Reflection
Think about and describe what makes a good toy. What good toys do you want to make sure you have in your classroom?
Answer: Ideally, a good toy is one that provides the child with not only entertainment, but an educational basis as well, such as matching pictures with sounds that animals make, or during the process of learning to read matching the picture with the written word, etc. All of these sound simple enough, yet they equip the child with entertainment as well as learning. I think so many toys today have lost this educational value and it’s such a shame.
Reflect on parenting style your parents/caregivers used. Describe the kind of behaviors’/attitudes that you received punishment and /or discipline for.
Answer: My parents have always been strict and utilized punishment when they felt I deserved it. Now, I realize that it was all for my own good, which in turn, helped me develop into the person I am today. When I misbehaved, did or said something wrong or unacceptable, they would resort to beatings, which I must add served a very educational purpose. Seeing the beating was never too hard, it was just to make me realize that what I did was wrong and to deter me from doing such a thing again.
My answer: Back home, there was no such thing as time out. My parents just beat me with whatever they had in their hand at that very moment. Now, however, I feel very lucky, because I have been prevented from getting into any kind of trouble due to this kind of punishment. In addition, they always explained to us the reasoning behind their beating, so that we don’t think it was because they liked doing it, but rather that it was to teach us a valuable lesson. That was what unconditional love meant to them. I miss my parents very much and am very grateful for their upbringing.
Do you (or will you) Parent differently than your own parents? Why or why not? What is the parenting style you use or would like to use with your own children.
My answer: In United States the parenting styles are different. There is a saying “When in Rome, do as Romans do,” which urges a person to act however the people around him are acting. I am definitely a conservative person, and I would like to raise my child in a very conservative way, exactly like my parents did. This way, I am confident that I will raise a strong and determined individual, who will know true life values from artificial ones.
As a child, did you enjoy or desire to get and be messy-play in water, mud, sand, dirt, paint, etc. What did you like about it? Did your family allow you to get dirty or messy in your play and other activities? Why do you think children really enjoy messy activities?
My answer: I do not remember playing time at all. My mother always objected to us wanting to go out of the house and play. She didn’t like us to get dirty. Whenever we wanted to play we had to go with our parents to their club and play there. There was no such thing as being allowed to go out and play with other children in the dirt. I think children like it for the liberty to do what they want. Back home in KG, where my home used to be, there was only work and beating, coaxing from teachers and then coming home, following the rules and listening to our parents. I was very happy when I went to college and stayed in a hostel. Just like Mr. Jonathan said in his speech that Mrs. “C” is in hell giving hell to others. It is the same for all those teachers, serving in hell. I generally loved school, but I despised all the teachers.
List 3 of what you consider to be the most beliefs you hold about educating young children. What are some ways you would put these beliefs into practice in your own early childhood education program?
Answer: I believe that the most important thing in educating one’s child is to make sure that the child knows it is loved, no matter what it has done. Like every human being, a child will certainly make a mistake at one point, and depending on the kind of mistake it does, it should be punished or scolded accordingly. Still, even if the punishment seems harsh, it is important to explain to the child that the punishment is there for it to learn a valuable lesson, because everyone who makes a mistake pays for it one way or another. I think this teaches the child that every action has its consequences and it is of the utmost importance to learn that these consequences must be accepted. This is what I would employ: using reward and appreciation, as well as scolding and punishment technique, simultaneously letting the child know that everyone makes mistakes, and that it is how we deal with our actions that makes us better people.
What was the most valuable learning experience or growth you had from participating in this class? What do you think was the purpose of this assignment? What is your greatest challenge you brought to this assignment?
Answer: The most valuable experience I had from participating in this class is seeing how other people view their parents’ techniques of being brought up and how they plan on employing the same, similar or completely different techniques. Sharing ideas and perspectives has always been a great source of knowledge for me. I think that the purpose of this assignment was exactly that: sharing information and experience, in order to broaden our perspectives on child upbringing. My greatest challenge was putting myself into the shoes of a parent, because every parent is willing to do anything so that his child grows up to be a respected and valuable member of society.
