To Breastfeed or Not to Breastfeed while in the Public Eye?

At a time when breastfeeding in public is already controversial, pictures of two military moms doing so while wearing their uniforms is sparking outrage.

The photo is part of a local breastfeeding awareness campaign by Mom2Mom of Fairchild Air Force Base, a support group launched in January by Crystal Scott, a military spouse and mother of three. Among the intimate close-ups of smiling young mothers cuddling their adorable babies, the images of the two airmen stand out.
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This video clip is stirring up a new controversial movement and that is: " if we should breastfeed in public, how long?  And, set a new term called, "attachment parenting". 
Breastfeeding Military Moms: The more we change, the more we remain the same.

Reference:

Military Moms Breastfeeding in Uniform Stir Controversy

By Lylah M. Alphonse, Senior Editor, Yahoo! Shine | Parenting – Wed, May 30, 2012 5:45 PM EDT

~ Sharing Web Resources~

Blog Assignment: Week 4

~The National Black Child Development Institute~ http://nbcdi.org/

The National Black Child Development Institute has over 24 Affiliates around the country with the mission to improve and advance the lives of Black children and their families through education and advocacy.

      What specific section(s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development?

I am passionate about their Initiatives: Teacher Education & Compensation Helps (TEACH); Child Welfare; Early Childhood Education; Education; Health and Nutrition and Literacy.

Below are two Initiatives on this site:

TEACH:

The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Project gives scholarships to child care workers to complete course work in early childhood education and to increase their compensation

Literacy:

NBCDI has partnered with Reading is Fundamental (RIF) to offer an early literacy training program to early childhood educators to build their capacity and resources to develop and enhance early literacy skills of African Americans.

      Which ideas/statements/resources, either on the website or in an e-newsletter, did you find controversial or made you think about an issue in new ways?

I believe that Black children have suffered a lot from social disparities as we have read so much about in week 4: NBCDI President Felicia DeHaney, PhD, Keynote Howard University’s 2012 School of Education Commencement speaker said:

On May 10, 2012, Dr. DeHaney addressed the School of Education’s 2012 graduating class with a message of inspiration, hope, and determination.  She encouraged the graduates to keep three types of people in their lives: “one person to look up to, who inspires you to always reach for the stars; one person who is where you are in life, who can keep you grounded and remind you that you’re not alone; and the most important of the three, the one who is behind you, who you inspire, who you are responsible to lead and make their path just a little easier to follow.”  These words left the graduates motivated, and gave them support and the will to move forward, reassured that there is no goal that cannot be achieved.

      What information does the website or the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field?

The information on how this Institute was founded as stated on its website adds to my understanding on how politicians view social change and how neuroscientist, through the institution’s advocacy for healthy children: Conceived by the Black Women’s Community Development Foundation whose concerns were that of the unsatisfactory conditions faced by families wanting to rear healthy children, they decided to organize a national advocacy group. In 1970, the Institute was incorporated and the work began to organize groups within communities as a basis for creating a unified national voice to develop strategies to improve the life circumstances of the developing Black child through policy change. 

      What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain from exploring the website or e-newsletter?

Childhood obesity is one topic that I found is a new insight on issues in early childhood. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every four black children is overweight, compared to one in seven white children. At NBCDI, they believe that culturally relevant long term interventions which aim to impact obesity in young children is achieved by working with parents and caregivers and prove to be the most promising approach to decreasing the incidence of obesity over time.

http://nbcdi.org/blog/2010/08/27/nbcdi-child-health-talk/

Sharing Web Resources   Part II~Week 4~
~Neuroscientist as Early Childhood Advocates~
~I especially like this resource, so I posted it to my blog~

~Research~
Research led by Carleton University psychologist Amadeo D’Angiulli, PhD, provides further evidence of poorer children’s deficits in a key ability harbored in the brain’s prefrontal cortex — selective attention.

~The Study~
In a 2008 study in Neuropsychology (Vol. 22, No. 3), D’Angiulli monitored the brain activity of 28 children from grades six to nine while they listened to a random series of four tones. Researchers asked the children to press a button every time they heard two of those tones. The results of the study showed that the brains of the children from lower-socioeconomic backgrounds used more energy when listening to the “other tones” than those from higher-income homes.

~Replication of Findings~
A 2009 study in Developmental Science (Vol. 12, No. 4), conducted by Helen Neville, PhD, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Oregon, replicates D’Angiulli’s findings.
~The Study~

In the study, 32 children listened to two stories simultaneously, one in each ear, and were asked to filter out one. All of the children remembered the story, but the children from disadvantaged homes had more trouble shutting out the distracting stimuli of the other story. Their brains, researchers say, have to work harder to perform the same task, a difficulty that could make it tougher for them to focus on teacher instructions or class assignments.

~Brain Development in Children~

 Last year, Neville and her team developed a DVD for parents, teachers and policymakers, available at www.changingbrains.org that explores brain development in children and provides simple techniques caregivers can use to help children reach their full potential.

References:

Changing Brains/University of Oregon Brain Development Lab. Effects of Experience on Human Brain. Retrieved on May 25, 2012. www.changingbrains.org

Novotney, A. (2010). The recession’s toll on children. Monitor on Psychology, 41(8), 42–45. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Freely Accessible Social Science Journals database. http://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/09/recession.aspx

http://youtu.be/xt2H-9WLaG4
Helen Neville, PhD, a professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Oregon. Introduction of the function of the brain and its nine different functions. A view several DVD's.

