Stressors

I did not experience any of the stressors listed and was not or I am not aware of any of my family or friends experiencing any of those stressors. Although this is tough for me to share I will share a little and move on. I did experience sexual abuse by my grandfather from ages 3 to 12 until my parents found out. I think I survived because I had my immediate family that cared deeply for me and I had faith. The ramifications are I have poor body image, I am extremely modest, and I kept my feelings bottled up for years. I did get private counseling about a year and a half ago (I am 39) and received counseling through my church as well. I think sexual abuse happens all across the nation and in every country of the world. Cognitively I think the stress affected my learning. There

were times it was hard to concentrate in school. When the abuse stopped my love for school grew and my grades improved dramatically. As far as my psychosocial development it clouded my thoughts about family, trust, and even hindered my social skills. As part of my healing I had to tell my other immediate family members (my brothers) about the abuse because up until a year and a half ago it was a secret. In response both of my brothers (both police officers) said, “oh my gosh now I understand why you are the way you are.” 

In the United Sates there are laws against sexual abuse however many people still do not report or they handle it within the family. As educators of children and parents it is important to remember it is our job as mandated reporters to report any suspicion of abuse. We must educate as many people as possible to protect children!

Public Health Measures: SIDS

The public health topic I chose is SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. This topic is meaningful to me because babies are my passion in the early childhood field. I want to learn as much as I can and pass the information on to the families I serve. Also in my previous job I worked with a teen mom that lost her 4-month-old baby girl to SIDS.

SIDS is an unexplainable death of a baby in its sleep. SIDS has decreased since the public awareness campaign called "Back to Sleep" however the back to sleep method of sleeping is not a cure for SIDS. Risk factors for SIDS include, " low birth weight, over-dressed infants, low SES, formula feeding, and teenage parenthood," (Berger, 2009). Two ways to reduce the risk of SIDS besides back to sleep are breast-feeding as well as introducing baby to a binki during rest times.

The information I learned will allow me to teach new parents about the risks of SIDS. I will also be able to pass the information on to friends, family, and neighbors. Any information that can reduce infant deaths is important information!

Other interesting information I learned while researching SIDS includes, "African-American infants are twice as likely and Native-American infants are three times more likely to die of SIDS than Caucasian infants," (Kids Health, 2008). Boys die more often from SIDS than girls (Kids Health, 2008). Most internet resources I reviewed list Asian babies as the lowest risk race and ethnic group for SIDS. I found this interesting because several articles listed Japanese families as common co-sleepers which is not recommended in the United States because infants can over heat or parents can roll onto their babies.

Josie Zbaeren 

Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood. (5^th ed.). New York,
            NY: Worth Publishers

Kids Health, (2008, Novemeber 1). Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Kids Health.
Retrieved from http://www.bing/

My Third Born:

My Third Born: A little over 17 years ago I was pregnant with my third daughter Olivia. I was not feeling well one December evening and decided to take a shower to help me relax before going to bed. While in the shower I heard a tiny little pop. I quickly shut off the shower and stepped out of the tub to discover my water broke. Within a matter of minutes I was in serious pain. My husband and I gathered up Madeline (3 years) and Emilegh (18 months) and raced down out hill. I knew we had to hurry. I was feeling a lot of pressure. We dropped the girls off at their aunt and uncles and sped to the hospital. The ride from our house to the hospital took roughly 20 minutes.  By the time we reached the hospital I was feeling the urge to push. I walked passed the ER, straight to the elevator, up to delivery. My husband stayed back to sign papers. I explained to the nurse the baby was coming now. She did not believe me at first however as soon as I could I was in the bed and she too quickly realized I was not kidding. My doctor happened to be at the hospital and delivered Olivia Jo Zbaeren 7 minutes after I reached the delivery room. My husband entered the room just in time to see her arrive. 

