"All our knowledge has its origin in our perceptions."
Leonardo da Vinci
Where to begin? I have started and stopped this project so many times since I was unsure of what use it would be to anyone. Although I do have a small following of wonderful parents, I fear not being taken seriously because of, as so many have told me, my "lack of having children of my own". However, after viewing a documentary entitled The Medicated Child by Frontline, I feel incapable of remaining silent.
During my 16-year-career I have seen many different parenting styles, behaviors, opinions, medical diagnosis, cultures, teaching styles, and the list goes on. There is so much going on in the world of children right now that it is hard to keep up with it. Really, I give the “Momfia” mad props for keeping one step ahead at all times to make sure that “their little precious” is at the peak of the baby fad, that's hard work! It is difficult for me, however, to turn a blind eye to the fact that all of these things seem to be putting children in the center of a hurricane with no way out.
Our society's thoughts on children and child-rearing practices have obviously changed over the decades. More so, it seems, in the past ten years than ever before. In recent years we have seen a rise in so many things that have to do with children including obesity, behavior problems, lack of respect (towards children and adults both), medical diagnosis and prescribed drug usage, product recalls, stricter educational standards, rise in and difficulty of standardized testing...I could go on all day. Maybe it is due to my laid back attitude or my chosen teaching style that, oh you know, revolves only around the students that I am teaching; but I fail to see how much of a positive impact is being made by our societies "view of the child". (Gold star to those of you who recognized my Reggio vocabulary there!)
The worst part about all of this is the new parent. I wonder if this whole kid thing is an irreversible rabbit hole. My heart goes out to the parents who don't know where to find the truth. They, similar to us all, trust those whom we are conditioned to trust such as our doctors, government officials, and of course the world of childcare professionals. The sad reality is that it was the government officials who changed the educational standards of early childhood, and in more cases than I care to mention here, it is the teachers who are sending parents to the pediatrician to be prescribed behavior modifying medication. Sadly, too, our doctors and our educators are rarely communicating with one another before making decisions. The doctor who sees your child for 10 minutes at a routine appointment has no problem making judgments that should take more observation.
Trust me, I am not on this band-wagon to say to all parents, "lets burn our pacifiers on the street and rebel against the man!" I am simply presenting some ideas that should be given some more thought before a conclusion is made. Childhood is one of the best times in life, for children as well as for parents. It is our job to make it this way!
In this blog, I will give my extremely biased thoughts on a variety of subjects that have to do with finding your way through child-rearing. I will also answer questions or give thoughts on subjects of your choosing. It must be said, however, that I do not claim to know it all! I can admit that I am at times...wait for it...WRONG. We all are sometimes (even active members of the “Momfia”). My opinions are based on my experiences in child care, I do take everything that I was taught in Early Childhood Education with a grain of salt. I usually do have scientific facts to back up my opinions, but because they are my opinions you are not required to like them, use them, or accept them. I am okay with that. In fact, if you disagree, feel free to tell me about it as well as our other readers. A decision is more likely to be right if ALL sides are considered!
Happy reading:)
