Parenting

The Relationship between Okonkwo and Nwoye falls apart. A relationship between a can have a decidedly profound impact on each other’s lives. Whether this relationship is bifurcated, the psychological effects of having an intimate or inadequate can have a nurturing or depriving effect on a child’s personality from birth all throughout adulthood. This relationship although sustained has the potential to be either beneficial or untenable. In by Chinua Achebe, we see a breakdown between a father and son relationship which created a very detrimental effect.

The carved figure of a son that Okonkwo had predicted was erased due to his egoistic character and his terrible parenting skills. I can recall an incident, where one of my closest friends had a extremely unstable and difficult relationship with his father. He told me that his father would put on a public display, praising him in front of his family and friends but behind closed doors, he would insult him. These insults were so hurtful that my best friend described them to me as land mines.

The consequences of these hurtful land mines left mental scares that resulted in a schism, where the relationship became untenable. This also led to an emotional collapse with his father causing irreprehensible damage that affected and impacted his life today. The most prominent and compelling theme in the novel originates from the main character Okonkwo, and his ongoing battle to be different from his father. Okonkwo’s father had an negative impact his son’s life, which resulted in Okonkwo trying to constantly stay away from his father’s character.

The happiness of a family depends on a strong and successful partnership among its members. It is often said, that a father-son relationship is one of the most valuable relationship that exists, and it should be extremely balanced. In any family structure, when a father and son relationship diminishes, the psychological consequences it creates causes a ripple effect. This ripple effect can cause considerable conflict and cause breeches, breakdown and discontinuity within the family structure.

According to Achebe, the main character detested his father at a very young age, “Even as a little boy he had resented his father’s failure and weakness, and even now he still remembered how he had suffered when a playmate had told him that his father was agbala. ”(28) The Igbo tribe in Things Fall Apart uses the term an “agbala” which is used to describe “woman”. Okonkwo considered his father to be weak, effeminate, poor, disgraceful, and always in debt to his fellow tribes people. Okonkwo’s life revolves around the deep fear of becoming a failure and adopting the image of his father.

Due to this self rooted perception of failure there are indications that he tries to rise above his father’s legacy. The breakdown of Okonkwo’s relationship with his son is evident throughout this novel. The reason for this tumultuous relationship is, Okonkwo is too engrossed in maintaining his status quo, and his relationship was governed by his own beliefs, principles and his own “right way to do right things”. He treated his family very strictly as he believed that showing affection revealed a sign of social weakness; thus the disheartening lack of respect and love was a mal nourishing factor with in the family.

This story maintained a constant theme of conflict. Nwoye, lives in perpetual fear of his father. Okonkwo constantly chastises his son and finds a fault with everything he does. He remains consistent in threatening his son and does not hesitate to abuse him. For example, when he is teaching Nwoye and Ikemefuna to manage seed-yams, he threatens Nwoye with physical abuse if he does not cut up the yams properly: “If you split another yam of this size, I shall break your jaw. ” (Achebe 59). This is not a healthy way for a father to discipline his son.

Whether was accepted in the Ibo culture or not, Okonkwo’s verbal and physical abuse weakened the relationship with Nwoye until he left for the missionaries. Although Okonkwo seems to want what was best for his son Nwoye, to prosper as a real man, I believe that it is immoral to impose control using violence. Okonkwo has a tunnel vision when it comes to parenthood, and this inevitably led to him disgracing his son and just as his own father did. “I will not have a son who cannot hold his head in the gathering of the clan.

I would sooner struggle him with my own hands. And if you stand staring at me like that,” he swore, “Amadiora will break your head for you! ” (Achebe 60). This iterates the brutal way that Okonkwo treated his son. This incident shows the apparent faults in Okonkwo’s parenting skill as well as reflects his own weakness. In the story there was also an atrocious and tragic incident where Okonkwo killed his adopted son Ikemefuna. He was in a dilema at a point in time but it all drawed up in him murdering an innocent kid who calls him “father”.

Because of this action his biological son grew a tinge of hanger and hatred towards him. Even though they were really no relation, Nwoye thought of his Ikemefuna as a brother. He did not love his children enough or show them compassion. here is no uniformity in the father-son relationship. Although Okonkwo feels he is doing the right thing in raising Nwoye, his harsh treatment drives his son further away from him. “At any rate, that was how it looked to his father, and he sought to correct him by constant nagging and beating.

And so Nwoye was developing into a sad-faced youth” (Achebe 16). Nwoye felt no love or attention from his father. It is, therefore, no surprise that Nwoye left the tribe and converted to the “white man’s” religion, Christianity. He did this in an effort to seek answers to his troubling questions about Okonkwo and the other members in his society. This downfall in Nwoye’s relationship with Okonkwo encouraged him to follow the missionaries. This naive and amiable child struggled in the shadow of his powerful and demanding father.

Nwoye’s relationship with his father progressively deteriorates because he is unable to put up with his father’s dictatorial attitude as well as there is a lack of understanding between each other. He was supportive of the new religion as it gave a sense of comfort. If he did not express inhumane, brutal threatening to kill his son, Nwoye would not have run away, but rather, enjoyed an improved relationship. By further analyzing this story it can be seen that he is alienated from traditions and beliefs from the tribe. Okonkwo death came just as Nwoye was ecoming aware of his role within the culture and becoming more aware of his self. Basically Okonkwo failed in his mission in raising his son in the right way and comprehends that he has pushed his son to his fate and becomes bitter. It is his fault that he lost a son. His rejection of his father’s way of life creates an ironic parallel rejection of his own son. Comprehending the importance of fatherhood, allows one to recognize the powerful influence of personal experiences and how they directly or indirectly affect others. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 2010. E-book.

Parenting Skills 5. 09 Lab Questions (A) Temper Tantrums 1. How can parents avoid temper tantrums? Parents can avoid temper tantrums by having a plan for when they are put in this situation. 2. What are the A, B, C’s? The A is the attribute that you would want your child to acquire. The B is the behavior that you want to go along with the attribute. And C is compassion that you want your child have to go along with their behavior. 3. Do you think using consequences and following the ABC process will help shape a child’s behavior? Why or why not?

I do believe that using consequences and following the ABC process will help shape a child’s behavior. As long as the consequence is related to the offense it will make a difference. The child will realize that you are serious and will want the consequences to stop; thus molding the behavior. (B) Developing Language Skills in Babies 1. What are some of the reasons why people may not talk to babies as much today as they used to? People may not talk to babies as much today as they used to because the family structure has changed and everyone is too busy. 2. Why do you think developing language skills is important for a child?

Developing language skills is important for a child because it affects their ability to make friends and be sociable and emotionally well fed beings. 3. What are some of the ways that parents can encourage the development of language skills? Parents can encourage the development of language skills by communicating with their child and listening to them so that they can practice. (C) The Importance of Bedtime Reading 1. How many parents never read to their children at bedtime according to the study? What might prevent parents from reading to children? According to the study one in ten parents never read to their children.

A parent’s busy schedule normally prevents them from reading to their children. 2. What are some of the benefits of reading to children? Include infancy through young school age children. Reading helps to improve concentration and listening skills in children. Without these two skills a child will find it very hard in school to concentrate effectively. 3. Did your parents or other caregivers read to you as a child? What effect do you think this had on you? My mother read to me on numerous occasions as a child. I believe that this is the reason why I love books and I have a relatively high vocabulary.

