it is a disordered neural representation of the self.
Characteristics of Children with Autism:
Source: Adapted from Behavioral Assessment and Curriculum Development, in R. Koegel, A. Rin-cover, and A. Egel ( Eds.), Educating and Understanding Autistic Children ( pp. 1 32), by J. Johnson and R. Koegel, 1982, San Diego, CA: College- Hill Press.
- The inability to relate to other people in an ordinary manner, including an absence of social smiling, a preference for interaction with objects rather than people, and the absence of distress when a parent leaves the room.
- Language deficits, including mutism, echolalia, non communicative speech, pro-noun reversals, and immature grammar.
- Sensory impairment characterized by over- or under- responding to noise, touch, and visual stimuli.
- Abnormal affect, including extreme or no fear reactions, tantrums, and uncon-trolled giggling and crying.
- Self- stimulation, including spinning self and objects, repetitive hand movements, rocking, humming, and so on.
- Inappropriate play, including self- stimulation.
- Extreme resistance to environmental changes, food, everyday schedule, familiar routes, and so on.
This article is beneficial in answering more specific questions that one might have about autism. It provides information on the common signs of autism, how autism is diagnosed, if symptoms of autism change over time, and the research currently being done on autism.
This article provides information on the three different types of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Autistic Disorder, Asperger Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder.
Outlook of a mother of an autistic child
I am the mother of an autistic child. It is not easy from day to day. I know that with hard work, my son and I are going to be okay. He goes to school and therapy . He works as hard as he can. He fights this thing we call autism. We are proud of our little man. We are turning a negative into a positive. Everyday that is what we do. Our glass if half full instead of empty. And it can be that way for you too. So don't give up. Don't fall apart. We'll all make it though with determination and heart. Our kids are special, and that's a fact. We can fight autism, and get what it takes back.
-Written by Mary Kangas
This video provides interviews with parents of autistic children. We have heard, and read about, autism but these parents live it every single day. During the interviews, these parents talk about the signs of autism that they noticed in their child's development.
Along with the interviews, the video talks about the nonprofit, community-based health agency Easter Seals. Through Easter Seals, parents can receive a free developmental screening for their child, further evaluations if necessary, different types of treatments that are offered, and the child will be put on a waiting list for a diagnostic clinic where the child will be evaluated by several experts. Easter Seals can provide families with a sense of hope, and make the families feel like they are moving forward in getting their child the help that they need.
Source: Adapted from Behavioral Assessment and Curriculum Development, in R. Koegel, A. Rin-cover, and A. Egel ( Eds.), Educating and Understanding Autistic Children ( pp. 1 32), by J. Johnson and R. Koegel, 1982, San Diego, CA: College- Hill Press.
Promoting the Social-Emotional Development of Infants and Toddlers
Parents should seek to adapt a parenting style that is responsive, sensitive, and provides contingent responsiveness. This will increase the bond between a parent and an infant, and lead to infant trust and secure attachment.
When infants experience contingent responsiveness, their parents allow them to be actively engaged in the role of elicitor as well as the receiver of parental attention. Parents engage their infants in contingent responsiveness when they let their infant's signals guide them to meet their needs. When infants see that their needs are met, secure attachment is developed. Discovery Fit & Health - "Theories of Cognitive Development" This article talks about the different perspectives of four theorists in regards to cognitive development: Piaget, Gesell, Erikson, and Spock.
Benefits of Infant Attachment:
- Infants are more responsive.
- Infants show a more varied means of communication and tend to cry
less.
- Infants have a more compliant attitude.
- Infants tend to grow into children who portray competence in social and cognitive skills.
This article talks about the attachment bond between a parent and a child. It includes what the attachment bond is, the benefits for the child, and the difference between a secure and an insecure attachment bond. It also includes myths and facts about bonding and secure attachment.
I included this article because, not only does it talk about parental bonding with babies, but it provides information on bonding with your child all the way until the age of three years old.
When the child is between birth and 12 months old, some things the parents can do are provide responsive care, support babies' developing skills, and provide affection and security.
When the child is between 12 to 24 months, parents can help the young toddler's problem solving skills, praise the process and not just the result, and help children learn to resolve conflict in a healthy way.
When the child is between 24 to 36 months, parents can help their toddler understand their feelings, encourage early friendships, use language to describe feelings and experiences, and explain reasons for limits and requests.
Plumb - In My Arms
Your baby blues
So full of wonder
Your curly cues
Your contagious smile
And as I watch
You start to grow up
All I can do is hold you tight
Knowing clouds will rage
And storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms
Story books full of fairy tales
Of kings and queens and the bluest skies
My heart is torn just in knowing
You'll someday see the truth from lies
Knowing clouds will rage
And storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms
Castles they might crumble
Dreams may not come true
But you are never all alone
Because I will always
Always love you
Clouds will rage
And storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms
I chose this video because the researchers at Marycliff Institute and the University of Virginia have provided more insight on baby bonding. The video mentions that 40-50% of parents raise insecurely attached children according to research in parent-child attachment.
