On Young Children » thoughts

Saying “No” to a Child

admin — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:47:10 +0000

I found a very interesting collection of research and personal experience.

No is a powerful word; used well it keeps its power, used without purpose, it eventually means nothing. It’s a lot like saying “Good job,” to a child; it doesn’t give any feedback just continues to remind the child who has the power.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=516517#comments

Delinquent Gramma?

Sharon — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 02:02:55 +0000

Okay, so for the past two weeks, I’ve been planning a book review of the book “Black Ants and Buddhists” by Mary Cowhey. I’m still planning it, read the book, outlined some points and it sits alone (not even in a pile) on my desk. Have I written it? No! What has happened? Life, liberty and the pursuit of home maintenance! I was away for two weeks the end of June, and home for three weeks before a trip that begins tomorrow — plenty of time, right? Nope again! We live in a 110 year old home located in New England. That means that home maintenance happens sometime between May 15 and Oct 15 depending on the whim of the weather. So you call all those maintenance guys and schedule what seems a reasonable distance between each — then what happens? The weather – first it’s rainy, then it’s a 100 degrees and so they all show up on the same day. Some of you are having a laugh because you’re talented enough to do all this yourself (actually I don’t know too many people who would clean third floor 100 year old windows on a ladder outdoors). But I’m not. So the book review will be forthcoming. It really is a good read. I will try to be on time next week! Well, okay, maybe the book review will happen the week after that, considering I’m in Denver at a family Bat Mitzvah (but we won’t go into that saga as yet!).

Children’s freedoms

Sharon — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 21:25:00 +0000

For many reasons, we were just my granddaughter, my daughter and I for Independence Day yesterday (I realized yesterday that when I was a child that that is what we called it – it’s now Fourth of July.). It was raining, and although that didn’t stop the local New Hampshire residents from shooting off lots of noisy fireworks; it kept us indoors but thoroughly enjoying a hot dog and burger and chips! Yesterday during the two-hour drive to her home, I passed many a family gathering and flags galore; and the usual marches and advertisements on the radio of celebrating our freedom. As a WWII veteran’s daughter and a friend of many who served in Vietnam and Korea, there’s much I could say about any war. But really what I was thinking about is this word bandied about yesterday – freedom. Being passionate about young children; those I serve and those I can only imagine in those war torn places; for me it’s the fact that for those I serve and know – including that little grandbaby – it’s freedom to play in a safe place with safe toys with caring adults looking after you. We, as citizens, are asked by our politicians to honor the warriors there who fight for our freedoms. I wish to honor today those who fight for children’s rights. They do it without adequate funds or supplies; but thank goodness that someone is trying to provide children with freedoms. While I am deeply appreciative of being a US citizen; I am often ashamed that we, “the people” chose to fund wars while children – here and abroad – are homeless, without food, without safe toys, without caring adults.

Libraries

Sharon — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 00:13:50 +0000

Probably seems an odd topic for a hot – scalding hot day actually – summer day in New England, but it’s related. I went to the opening of a new little room in our town’s public library called the “PictureBook Room” last night. Our library is in a very old Victorian home, and even with opening the main spaces; there are some odd little side rooms. They were able to move a librarian’s office and put in a space specifically for the young child. It has its own bathroom awash in a cute mural done by a local artisan volunteer. There are little chairs and tables and places to read and be read to. What’s the relationship to a hot summer day? It was an unusually hot June day – 102 degrees and high humidity. In a small town (pop. 17,000) with a large population who live at or below the poverty line; it was joyfully clear to me that many families had come for after dinner book readings in a place that was not only new and crisply clean, but really cool as well (in more ways than one if you were three and trying out the new little rockers just your size). I oohed and ahhed of course; but mainly left being reminded how important libraries really are to access to not only information and the written word, but shared experiences with other readers of all ages. Libaries very well could be the best community center there is for young children and those who care for them.

Separation anxiety for all.

Sharon — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 15:50:36 +0000

Most think separation and its related feelings of anxiety are just for babies. We had a family reunion this past weekend. Just two parents, one child with spouse, one child (recently separated) with 9-month-old grandchild. All had a wonderful four days. When it came to say goodbye, grandchild cried really loudly (she knew something was happening); and Gramma Shannie cried the hardest. Separation anxiety began for me at that first separation each time I gave birth (I’m sure there are similar moments for those who have children join their family in other ways). As I discovered yesterday on a beautiful summer afternoon, I’m still experiencing it. The rental bathroom sink, filled for 4 glorious days with all kinds of toothbrushes and several flavors of matching paste, was a now a wasteland featuring splashes of dried paste and two lonely toothbrushes belonging to the sad grandparents already planning the next reunion.

Gramma Shannie is here!

admin — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 01:40:04 +0000

On September 20, the impending grandmotherhood arrived! Aviendha Constance Rowland!

You’ll find pictures of the newest member on our family website

Introduction

admin — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 22:53:21 +0000

“We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.”
Mr. Rogers is one of my favorite people in the world. When it came to the world of children, he understood who and what they are about. I’m joining the world of blogging so that we can widen the circle of conversation about the people known as children. I hope that my students and colleagues will join this conversation; as well as folks I’ll never meet in the world of the Internet.

My paying job is as a full-time Education faculty member at a small rural community college. I’ve spent over thirty years in the industry of early care and education. I suppose that gives me a lot of opinions; perhaps so. Mostly I hope it provides me with a background to begin to think aloud with others about children and the challenging and changing world we give them to live in. My non-paying life includes community service, gardening, sewing, reading very eclectically and soon to be labeled as a grandmother.

I look forward to our conversations.