Effective Parenting Styles COM/150 Abstract The passion of people’s reactions to questioning parenting styles are just below the nukes of religion and politics in explosive potential. Here we discuss what the basic styles are and what styles most parents tend to fall. We will look at constructive and deconstructive parenting styles as well as see which option tends to be the best. Where do you fall? Is that style the best your family or are you still seeking guidance? Effective Parenting Styles

Although parenting is a never-ending debate, many parenting styles have been studied to find what elements are constructive and which are destructive. There are roughly four major parenting styles identified when researching effective parenting. Each parenting style can differ and change as children grow older, or change based on each individual child. These groups defined below have a major emotional impact and development impact on a child. Permissive Parenting Permissive parenting can come off to be more of a friend rather than a parent; these parents don’t often discipline their children.

Parents who choose to parent their children this way rarely have control over their children and may be lacking self-discipline themselves. Although these parents are still very loving and nurturing to their children, this parenting style may be a bit too laid back to raise an obedient child with self-discipline. Authoritarian Parenting In the authoritarian style of parenting, the parents set strict rules for children to follow and set high demands that these rules are to be obeyed or they be punished end of story.

The most common aspect of this authoritarian style of parenting, is the parent neglects to give the child reasoning to the rules they have set, “Because I’m the father that’s why” is the perfect example of this. Parents in this style don’t feel they need to have to explain reasoning to their children and often come across as an aggressor. Communication between parent and child is non-existent. Authoritative Parenting This parenting style has much in common with the authoritarian style of parenting. The authoritative style parenting is a bit more self-ruled and flexible for each disciplinary incident.

The authoritative style has the same set rules and standards as authoritarian, but parents in this style are more expectable to reason with these children and dig deeper into the issue at hand and discuss a resolution then jump straight to discipline. This style does discipline and sticks to the rules, but has more of an emotional and nurturing way of dealing with the issue. Uninvolved Parenting Uninvolved parenting style is just that. Parents of these children have no receptiveness or awareness to their children’s behavior.

These parents are disconnected from their children on most emotional levels and just fill the basic living demands of food, water, shelter, etc. There is low to none communication, discipline, or nurturing between parent and child. In some extreme cases, parents don’t even meet the child’s basic living demands. When it comes to parenting styles we find two major deconstructive styles out of the four listed above, uninvolved parenting and permissive parenting. Children raised with the permissive styles generally experience more problems with school, authority, and are found to have self-esteem issues.

This child hasn’t had much authority from parents so they feel that they shouldn’t have to take any from anybody else including the law. This can majorly effect education if the child has no consequence for not finishing homework or sees no reason education and guidance are important to learn. The results of the uninvolved parenting style can lead to children being less competent in adult life, un-successful, have problems dealing with self-control, and also are found to have major self-esteem concerns.

Children raised in these environments have little to no control over emotions and actions since proper guidance was never shown to them. These children learn and grow from what they know and seek acceptance from outside sources. Too often enough these children fall into gangs and drugs to seek this acceptance from these groups. Many of these children drop out of school at an early age and suffer from poor reading and writing skills. After reviewing the parenting style definitions above, the most logical and constructive parenting style seems to be the authoritative parent.

Numerous studies have been taken on these four parenting styles and have concluded “Authoritive parenting styles tend to result in children who are happy, capable and successful” (Maccoby, 1992. These studies also show that the Authoritarian parenting styles “generally lead to children who are obedient and proficient, but they rank lower in happiness, social competence and self-esteem. ” (Cherry, n. d). Giving your children the extra attention and guidance while setting reasonable boundaries seems to be the best fit for parenting. Every parenting style varies.

You may have a father who is authoritive, the mother is more permissive; the key to successful parenting is communication and balance as a family. Communicate with your children about why they did what they did. Guide them and show them how it can be done better the next time around, and most of all make sure to make to show your child love and acceptance. Punishment needs to happen like committed as consistency is also very important, but following through with rules and the punishment allows your child to grow and learn from the experience, and to avoid doing them again.

Conclusion All children need a good parent with an effective parenting style. Who the child grows up to be is a direct look at who the parent is. References Maccoby, E. E. (1992). The role of parents in the socialization of children: An historical overview. Developmental Psychology, 28, 1006-1017. Cherry, K. (n. d). About. com – Education- Psychology. Retrieved from http://psychology. about. com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/parenting-style. htm

Child Name: Harlow 1. How does your baby’s eating, sleeping and motor development compare to the typical developmental patterns in the first 9 months? p. 102 – p. 109 a. 5 points for describing VC’s behavior in each of at least two domains and referring to what might be expected at these ages. (10 points) Based on the pediatricians report, Harlow is able to digest new foods well, so the doctor recommends that Harlow eat a variety of foods from the family dinner (ground up). The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians suggest that babies can start solids at around 6 months, although they aren’t needed to until 9 – 12 months” (p. 100). Therefor, my virtual child Harlow is coming along very well with her eating development. Harlow is also keeping up pretty well with her sleeping patterns. She is following the typical guidelines of a 9-month year old with trying to sleep through the whole night and napping during the day. Harlow readily adapted to the new people and situations in the pediatrician’s office.

She made eye contact, smiled at them, and vocalized to them quite a bit. Harlow has strong emotional reactions and has difficulty soothing her back down. The doctor advises patience in dealing with Harlow’s emotions. Harlow’s motor skills are typical for age: crawling, sitting up, and standing up, but not walking yet. “ These initial efforts are he forerunners of crawling, in which babies coordinate the motions of their arms and legs and propel themselves forward. Crawling appears to typically between 8-10 months”. So far Harlow’s progress is on point to how her sensory motor skills should be at this age. . At 8 months of age was your child an “easy”, “slow to warm up”, or “difficult” baby in terms of Thomas and Chess’s classic temperamental categories? On what do you base this judgment? p. 145 b. 5 points for explaining the category, and 5 points for a supporting observation on VC’s behavior (10 points) At 8 months Harlow I would say Harlow would be considered and “Easy Baby”, Thomas and Chess describes this profile as easy babies have a positive disposition. Their body functions operate regularly, and they are adaptable.

They are generally positive, showing curiosity about new situations, and their emotions are moderate or low in intensity (p. 140) Harlow definitely fits in this 40% of infants. Harlow is always happy and very curio with toys, people, and reactions. She tends to show moderate easing up to low intensity as well. Set #2: – VC at 19 mos – choose 2 of 3 questions (35 points max) 4. Describe and give examples of changes in your child’s exploratory or problem solving behavior from 8 through 18 months and categorize them according to Piagetian and information processing theories. p. 114 – p. 120 a. points for describing an improvement or a qualitatively new behavior and 5 points for explaining it using a specific Piagetian or information processing concept to classify the child’s behavior (10 points) At 8 months, my childs substage was Secondary circular reactions. During this period, my child took major strides in shifting their cognitive horizons beyond herself, and begun to act outside the world. For example instead of just picking up a toy, she began using buttons, or using the toy in the correct form and purpose it was created. At 18 months, my child moved on to Beginnings of thoughts stage.