The video also talks about a scientific experiment that is performed called "The Strange Situation". This tests the security or insecurity of the child, by placing the child in unique scenarios to activate anxiety over a 20 minute period. This reveals the level of attachment that the child has to the parent.
Effective Parent-Child Communication as a Parenting Strategy
One of the reasons that I chose to focus on parent-child communication is because communication is a very important aspect of every type of relationship that human beings will have. When you communicate with someone, not only are you receiving and sharing ideas, but you are teaching, learning, and making some sort of impact on that person's life. I believe that communication is not something that human beings can perfect. Everyone is different, and therefore, every communication experience that you will have will be different.
Another reason, and the most important reason, is because of the way my communication skills will affect my daughter. What I say to her, how I say it, and how she receives what is said will impact her for the rest of her life. That is something that she is going to take with her as an adult, and pass on to her children someday. My goal is to continue to learn about effective communication in a way that will positively impact my family as a whole.
POSITIVE
The image on the left is a positive example of communication between a parent and a child.
NEGATIVE
The image on the right is a negative example of
communication between a parent and a child.
Benefits of Effective Communication:-
- Positive interactions between parents and children
- Leads to high self-esteem in children
- Prevents problematic behavior
- Helps children understand how to positively interact with others
Written by Kristen Zolten, M.A. and Nicholas Long, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
The reason that I chose this article for my blog was because of its overall content. The article expresses specific ways that parents can communicate with their children that will benefit the parent-child relationship. The article also expresses things to look out for, that will hinder that communication process. It is important to focus on the negative ways of communication, just as much as the positive, because parents could have adapted these habits without even realizing it.
Effective Parent-Child Communication consists of the following strategies:
The first three strategies focus on the prevention of problems approach, and the last strategy focuses on the resolution of conflict approach.
Problem Ownership-Problem ownership is the ability to identify who owns the problem, when a problem arises. This technique prevents parents from placing blame on their children when problems arise in the parent-child relationship. The person that is distressed by the situation is the one that owns the problem.
Active Listening-Active listening is a communication strategy that consists of the parent listening to the message that the child is expressing, and mirroring back the child's message, in a way that the parent understood it. When a parent uses active listening, the parent should not only pay attention to the child's message, but also to the child's body language and tone of voice. When the result of problem ownership is that the child owns the problem, active listening should be used.
I-Messages -When the result of problem ownership is that the parent owns the problem, the "I-message" communication strategy should be used. An I-message is used to express the feelings of the parent, without placing blame. There are three parts to an I-message: the feelings of the sender, the behavior of the recipient, and the effect of the recipient's behavior on the sender.
Conflict Negotiation -The No-Lose Method of Conflict Resolution that was developed by Thomas Gordon in 1975 is a democratic approach to the resolution of conflict in parent-child relationships.This is a win-win strategy that involves both the parent and the child in coming up with a solution that both can be satisfied with.
This is a useful website that provides more conversation techniques that will help benefit parent-child communication. I found it to be very useful because it does mention techniques like eye-contact and the I-message, but it also brings up new ones such as asking open ended questions, suggesting options and alternatives, and not sweating the small stuff.
This Live Science news article talks about a new way to provide effective communication between parents-adolescents. Simply sitting down at the dinner table as a family can open that bridge for communication, and benefit adolescents in the long run. However, this is not something that should begin when the child has reached adolescent age, but something that should begin beforehand.
Martina McBride - In My Daughter's Eyes
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero I am strong and wise and I know no fear But the truth is plain to see She was sent to rescue me I see who I wanna be In my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak I find reason to believe In my daughter's eyes
And when she wraps her hand around my finger Oh it puts a smile in my heart Everything becomes a little clearer I realize what life is all about
It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough It's giving more when you feel like giving up I've seen the light It's in my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy
she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes
I chose this video because it shows, from mothers' perspectives, more examples of how to effectively communicate with children. Not only are these women educated in the subject of communication that benefits parent-child relationships, but they are actually able to practice these techniques with their own families and gain a better understanding from the results.
My name is Kimberly Nielsen. My husband and I are stationed in Illesheim, Germany. I spent four years in the army, and now I am enjoying my role as a military wife and a soon to be mother. We are currently expecting, and my due date is September 16, 2011. My husband and I would like to have 3 more children in the future. My educational goal is to attend school for nursing, and be an RN. I would like to specialize in the medical-surgical aspect of nursing.
This is my first college course, and I am really excited to be taking a class on parenting. When I first started this course, I knew that I wanted to be a good parent but I did not have a clear idea of what kind of parent I wanted to be. I did not have any prior knowledge of specific parenting techniques or the different styles of discipline. Since beginning this course, I have learned about different parenting strategies that I want to use to be beneficial to our children.
This is a picture of me and my husband, Garry.
This is a picture of our daughter, Makayla. This picture was taken when I was 10 weeks pregnant.
At Mommy Daddy Boot Camp Class, our instructor had all of the husbands wear a “mommy belly” and carry a doll. That explains my husband’s attire.