I chose this experience because it was much different than my other deliveries. (I have 4 biological daughters and 1 adopted daughter). Although my other daughters were born in three hours or less Olivia’s was so short I felt rushed and ill prepared. Olivia was not a planned pregnancy and I was overwhelmed from the beginning of the pregnancy until about three months after her birth. I felt like I was spread thin and wanted to be able to give all the girls all of my love and was not sure how I was going to manage. I did not feel an instant connection with Olivia and needed my husband’s support as well as extended family support. Thank God they all jumped right into help. I suffered from postpartum depression for six weeks or so but did get the help I needed right away.

I think the impact on Olivia was minimal however I think that is due to the fact she was cared for by others especially dad. I understand that an unplanned pregnancy can cause much stress. I focused on my little girls at home and loved my life with them and my husband so I knew everything would work out in the end. I also think my faith kept me strong. The text explains, “bonding after birth is neither necessary nor sufficient for strong parental alliance and for parent-child attachment throughout life” (Berger, 2009). Even after all these years I was happy to read those words. I wanted it to be love at first sight but the fact is it took time.

FYI: After I adjusted we enjoyed Olivia so very much. She was a pleasant spirited baby and is a wonderful young lady now! I love her!

I decided to look at women giving birth in Iraq. Many women receive or opt out of prenatal care out of fear. There is a poor health care system and often there are only nurses in the hospitals and they carry guns. Women are often charged for ambulance rides to the hospital once labor has begun. If labor begins during curfew hours women fear leaving their homes and try to get assistance from a midwife. If they reach a hospital there may not be a doctor for various reasons one being kidnapping.  It is a scary time for women in Iraq altogether. I felt sad reading this article.

Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Trejos, Nancy (2009). Iraq’s woes are adding major risks to childbirth. Retrieved from

http://www.washingtonpost.com

Josie Zbaeren

Week 7 Assignment

NAEYC: Here are the three codes of ethics that are meaningful to me and significant to my professional life.

1. "Base our work on knowledge of how children develop and learn."
2. "Appreciate and support the bond between the child and family."
3."Recognize that children and adults achieve their full
Potential in the context of relationships that are based
on trust and respect."

These three are meaningful to me for several reasons. First, in order to teach children to move from one skill to another we must understand child development. Second, as early educator's we must be mindful and respectful of family bonds, maintain appropriate boundaries, and provide services that are family friendly. Parents are children's first and most important teachers we must act as supporters of families. Last, trust is the key to any successful relationship. We have the honor of taking care of parents most prized possession and we must work to help children and families reach their fullest potential by building a foundation of trust. Understanding the above concepts is essential to the success of my students. I must understand child development and have parents on board to provide the best services I can for children and families.

Resources (Walden)

Resources from Walden

http://www.erikson.edu/

http://www.voices.org/

http://www.preknow.org/

http://nieer.org/

http://www.nccanet.org/

http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/

http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm

http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home

http://www.ccw.org/

http://www.childrensdefense.org/

http://www.highscope.org/ 

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

http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm

http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm

http://www.zerotothree.org/

http://www.dec-sped.org/

http://www.naeyc.org/

http://www.naeyc.org/

http://www.omep-usnc.org/

http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us

http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf

http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf

http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller

My Resources:

http://edkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/

http://childdevlopment.com/childdevelopment/teens

http://oldweb.naeyc.org/

Other resources I use:

Collogues, instructors, trainings.

Josie Zbaeren

Week Four Quotes

Quotes:

President Clinton Quote: “We cannot build our own future without helping others to build theirs.”

In an article by Marcy Whitebook entitled No Single Ingredient she states, “a review of evidence for both K-12 and ECE reveals three key ingredients that contribute to effective teaching across all age spans: first preparation matters, second support matters, and third reward matters,” (2010).

Passion:

Louise Derman-Sparks (her passion)

“To make sure all children were taught in environments and ways that truly nurture their ability to grow and development to their fullest potential.”

Leticia Lara

“My passion has been evolving through the years. It’s an ongoing process.”

I like these two statements because I too want to help children grow to their fullest potential. I also want to continue to grow in my filed and keep the passion brewing.

Josie Zbaeren

Picture for Web: My girls and my nephews! :)