This stage Piaget argued is the only stage that infants can imagine where objects that they cannot see might be. My child was able to start plotting things in her head. 6. Is your child delayed or advanced in any area of development according to the 19-month developmental examiner’s report? Based on what you have studied, do you think this is most likely a result of specific biological or environmental factors? 5 point for describing an area of delay or advancement, 5 points for a hypothesis and 5 points for evidence regarding biological or environmental factors from the lecture or readings (15 points)

I feel that my child is advanced according to the 19 month development examiners report. I feel that it has a lot to do with biological factors. As my child grew older she became way more aware of things and more curious. This led her to go through all the 19 stages and succeed to the next stage. First she started using her mouth to touch things, then started using her hands and figuring out exactly what the object was made to do, then figured out where the object may go if it fell or it was set under a blanket, she ad the understanding that the object wasn’t gone, but instead it just was placed under something she couldn’t see. Set #3 – VC at 30 mos – choose 3 of 4 questions (40 points max) 7. ’s communication and language development in the first 30 months. Is your child developing at a typical or atypical rate? a. 5 points for a general description of his/her language development and 5 points for discussing specific evidence of either normal or atypical development (10 points)

In the first 30 months, my child’s communication and language development is very well. Around 2-3 months until the age of one, Harlow was making speech like but meaningless sounds. After five months she her babbling expanded, and by 14 months she was saying her very first words. Around 19 months, Harlow was able to use short sentences. The only thing Harlow lacks in she has a small problem with underextension with words, for instance “blankie”. These are all very clear clarifications that Harlow is on a good and on track level for her language and communication. . Have there been any environmental events in your child’s first 2 1/2 years that you think might have influenced his or her behavior? On what do you base your hypotheses? a. 5 points for each of two environmental events – be sure to explain how you think they influenced your child (10 points) Two environmental events that that may have influences my childs behavior would be, Me not paying enough attention to Harlow. I think this influenced her in not being able to trust me or others like she should.

Now Harlow sees the word as being harsh and unfriendly, this leads her to have difficulties forming close bonds with others. ( trust verus mistrstrust stage). Since I have encouraged Harlow to explore and be free in safe boundries, she has developed great independence ( autonomy versus shame and doubt stage). 10. Analyze your own parenting philosophy and practices. What principles from learning or social learning theory, Bowlby, Ainsworth, Piaget, Vygotsky, information processing theory, neuroscience or other theories do you appear to have relied on in making your parenting hoices or interpreting your child’s behavior? Include three principles and identify one or more theorists who espoused these principles in your answer. a. 5 points for discussing an example from your parenting that fits a concept or principle from each of three theories you select from the list above (15 points) I noticed 3 main theories from the list above that I have used as a parent. 1. ) Ainsworth Strange Situation and Patterns of attachment- I followed and would say has developed Harlow into having an ambivalent attchement pattern.

This is a style of attchament in which children display a comnination of positive and negative reactions to their mothers; they show great distress when the mother leaves, but upon the return they may simultaneously seek close contact but also hit a kick her. 2. ) Classical Conditioning – I have found that Harlow stops crying when I pick her up becuae she has learned to associate being picked up with subsequent feeding. Pavlov discovered this theory y, repeatedly pairing two stimuli, such as the sound of a bell and the arrival of meat , he could make hungry dogs learn to respond not only when the meat was presented, but even when the bell was sounded without the meat. (p. 86) 3. ) Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial development- this is a theory that considers how individuals come to understand themselves and the meaning of others- and their own- behavior. My child developed that autonomy-versus-shame-and-doubt-stage because around the age 18 months to 3 years, I gave my child freedom to explore, and she developed independence from this.

Concept Analysis Stephanie Hobbs NR 501: Theoretical Basis for Advanced Nursing Instructor: Dr. Patricia Fedorka September 30, 2012 Introduction According to McEwen & Wills (2011), concept analysis is an approach to clarify and define terms so that writers and readers have a common language. The process of a concept analysis is to: 1. Select a concept 2. Determine the aims or purposes of analysis 3. Identify all the uses of the concept possible 4. Determine the defining attributes 5. Indentify model case 6. Identify borderline, related, contrary, invented and illegitimate cases 7.

Identify antecedents and consequences 8. Define empirical referents The concept health is referred to as the ability to function independently; adapt to life’s stressors; achievement of one’s full potential and unity of mind, body and soul. Jean Watson identified health as one of many concepts used to understand the theory or science of human caring (McEwen & Wills, 2011). Purpose of the Analysis The purpose of this analysis is to clarify and define the term health. Clarification of this concept is essential to the function of caregivers.

Everyone responsible for providing care should be knowledgeable of what health is. Many believe they know what health is but after a closer look, it is revealed that at best, it is fleeting and partially understood. Also, it is necessary for medical personnel to understand the difference between health, care and nursing (Lee & Ross, 2008). Uses of the Health Concept According to Walker & Avant (2011), dictionaries, colleagues, thesauruses, and scholarly literature should be used to identify the uses of the concept. A search for the literature on health was done by using Medline, CINAHL and Google Scholar.

An online dictionary and thesaurus was also used. Dictionary Definition The English version of this word has many meanings. Webster defines health as the condition of being sound in mind, body, or spirit; especially: freedom of physical disease or pain. Other definitions by Webster are the general condition of the body, a flourishing condition, and a general condition or state (Merriam-webster. com). Defining Attributes Attributes as described by Walker & Avant (2011) are characteristics or descriptors. These attributes will help distinguish health from nursing and care. A state of complete physical, mental and social well being * A dynamic state of functioning within the limitations of the person (Artinian, 1991) * Unity and harmony within the mind, body and soul (Watson, 1999) * The expanding of consciousness; an evolving pattern of the whole of life (Newman, 1999) Model Cases 1. A 17 year old has given birth to twins and been referred to the Following Baby Back Home Program. On the initial visit, the nurse finds the mother is withdrawn and displaying signs of depression. She knows very little about the babies behaviors and is not very concerned about what the nurse or social worker is saying.

Upon further assessment, the mother reveals that she and the father are no longer together. The nurse also finds out later that mom was severely anemic at discharge and experiencing excruciating headaches. On the next visit, the nurse convinces mom to schedule her follow up appointment and she explains how anemia affects her and her ability to care for the babies. Although the client denied feeling depressed, the nurse discussed signs of post partum depression and got the client to sign a contract saying she would call for help if she felt like urting herself or the babies. After returning to the office, the nurse called the physician’s office to make him aware of her involvement with the client and her assessment. The nurse also refers the client to a program called ACCESS. This program provides parenting classes as well as counseling for teen parents and emergency help with diapers and formula. After visiting the client for a few months there is a noticeable difference in the way she interacts with the babies as well as her overall appearance and energy level.

The client is also attentive and interested in what the home visitors are talking about. The client states that she is taking medication for the anemia and on birth control. She is getting counseling and taking a parenting class through the ACCESS program. She also says she enjoys the program because she interacts with other teenager going through the same thing she is. This model reflects health because it contains many of the defining concepts. Any of the concepts missing could cause the client to not be in good health.