~I know that this little girl is praying along side her dolls yet, I am wondering what this little girl is thinking? How did her brain know to place her dolls alongside her?~

        ~Stroll Down for Week 3 Blog Post~

Gave my dog up for Adoption today, this is not her, but now I got the blues, yet if this does not place a "smile" on your face, I do not know what will! 

Homelessness and Poverty in the Inland Empire

 

http://www.youtube.com/embed/lOK0Ubgdtt4?autoplay=1&hd=1&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=370&width=640?autoplay=1&hd=1 ~A Time for Change~ A Shelter for Homeless Families

Week 3~ Blog Assignment: Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 1
~World Forum Podcast~ India and Belize~ 
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio/

Deevia Bhana is Professor of Education at the University of KwaZulu – Natal in South Africa. In her doctoral dissertation she explored the constructions of gender and childhood sexuality. Her current interests include gender and early childhood sexualities, violence and youth, and HIV/AIDS education. The myth in this country regarding children and HIV/Aids is that having sex with young girls will cure HIV/Aids. Children experience fear and they run away from home and often do not want to walk alone. Academia and Practitioners need to work together to bring about social change.  

Delfena Mitchell is Director of the Liberty Children’s Home, on the outskirts of Belize City. Her program opened in the summer of 2005 and is licensed up to 40 children, predominantly between Zero to 5 years of age. Older children that have younger siblings in care are welcomed.
All of the children at the care center have been abandoned, neglected, abused or orphaned and many have disabilities, special needs or HIV positive. Further information on this program is available at www.libertyfoundation.org.uk

Poverty in Belize:
Poverty in Belize is extensive, persistent and widespread. 39% of Belizean children live below the poverty line. This means two out of every five Belizean children do not have their basic food and non food needs met.
Director’s Name and Address: Liberty Children’s Home- Stork Street Ladyville, Belize District, Belize, Central America. Marcelle Delahaye, CEO and Founder; and Gemma Delahaye, Chief Operations Officer.

belize@libertyfoundation.org.uk
marcelle@libertyfoundation.org.uk
gemma@libertyfoundation.org.uk
******************************************************************************

Childhood poverty in India
An estimated 400 million of the population are between 0-18 years.  Almost half of all children (about 62 million) under the age of five are malnourished and 34 percent of new-borns are underweight. Important achievements have been made in health and education. The enrollment of primary school-aged children rose from 68 percent in 1992/1993 to 82 percent at the end of the decade. But India still accounts for 20 per cent of the world's out-of-school children. It has the largest numbers of working children in the world.
There are stark inequalities in child wellbeing based on gender, class and caste. Despite efforts of civil society and government, gender biases continue to pervade all aspects of life and particularly limit girls' life chances. The cycle of disadvantage starts at birth and continues through childhood to motherhood and the next generation. Retrieved on May 18, 2012. http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=countryo

~Sharing Web Resources~

The National Black Child Development Institute ~ http://nbcdi.org/affiliates/

Conceived by the Black Women’s Community Development Foundation whose concerns were that of the unsatisfactory conditions faced by families wanting to rear healthy children, they decided to organize a national advocacy group. In 1970, the Institute was incorporated and the work began to organize groups within communities as a basis for creating a unified national voice to develop strategies to improve the life circumstances of the developing Black child through policy change.  Since 1970, the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) has remained steadfast in its mission –“To improve and advance the lives of black children and their families through education and advocacy.”

~National Black Child Development Institute~ News Letter:

Supporting the WHOLE Child: Educationally, Physically, Spiritually, Mentally, Emotionally, and Socially

This week, take the time to address needs that support the WHOLE Child’s well being.  Below you’ll find a list of activities that you can participate in with your family and in your community:
Educationally
Make learning fun! Get involved with your child during homework time. This will be helpful, as most children are visual learners and learn by repetition.  More “fun learning” activities can be found online at http://www.makinglearningfun.com/.
Physically
It is important to have play time with your children.  Play time is not only a time for kids, but it can be beneficial for the entire family.  Take the time to incorporate fun exercises and outdoor activities that will get the entire family moving and physically fit!
Spiritually
This week, take extra time to instill in your child, values, morals and beliefs that they can call upon as factors and reference points to consider when various decisions arise in their lives.
Mentally
These are just a few things that can be done to support children’s mental health.  These tips and more can be found at http://www.nasponline.org/.  The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration also has great materials and resources that will assist in addressing the needs of children that are suffering from various traumas and mental illnesses’.
Emotionally
There is a lot you can do to promote your child’s emotional well-being and to boost their confidence and self-esteem.  Constantly encourage and motivate your child to always do their best, and let them know that they can do anything that they put their mind to. 
Socially
It is the responsibility of parents and caregivers to instill in children the importance of working together as a team and that it is always good to do nice things for others.  This week, take the entire family to participate in a community service activity or to a neighbor’s house to perhaps help out with spring cleaning.

Head Start’s 11^th National Research Conference

Research on Young Children and Families: Effective Practices in an Age of Diversity and Change ~ June 18-20, 2012 in Washington, DC.

Head Start’s National Research Conference is a biennial event, which provides practitioners, researchers, administrators, and policy makers involved in Head Start, early childhood, childcare, health care, and administration programs the opportunity to share research that promotes positive development in young children. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/

Part 2, "Expanding Resources"

~National Black Child Development Institute~

The National Black Child Development Institute was chosen over the other organizations because this is my culture and I want to know more about how to connect with my colleagues at this Institute. I want to learn more about this unique Institute with affiliates all over the country. I have requested to get a copy of their newsletter. 

The National Black Child Development Institute has over 24 Affiliates around the country with the mission to improve and advance the lives of Black children and their families through education and advocacy.

http://nbcdi.org/affiliates/