It also demonstrates why the nurse must have good assessment skills and address as many areas as possible that affect the client’s health. 2. An elderly lady diagnosed with Hypertension and Type II Diabetes presents to a Community Health Center for a follow up appointment. During triage, the client’s blood sugar is 357mg/dl and her blood pressure is 180/206. After speaking with the nurse, it is revealed that the client has been evicted from her home, has little to no food to get her through the month and did not purchase her medication due to a lack of money.

The nurse shares this information with the physician and the social worker. After the physician gets the blood sugar and blood pressure under control, the social worker enrolls the client into some med assistant programs and calls the nearest women’s shelter to secure her a bed. The nurse gives her enough samples to last until her meds come in. The client states she will follow the regimen prescribed by her physician. This model clearly demonstrates how social issues affect overall health. After the clients social needs were met, she was able to focus on taking care of her physical health.

This model also reflects many of the defining concepts. Borderline Case A borderline case gives another example of the concept’s use, but some of the defining attributes are excluded. Borderline cases give readers an idea of what the concept is not (Speros, 2005). A 55 year old male attorney presents to PCP complaining of chest pain, fever and shortness of breath for 3 days. He is told that he has to be hospitalized for a cardiac workout because a myocardial infarction is suspected. He is also told that he will have to have a cardiac catheterization.

The patient reads the consent and refuses to sign it because he does not understand the medical jargon. He leaves against medical advice but is told to take 2 propranolol 80mg and see his physician in 2 weeks. He takes 2 pills once a day and does not return to see his doctor. Contrary Case The following case is contrary to health because it does not reflect the defining concepts. A 26 year old mother from a very small rural community brings her 6 year old to clinic wheezing and short of breath. The mother smokes about 30 cigarettes a day, is very soft spoken, has a limited vocabulary and reads on a fifth grade level.

Mom also has problems spelling words correctly, prints when writing and reverses some of the letters. The child is diagnosed with Asthma and sent home with a nebulizer with albuterol and saline, a peak flow meter, steroid inhalers with spacers, and oral medication. Before leaving mom is asked if she understands how to give the child her medication? Mom states she understands and is then told to stop smoking around the child and return to the clinic in 1 week. Mom verbalizes understanding and leaves. Three days later mom presents to the Emergency room with child in respiratory distress and smelling of smoke.

She states she did not use the nebulizer because she could not “work it”, she gave the both medication twice a day as opposed to each medication daily and she did not have peak flow readings because she thought it look more like a toy. The child smelled strongly of smoke (Speros, 2005). This case clearly shows two people in poor health. It obviously is contrary to the defining attributes of health. Antecedents and Consequences Walker and Avant (1995) describe antecedents as events or incidents that must precede the occurrence of the concept. For some time there was very little theoretical clarity of health for nursing science.

In 1946 The World Health Organization attempted to define health and has since changed or added to the definition a couple of times. Walker and Avant (2005) also described consequences as events or incidents that occur as a result of the concept. Defining or clarifying the health concept has been important and useful to the theoretical basis of nursing. It has helped developed theory, instrument and research (Wang, 2005). Empirical Referents According to Cheng, Foster& Huang, empirical references present how the concept is to be measured or what the observation of a phenomenon should in reality be (tzuchi. om). Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring defined three concepts with health being one of them. Margaret Newman’s Theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness model uses two concepts one of those being health. These theories demonstrate the existence of health and how it has helped the nursing profession. Conclusion The concept of health was selected because of the many changes and variations to its definition. The World Health Organization defines health as a complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (who. int).

Regardless of the definition, health is a concept that has helped develop the nursing profession. The Reference Artinian, B. M. , (1991). The development of the intersystem model. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 164 -205. Lee, V. and Ross, J. , (2003). ‘What is Health? ’ Campaign. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 94(5), 360. Ne Newman, M. A. , (1999). Health as expanding consciousness (2nd ed. ). New York: National League for Nursing Press. http://userwww. service. emory. edu/~mrisjor/documents/Rethinking. pdf http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/health http://www. tzuchi. com. w/file/DivIntro/nursing/content/92-3/3. pdf http://www. who. int/about/definition/en/print. html Speros, C. (2005). Health Literacy: Analysis Concept. Journal of Advance Nursing, 50(6), 633-640. Walker, L. O. & Avant, K. C. (1995). Strategies for Theory Construction in Nursing, 3rd ed. Appleton-Century-Crofts, Norwalk, CT. Walker, L. O. & Avant, K. C. (2010). Strategies for theory construction in nursing. Boston: Pearson Wang, Y. (2005). A concept analysis of health. Hu Li Za Zhi The Journal of Nursing, 52(1), 40-43. Watson, J. , (1999). Postmodern nursing and beyond. London: Churchill Livingstone. .

EYMP 1: Context and Principles for Early Years Provision 1. 1 Explain the legal status and principles of the relevant early year’s frameworks and how national and local guidance materials are used in settings. Children deserve and need the best possible start in their lives in order for them to fulfil their full potential in their learning and development (Terry, 2009). A happy, healthy and supportive childhood will help children to achieve the best that they possibly can (Smeyers and Wring, 2007).

In 2003 the Laming Report was written following a very serious case of child abuse involving a girl called Victoria Climbie who was physically abused by her great aunt and another adult male. The abuse was so bad, a doctor involved in Victoria’s post mortem stated that “there really is not anywhere that is spared – there is scarring all over the body. ” The report then goes on to explain how the local authorities involved in the care of this young girl were to blame for her death, as there was evidence of deliberate harm and nothing was done.

The local social services department dealing with her case closed it on the day that she died. Following the Laming Report the government green paper was written in 2003 ‘Every Child Matters’ (ECM). The aims of this were to reduce the occurrences of education failure, ill health, abuse and neglect, teenage pregnancy, substance misuse and crime and anti-social behaviour among children and young people. It also gave children a voice and allowed them to decide what they want by creating the five outcomes, which are: * Being healthy Staying safe * Enjoying and achieving * Making a positive contribution * Economic well-being The Children Act 2004 enabled the ‘Every Child Matters’ to be established and was written next in order to provide the legislative spine on which the reform of children’s services is based. ‘It aims to improve and integrate children’s services, promote early intervention, provide strong leadership and bring together different professionals in multi-disciplinary teams in order achieve positive outcomes for children and young people and their families. (Surrey County Council, 2004) Next came the Childcare Act 2006 which gave a new role to local authorities in the improvement of the ‘Every Child Matters’ outcomes, providing childcare for working parents and providing parental information services (DoE, 2012). This act also introduced the inspection of childcare premises and the registration of childcare workers as a must (OFSTED, 2012). This was then, when the implementation of the EYFS came into play.

The ‘Early Years Foundation Stage’ was brought in to achieve the five ECM outcomes and it did this by: * Setting the standards for learning and care received in child care settings * Providing for equality of opportunity and ensuring that all practice is anti-discriminatory and all children are included in activities despite culture, race, religion and gender * Working in partnership with parents and also maintaining multi-agency working to ensure the best possible education and care for children * Improving quality and consistency to give all child care settings a universal set of standards that must be followed and also giving the right to have all settings inspected * Laying a secure foundation for each child’s future learning and development to be planned around the child’s individual needs and interests” (DfCSF, 2008)

There are six areas that are covered by the EYFS and they must all be taken in to account as they are very important in each child’s development. These areas are: * Personal, social and emotional development * Communication, language and literacy * Problem-solving, reasoning and numeracy * Knowledge and understanding of the world * Physical development * Creative development (Meggitt et al, 2011) The 4 themes of the EYFS highlight how we can help children to develop and learn and enjoy their childhood, these are: * A unique child- this looks at all children being competent learners and having their own unique ways in which they like to learn and explore. Children should be encouraged to be esilient, capable, confident and self-assured in order to be competent learners from birth. * Child Development- babies and children are all different and therefore have different ways in which they learn best. Children also learn at different rates and some need extra support. This looks at all areas of development including social, emotional, physical, cognitive and spiritual. * Inclusive practice- this is very important to allow children to feel that the diversity of their families and communities is respected and that no children are discriminated against. * Keeping Safe- the vulnerability of young children need to be protected to enable them to develop resilience.

This can be done by the adults that care for them protecting their physical and psychological well-being. * Health and wellbeing- a child’s health is a fundamental part of their social, emotional, environmental and spiritual well-being. All of these areas contribute to and highlight the aims and the role that EYFS plays in the development and learning of all children in early years settings. As childcare professionals we must use all of the resources within the EYFS in our daily practice, including using it when planning, when observing children and linking what we see to aspects of the EYFS, to develop policies and procedures within our setting, to update our childcare practice and to reflect on our current practice. 1. Explain how different approaches to work with children in the early years have influenced current provision in the UK. In the past there have been people that have had theories that relate to child development and learning of children in childcare settings; these people are known as educational pioneers and are well respected as their theories have changed childcare for the better (Meggitt et al, 2011). “Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852), the great German educator, is famous pre-eminently for his radical insight that the first learning experiences of the very young are of crucial importance in influencing not only their later educational achievements but also the health and development of society as a whole” (Weston, 1998).

Friedrich Froebel had the idea that children learn best through play and by having real experiences and from these theories he was the founder of the first ever kindergarten in 1840 (Meggitt et al, 2011). Following the theory that children learn best through play, Frobel introduced toys that he called, ‘Froebel Gifts’ or ‘gaben’ which included balls, wooden blocks, rings, tiles and sticks which were all the key elements of Froebel’s kindergarten (Watson, 2002). Froebel’s ideas are very similar to those that construct the EYFS that all childcare providers use today. Here is a table showing a summary of his ideas and how they are similar to and link with the EYFS: Froebel| EYFS| Schools should be closely involved with parents and that they should be welcome to join their children in their learning and development. “Creating the framework for partnership working between parents and professionals, andbetween all the settings that the child attends;”Section 1- Introduction- Purpose and Aims of the EYFS 1. 2 (p. 7)“Positive Relationships describes how children learn to be strong and independent from aBase of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person. The commitmentsare focused around respect; partnership with parents; supporting learning; and the role of theKey person. ”Section 1- Introduction- A Principled Approach 1. 11 (p. 9)Creating the Framework for Partnership Working 1. 16 (p. 10)| Parents were the first educators for their children and that childcare providers working with parents will benefit the child greatly, because they know them better than anyone. “The EYFS sets standards to enable early years providers to reflect the rich and personalisedExperience that many parents give their children at home. Like parents, providers should deliverindividualised learning, development and care that enhances the development of the children inTheir care and gives those children the best possible start in life. ”Section 1- Introduction- Setting the Standards 1. 13 (p. 9)“Close working between early years practitioners and parents is vital for the identification ofChildren’s learning needs and to ensure a quick response to any area of particular difficulty. Parentsand families are central to a child’s well-being and practitioners should support this importantRelationship by sharing information and offering support for extending learning in the home. Section 1- Introduction- Creating the Framework for Partnership Working 1. 16 (p. 10)| Children needed to have some time indoors and outdoors to enable them to have experiences with movement, games and the study of nature outdoors. | “The physical development of babies and young children must be encouraged through theprovision of opportunities for them to be active and interactive and to improve their skills ofCoordination, control, manipulation and movement. ”Section 2- The Learning and Development Requirements- Physical Development 2. 15 (p. 15)“Children must be supported in developing the knowledge, skills and understanding thatHelp them to make sense of the world.

Their learning must be supported through offeringopportunities for them to use a range of tools safely; encounter creatures, people, plants andobjects in their natural environments and in real-life situations; undertake practical ‘experiments’;And work with a range of materials. ”Section 2- The Learning and Development Requirements- Knowledge and Understanding of the World 2. 13 (p. 14)| The introduction of finger play, singing and rhymes into education. The encouragement of arts and crafts, including literature along with a mathematical understanding. Singing songs, moving and dancing. | “Children’s creativity must be extended by the provision of support for their curiosity, exploration and play.

They must be provided with opportunities to explore and share their thoughts, ideas and feelings, for example, through a variety of art, music, movement, dance, imaginative and role-play activities, mathematics, and design and technology. ”Section 2- The Learning and Development Requirements- Creative Development 2. 17 (p. 15)| Children should have the freedom to move around and have healthy sensible food to eat. | “The physical development of babies and young children must be encouraged through theprovision of opportunities for them to be active and interactive and to improve their skills ofCoordination, control, manipulation and movement. They must be supported in using all of their senses to learn about the world around them and to make connections between new information and what they already know.

They must be supported in developing an understanding of the importance of physical activity and making healthy choices in relation to food. ”Section 2- The Learning and Development Requirements- Physical Development 2. 15 (p. 15)“Where children are provided with meals, snacks and drinks, these must be healthy, balanced andNutritious. ”Section 3- The Welfare Requirements- Safeguarding and Promoting Children’s Welfare (p. 27)| The use of symbolic behaviour within a child’s play. Imaginative play was also important and children should pretend and imagine things to show their highest level of learning. | “Explores different media and responds to a variety of sensory experiences. Engages inrepresentational play. ”Appendix 1- Creative Development (p. 8)“Children’s creativity must be extended by the provision of support for their curiosity, explorationand play. They must be provided with opportunities to explore and share their thoughts, ideas and feelings, for example, through a variety of art, music, movement, dance, imaginative androle-play activities, mathematics, and design and technology. ”Section 2- The Learning and Development Requirements- Creative Development 2. 17 (p. 15)| The use of activities such as modelling with clay, drawing and making collages were useful in imaginative play. | “Expresses feelings and preferences in response to artwork, drama and music and makes somecomparisons and links between different pieces.

Responds to own work and that of otherswhen exploring and communicating ideas, feelings and preferences through art, music, dance, role-play and imaginative play. ”Appendix 1- Creative Development (p. 48)| Encouragement of playing with toys, such as wooden blocks, balls, etc. | “Finds out about and identifies the uses of everyday technology and uses information andcommunication technology and programmable toys to support her/his learning. ”Appendix 1- Knowledge and Understanding of the World (p. 47)“Experiments with a range of objects and materials showing some mathematical awareness. ”Appendix 1- Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy- Shape, Space and Measures (p. 47)| Children should be allowed to play freely (free-flow play). “on-going observational assessment to inform planning for each child’s continuing developmentthrough play-based activities. ”Section 1- Introduction- Laying a Secure Foundation for Future Learning 1. 18 (p. 10)| (Meggitt et al, 2011) (DfCSF, 2008) Maria Montessori (1870-1952) was an Italian doctor who began her work with children with learning difficulties (Montessori, 2004). She was much more focussed on learning through being taught in a structured way, rather than the theory previously discussed of Froebel’s, learning through play (Meggitt et al, 2011). During her studies she found that Froebel’s theory was based more along the philosophical view, rather than the scientific aspect of a child’s learning and development (Montessori and Gutek, 2004).

She came to the conclusion that children were active learners and that they passed through sensitive periods of development whilst being particularly responsive to certain areas of learning (Kramer, 1976). Montessori’s theories link with the EYFS because her methods provide an enabling environment for supporting the learning through the commitment of children within the care of the facility. Here is a table showing a summary of Maria Montessori’s ideas and how they link to the EYFS: * Structured teaching programme based on observing children with learning difficulties. * Challenging the difficulties by giving the child a task that they are unable to do, in the hope that they can learn to do it- relates to EYFS Card 4. – Play and exploration * The use of ‘didactic materials’ to encourage children to use their hands. * Working alone rather than with parents, teachers, carers- this encouraged children to become ‘independent learners. * Polarisation of the attention is where the child is completely silent and focussed on what they are doing- relates to EYFS Card 4. 3- Creativity and critical thinking * Children should learn as part of a graded learning sequence and not through play. Play was allowed once children had completely their learning. * Children are active learners and should learn through role play, working with others, etc. – relates to EYFS Card 4. 2- Active learning (Meggitt et al, 2011)

Margaret McMillan used ideas similar to both Froebel and Montessori. She began looking at manual dexterity exercises, similar to those used by Montessori. But as she continued her work, she used more and more of Froebel’s ideas, so they were much more relative to the EYFS. Here is a table of her ideas and how they relate to the EYFS: McMillan| EYFS| First-hand experience and active learning are important. | | Relationships, ideas and feelings are just as important as physical aspects such as moving and learning. | “Children learn best when they are healthy, safe and secure, when their individual needs areMet and when they have positive relationships with the adults caring for them.

The welfarerequirements are designed to support providers in creating settings which are welcoming,safe and stimulating, and where children are able to enjoy learning through play, to grow inConfidence and to fulfil their potential. ”Section 3- The Welfare Requirements- Overview of the welfare requirements (p19)“Positive Relationships describes how children learn to be strong and independent from aBase of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person. The commitmentsare focused around respect; partnership with parents; supporting learning; and the role of theKey person. ”Section 1- Introduction- A Principled approach (p. 9)| Children become whole people through play and play helps them to apply their knowledge and understanding to life. “On-going observational assessment to inform planning for each child’s continuing development through play-based activities. ”Section 1- Introduction- Laying a secure foundation for future learning (p. 10)“None of these areas of Learning and Development can be delivered in isolation from the others. They are equally important and depend on each other to support a rounded approach to child development. All the areas must be delivered through planned, purposeful play, with a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. ”Section 2- The Learning and Development Requirements- Overview of the learning and development requirements (p. 11)“Children’s creativity must be extended by the provision of support for their curiosity, exploration and play.

They must be provided with opportunities to explore and share their thoughts, ideas and feelings, for example, through a variety of art, music, movement, dance, imaginative andRole-play activities, mathematics, and design and technology. ”Section 2- The Learning and Development Requirements- Creative Development (p. 15)| Close partnership with parents is important and parents should be encouraged to develop alongside their children. | “Creating the framework for partnership working between parents and professionals, and between all the settings that the child attends. ”Section 1- Introduction- Purpose and aims of the Early Years Foundation Stage 1. 2 (p. )“Positive Relationships describes how children learn to be strong and independent from aBase of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person. The commitmentsare focused around respect; partnership with parents; supporting learning; and the role of theKey person. ”Section 1- Introduction- Purpose and aims of the Early Years Foundation Stage 1. 11(p. 9)| Nursery schools should be an extension of the home environment and should be welcoming to both parents and children. They should enable children to experience fresh air, trees, rock gardens, vegetables, herbs, fruit trees, sandpits, flowers, lawns and the wilderness. | “Suitable premises, environment and equipmentOutdoor and indoor spaces, furniture, equipment and toys must be safe and suitable for their purpose. Section 3- The Welfare Requirements- the general welfare requirements (p. 20)“Wherever possible, there should be access to an outdoor play area, and this is the expectedNorm for providers. In provision where outdoor play space cannot be provided, outings should be planned and taken on a daily basis (unless circumstances make this inappropriate, for example unsafe weather conditions). ”Suitable premises, environment and equipment (p. 35)| Children cannot learn if they are undernourished, unwell with health problems or poorly looked after. | “Children learn best when they are healthy, safe and secure, when their individual needs areMet and when they have positive relationships with the adults caring for them.

The welfarerequirements are designed to support providers in creating settings which are welcoming,safe and stimulating, and where children are able to enjoy learning through play, to grow inConfidence and to fulfil their potential. ”Section 3- The Welfare Requirements- Overview of the welfare requirements (p. 19)| These different theorists have contributed massively to the ways that our government produces their legislation in order to maintain a safe, healthy and educational environment for children to be cared for (Taylor and Field, 2003). 1. 3 Explain why early years frameworks emphasise a personal and individual approach to learning and development “Valuing children’s individuality, ideas and feelings is an important aspect of developing a personal and individual approach to learning and development” (Meggitt et al, 2011).

What we do for the children in our care must be ‘child centred’ and the child is key in all decisions made about their care and education (Sinclair, 2006). All children are different and the EYFS talks about ‘a unique child’ which highlights this point. It recognises that every child is a competent learner right from birth and that they can be resilient, confident, capable and self-assured (DfCSF, 2008). There are different categories of needs that a child may have, which are: * Universal needs- these are fundamental to all children as they are their basic needs including food, drink and shelter. If these are not being met a child will struggle to meet any urther needs, such as education (Super and Harkness, 1986). * Psychological needs- these include love, affection, stable relationships and friendships, intellectual stimulation and independence (Meggitt et al, 2011). These are vital to children as they maintain a child’s quality of life be making them feel self-worthy and loved (Harter, Waters and Whitesell, 2008). * Developmental needs- these are what the child needs in order to develop further educationally (Shelton, 1987). It can be difficult to meet the developmental needs of all children in our care, as they may be at different stages of development; therefore it is best to work as a group but to focus individually on each child (Eccles, 1999).

The child’s age, intellectual abilities, emotional development, social skills, experiences, physical abilities and relationships must all be key aspects when working with children to assist with their specific developmental needs (Meggitt et al, 2011). “The EYFS states that Children are competent learners from birth and develop and learn in a wide variety of ways. All practitioners should, therefore, look carefully at the children in their care, consider their needs, their interests, and their stages of development and use all of this information to help plan a challenging and enjoyable experience across all the areas of Learning and Development. ” (DfCSF, 2008)

When working with children using the EYFS, we value a child’s individuality by considering their ability, personality feelings and ideas to enable us, as childcare workers, to provide an effective learning environment. We have to take into consideration that the rate in which children learn and develop can differ; therefore we must adjust our approaches to each individual child’s abilities. We must recognise and meet each child’s needs considering their age, physical maturity, intellectual ability, emotional development, social skills, past experiences and relationships with others. In order to meet the child’s individual needs, we must observe children in play to establish their current ability. 3. Explain the partnership model of working with carers “The parent is a deeply important person to the child, and the relationship between parent and child is always very emotional” (Meggitt et al, 2011). As childcare providers we must develop relationships with children and babies in our care that are consistent, affectionate and warm and this must then be coherent with working in partnership with parents to provide the best quality care and education for these children (Sinclair and Grimshaw, 2006). It is important to remember that the relationships childcare providers have with the children in their care are very different to those that children have with their parents (Lamb, 1999).

One of the main aims of the EYFS is to create the framework for partnership working between parents and childcare providers in order for us to identify and address the needs of the child (DfCSF, 2008). As childcare professionals we must remember that all families are different and therefore will have different needs and wants for themselves and their children (NCMA, 2009). Most parents will always want the best for their children but sometimes are not sure what is the best and may ask for guidance (Rosenbaum et al, 1998). The only experiences we have of family life are our own, therefore we must respect the values and methods that families have and understand that different parents bring up their children in different ways (David, 2003).

Parents will often be open to suggestions from childcare professionals if they seek some guidance but we must not force them to do as we say and must respect their wishes (Curtis and O’Hagen, 2005). Parents have the right to bring their children up as they please, although we may not agree with their methods (Forehand and Nousiainen, 1993). Here are some examples of different parenting methods: * Permissive Parenting- the parents allow the child to do as they please. Childcare providers must have ground rules in place for children to maintain order and calm, but if the child has not been taught that they must abide by rules, this could prove very difficult for the childcare provider and other children. Authoritarian Parenting- the parents are very controlling of the behaviour of their children and children must do exactly as they say. This can be difficult for childcare providers, especially if they are asked by the parents to continue rules that are in place in the family home that the childcare provider does not agree with. * Uninvolved Parenting- the parent is neglectful of their child and allows them to be unkempt, dirty, hungry and not meet their basic needs. This is a safeguarding issue and the childcare provider must report this to the appropriate agencies. * Democratic Parenting- the parent sets clear boundaries for the child and shows them physical affection. This would be the way in which many of us will conduct the care of children. (Robinson et al, 1995)

A very important part of an effective relationship and partnership between childcare professional and parents is trust. Parents may have had previous experiences where they have been let down by somebody involved in the care of their child and therefore gained their trust is important to be able to communicate, in order to provide the best possible care and education of the child (Meggitt et al, 2011). The partnership model of working with parents and carers is therefore a mix of all the above points- respect, trust, information gathering and sharing. We can promote this by talking to parents and discussing each child’s day with parents and carers. 3. 2 Review barriers to participation for carers and explain ways in which they can be overcome.

The partnership between parents and child care professionals is a viable and essential way to increase the developmental opportunities for children (Christianson, 2003). We’ve talked about the importance of partnership with parents, but this can go wrong, as there are barriers to effective partnership working. Here are some examples of barriers and how they can be overcome: * Parents can often feel guilty or sad about leaving their child and may feel like they are missing out on their child growing up. This may make them feel paranoid that others may judge them for leaving their child, especially if they leave them to enable themselves to have a break and do something for themselves. It is important to make the parent understand that what they are doing is not wrong and nothing to feel guilty about.

Focus on some of the positive aspects that the child will be having whilst in a childcare setting, for example, the experiences they will have and the friends they will make. Give the parents some sources of support that will be able to help them through this emotional time. (ways2work, 2010) * Culture and language can be a barrier as our society grows to be more and more multi-cultural we come across different people from other cultures, some that may not use English as their first language and may not speak any English at all. This can be overcome by using translating devices such as ‘Google translate’ to communicate and also be used to translate written policies and procedures, which can be printed out and given to parents. The same can be done for newsletters, emails, letters, handover books, etc.

This way, the partnership between the parent and childcare professional is not affected because the inability to communicate. (Joint Improvement Team, 2009) We must ensure that parents understand the legal requirements for our country and their rights and responsibilities. This may be different in their country and if it is not explained in the first instance, this could prove a difficult situation. * Different methods of parenting can cause barriers in partnership working as they may be clash with how the childcare provider cares for children in their setting. For example, a parent may use the permissive parenting method which can cause problems like the child not following rules and doing exactly what they want.

If a parent uses the authoritative, this could cause problems because the parent may want the childcare provider to continue their rules from home, which they may not agree with. These can be overcome by ensuring that parents understand the ground rules, policies and procedures before their child starts attending a setting. This way, difficulties can be overcome and the parent’s wishes are respected. A parent may use the uninvolved method of parenting, which could mean children don’t understand boundaries that are set and they can become withdrawn from the rest of the children in the setting. This can be overcome by explaining to parents the importance of routines and consistency. Hubbs-tait et al, 2008) * Parents may become defensive if they are approached about something that is causing problems for their child. As childcare providers we must communicate with parents if we have any concerns about children to provide the best possible care and education. This can be overcome by being open, approachable and having a friendly attitude. (McClure, 2012) 3. 3 Explain strategies to support carers who may react positively or negatively to partnership opportunities. There are a number of different ways that childcare professionals can have good partnership with parents to enable parents to choose the one that suits them best (Meggitt et al, 2011).

Here is a table showing some of the ways in which childcare professionals can work in partnership with parents and the positive and negative aspects of them: Ways to work in partnership| Positive| Negative| Learning Journeys- ‘a continuous journey through which children build on all the things they have already experienced and come across new and interesting challenges. Every child’s learning journey takes a personal path based on their own individual interests, experiences and the curriculum on offer’ (Hutchin, 2007). | * Learning journeys with photos and comments are a great way to show carers all of things that their child has been doing as well as charting their progress. * We might invite the parent to come into the setting to have a look at the learning journey or we may send it home. * Parents that are not so enthusiastic about their child’s learning may not find this method very useful, as they may not want to read through the learning journey. Parents that do not have enough time may not like this method either. | Handover books- a book that goes home for parents to add to, then comes back to the setting for the childcare professionals to write in. Usually just general information about the child’s day is written in this book. | * Parents and childcare professionals are communicating regularly about the progress of the child. * Any trends in the child’s behaviour can be identified easily by just looking back through the book. If parents are in a hurry picking up or dropping off they may not always want to have a verbal handover, therefore the handover book is much easier as the parent can read it later when they have more time. | * Parents may not find it easy to write down things about the child- may not know what to write. * Parents may not have time to write down things and a quick chat when dropping off or picking up may be quicker and easier. | Verbal handover- when parents or carers drop off or collect the child they may just want to verbally handover how the child has been or if there is anything that the childcare professional may need to know. | * Quick chat is beneficial for parents that have little time before and after work. Parents may find it easier just to have a chat rather than writing information. * Builds trust and friendship between parents and childcare professionals. | * Things are not documented therefore there is no proof that something has been said if you may need it for any problems that could possibly occur. * Information may not be understood by either party. | Newsletter- a letter containing information about topics that are being covered within the setting, any special activities or trips coming up, holidays, new children starting and just general information that parents may need to know. | * Fun and informal way of communicating important information. * Parents may think it is information that is not important and may not read it. | Partnership with parents can be effective but there may be occasions where it can be particularly challenging. As a childcare professional it is important to remain positive about the situation and not give up. Information must be shared with parents by whatever means necessary, whether they reciprocate or not. 3. 4 Explain how effective multi-agency working operates within early year’s provision and benefits children and carers. When working in a caring profession we have a responsibility and a duty of care to the people we are looking after. This means that we must care for them to the best of our ability (Rostgaard and Fridberg, 1998).

In order to care for children effectively we must aim to meet all of their needs. As a childcare professional we may not have the knowledge to meet each individual need of the child as it may well be out of our expertise. This is when we must call upon another professional and work together with them to help the child (Sloper, 2004). For multi-agency working to be effective, good communication skills are needed by all professionals involved (Easen, Atkins and Dyson, 2006). The information shared must be relevant and only shared on a ‘need to know’ basis to protect the confidentiality of children and their families (Richardson and Asthana, 2005).

Childcare professionals must gain consent from parents regarding the information sharing between other professionals, unless there is a possibility of a child protection issue, then this can be overruled. When sharing information with other professionals we must be organised and professional so that we are able to give, receive and record accurate information to ensure that the child’s care is not compromised by poor information sharing (Watson, Townsley and Abbott, 2002). Multi-agency working and partnership with parents are the key factors in good quality care for children. However, partnership with parents can sometimes be difficult but as childcare professionals we must remain positive and not give up as the important thing is to ensure information is given to parents or other professionals by whatever means necessary.

Vanessa Olson Mrs. Novak September 17, 2012 Final Draft Are Parents Really to Blame for Their Kids’ Behavior? Watching how children, or even teenagers my age, act, I wonder how or why their parents let them get away with their behavior. What causes some kids to talk disrespectful to others or throw temper tantrums for the littlest reasons? My parents would tell me how, when they were my age, no one acted out like how children do today; that parents do not have the morals or values that the earlier generations have.

After all, I personally would never allow my children to act in such ways. I started to research if parents were really to blame for the way their children act, or if kids act in their own ways no matter how their parents raised them. At first I searched through Google to see if I could find articles debating whether parents were really to blame for how their children behave. Most of the results came out to be that parents were responsible and that children acting out is usually because there is little discipline at home.

I was not satisfied with only these results; I felt that there are exceptions to how children behave that are not solely in result of how they were raised by their parents. School, location, ethnicity, age, and religious factors all influence how we behave. Children are like sponges-they model everything a parent does and incorporate what they see into their own lives (Erikson 5). Reading this article, I was almost convinced that parents were actually really the main reason for children to act in the ways they do.

After all, negative examples can be unhealthy as a child will mimic these and lead them to bad behavior. I continued to read on what types of factors would influence negative behavior. I found out social skills, stress, discipline, fighting, and child abuse are all major factors that children are exposed to that result in their behavior. Social skills, such as a simple “please” or “thank you”, can be positively influential to kids; they will model what they witness their parents doing.

According to the website More4Kids info, a parent’s reaction to stress affects the way a child reacts to stress (Erickson 6). If they believe they are the reason for yelling or lashing out, the child will sometimes shut him or herself down. Discipline, such as pking or physically harming one’s child, does not teach that child how to modify their behavior; time-outs are alternate forms of punishment that can change their behavior in a calm manner. Verbal and physical fights are extremely hard on kids.

Children may develop low self-esteems and may even behave violently toward other children (Erickson 6). Sometimes when children are abused, they shut down and try to understand why they are getting abused. Reading through this article on how all these factors really influence how children act, I started to believe that mouthy children are the result of bad parenting. Still questioning if there were any other reasons for children to act out I continued to look at other articles online. According to Oxford University, poor parenting is not the reason for increased problem behavior in kids.

They found out that there is no general decline in parenting. Parents and teenagers are choosing to spend more quality time together than in 25 years ago (Oxford 3). The most recent studies show how parents now a-days are more likely to know where they children are compared to what they are doing in the 1980s. I found this information to be particularly surprising because I feel that parents were much stricter in earlier generations then compared to now. The most interesting article I found on who is to blame for children’s behavior is on The New York Times website.

Dr. Richard A. Friedman, M. D. , talked about a patient he had that dealt with depression and anxiety due to the fact that her son that had been a generally rude and unkind person his entire life. “I hate to admit it, but he is unkind and unsympathetic to people,” said his patient (Friedman 1). When tested, the results came back saying he was in the intellectually superior range and that there was no evidence of any learning disability or mental illness. These same parents raised two other children who were socially and intellectually normal.

How do parents raise two other well-behaved children while their other one turned out to be so misbehaved? When I read this, I felt that this was the truth. As I began to read the article Accepting That Good Parents May Plant Bad Seeds, part of me agrees with Dr. Friedman; sometimes good parents do have toxic children. Reading multiple articles arguing why parents are to blame for how their children act or how other factors can influence kids, I feel that both are to blame. On one hand, parents are to blame if their kids have no self-control and get away with acting out.

But on the other hand, I feel that some kids are just bad kids; they choose their own path to follow. For better or for worse, parents have limited power to influence their children. This is why they should not be so fast to take all the blame or credit for everything that their children become (Friedman 3). Vanessa Olson Mrs. Novak Annotated Bibliography 22 September 2012 A Selected Annotated Bibliography on Parents Influence on Kids’ Behavior Friedman, Richard A, M. D. Accepting That Good Parents May Plant Bad Seeds. 12 July    2010. Web. 13 July 2010. http://www. nytimes. om/2010/07/13/health/13mind. html? _r=0 This article was published in the New York Times and Richard Friedman, M. D. , explains the experience he had with one of his patients. She claimed to be depressed due to her son’s behavior. He talks about how their one son is not a nice person but they managed to raise two other well-adjusted children. I think this article is helpful; it explains how parents are not always the reason for how every child behaves. Also there is information of another set of parents who have been ignored by his son, having no phone calls or e-mails returned.

The best part of this article is that it says that not everyone will turn out nice and loving, and that it is not necessarily because of parental behavior or their environment that they grew up in. Erickson, Rose. Parents Effect on Child Behavior. 21 Jan. 2010. Web. 14 Sept. 2012. http://www. livestrong. com/article/75282-parents-effect-child-behavior/ In this article, parents are to blame for how their children act. It states how negative examples from parents have a great effect and can cause children to develop bad behavior. The author gives particular topics in day to day life that influence how one behaves.

I think this article is useful because out of all the articles about children’s bad behavior being a result of their parents, this has the best reasons why. I like how she used examples to show how each topic is the cause and that she backs up her statements. Also I like this article because Rose does not use words that exceed the average reading level. Oxford University. Today’s Parents ‘Not to Blame’ for Teenage Problem Behavior. 31 July 2009. Web. 14 Sept. 2012. This website talked about how most people believe that parents are much worse now than they were in earlier generations.

It has statistics on how even though most believe it to be the other way around, teenagers and parents are much closer now than in earlier generations. Parents are more likely to know where their kids are and what they are doing. I found this article to be useful because it talks about how there are other factors, such as cell phones, television, and the internet, that can influence one’s actions no matter how they were raised. I like this article mainly because it talks about what most articles do not; the comparison between earlier generations and this current one.