Working during College

Working can help pay for college, but can also restrict student's opportunities to learn. In today's society there are more and more students working while attending college. in the 1999-2000 academic year over 80% of U.S. undergrads were working while attending college. There are two categories of students that work. First, there are students that identify themselves as first as students, then employees. Second, there are the students that identify themselves as full-time workers that take some college classes. Part-time employment can be beneficial to students and supplement spending money. Full-time employment may be detrimental to student performance. Research has shown that as the number of hours worked increased the more likely students grades were to suffer. Also, students who work full-time are more likely to drop out of college.

Research shows that the effects of working in college varies by the type of job and its relation to the academic environment. In some cases students may be participating in cooperative program, which are paid apprenticeships in a field that they are interested in pursuing. Also working can provide opportunities, in a field of interest, like internships or part-time summer job. Participating in co-ops, internships, or summer jobs can be a key to getting job after college. Most employers report that 60% of their entry level work college hires had a co-op or internship with the company.

My opinion:

The only semester that I did not work while I was in college, was my very first semester. From that point on I worked anywhere from 15 to 25 hours a week, plus I took a full load of classes. None of the jobs I had in college where on campus jobs. However, during my junior year I started working in a specialty retail store because I was a Retail and Consumer Science Major. I am not going to say that working and going to college was easy. There were times when I was extremely stressed out, but I managed to make it through. And I graduated from college Magna Cum Laude. I think it is possible to work and go to school. I don't think that it is the right choice for everyone. Some people just need to focus on one thing at a time. But I do agree it is a good idea to participate in internships or summer job in a field of interest. I got my job with Macy's by doing an internship with them the summer before I graduated from college.

What do you think?

Sources:

Santrock, J. W. (2008). Life-Span Development (12 ed.). New York City: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages.

Working in College. (n.d.). Welcome! The College at Brockport. Retrieved July 12, 2010, from http://www.brockport.edu/career01/upromise.htm

Parent-Adolescent Conflicts

Parent-adolescent conflict begins during early adolescences. The conflict involves conflict about everyday events of family life like: cleaning bedroom, dressing neatly, curfews, and telephone use. The conflict between parents and adolescents last throughout high school years, and usually lessens between 17 and 20 years of age.

Conflict between parents and adolescents is caused by the child trying to establish a sense of independence between them and their parents. There are three different ways to create conflict between the parent and adolescent, separation, differentiation, and opposition. First, separation is the process of pulling away from parents and family to create one's own independent social world of friends and to establish more privacy from parents. During the separation phase conflicts arise over the child's reduced involvement with family, over increased activities with peers, and over how much personal information parents have a right to know. Second, differentiation is the process of experimenting with one's own individuality. Conflicts arise during differentiation over not fitting in well with the family, over assuming identities that parents are not familiar with, and over appearing and acting differently than what parents want. Third, opposition is the process of actively and passively challenging parental authority in an effort to become more self-determined. Conflict start in opposition due to disagreeing with parental demands, delayed response to parental response, and disobeying parental rules.

Even though parent-adolescent conflicts are stressful, they can sever as a positive developmental function. The disputes and negotiations facilitate the adolescent's transition from being dependent on parents to becoming and autonomous individual. Also, adolescents that are involved in disagreements with the parents are more likely to explore identity development. If both parents and adolescents realize that the conflict and negotiation can serve as a positive developmental function can tone down the hostility.

My opinion:

I think in most cases it is hard for the parents to understand and realize that their child is growing up. But it is also hard for the child to realize that they are not completely ready to be independent from their parents. For example, a good friend of mine is currently struggling with her 13 year old son. They are constantly arguing over whether or not he has to take a shower that day, did he clean his room, or if he is old enough to do everything his friends are doing. I know that she has the best interest of her child at heart, but he needs to be able to make decisions on his own. He will never realize the consequences of his actions if he doesn't make his own decisions. On the other hand, he needs to realize that at 13 years old he is not old enough to be completely dependent of his parents, and they are only there to help him.

What do you think?

Sources:

Parent/adolescent conflict -- fighting to communicate. | Psychology Today. (n.d.). Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness + Find a Therapist. Retrieved July 12, 2010, from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/surviving-your-childs-adolescence/200908/parentadolescent-conflict-fighting-communicate

Santrock, J. W. (2008). Life-Span Development (12 ed.). New York City: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages.

Affects of Adolescent Pregnancy on Development

Adolescent Pregnancy is a high-risk circumstance. There are health risks for both mother and baby, as well as physical and mental development issues.

First, the teenage body is not done growing. The reproductive system is not fully formed until after adolescence. . Therefore, the proper growth and development of the reproductive organs and other body parts may be inhibited. Second, the mothers brain is not yet fully developed. The parts of the brain that aid in decision making and logic are not fully developed until after age 19, not to mention, that the young woman has not finished her education and has less real-world experience. Therefore, pregnant adolescents do not always make the best decisions for themselves or their babies.

Adolescent pregnancy can have many long term effects on the mother. Adolescent pregnancy makes the young mother grow up faster and take on more responsibility. They miss out of major events associated with growing up and their development must be kicked into high gear. Often adolescent mothers drop out of high school. In 2002, only 20% of adolescent mothers aged 15-17 had graduated from high school, and only 1.5% will receive a college degree by age 30. Also, their family incomes are lower, they are more likely to become poor and receive welfare, and they are less likely to get married.

In most cases babies born to adolescents have an increased risk of physical and mental issues. Adolescents are not always educated about proper nutrition and other precautions that must be taken during pregnancy. Also, young mother have a tendency to skip medical care during pregnancy. In addition, pregnant adolescents face many hardships like: lack of social support, financial woes, and anxiety about the future. All these factors can lead to stress which can effect the development of the fetus. Therefore in general all the reasons combined are more likely to cause low birth rates in babies born to adolescents.

Adolescent pregnancy causes long term effects on the children. Children born to adolescents are more likely to be poor, abused, and neglected. Also, the are less likely to receive proper nutrition, health care, and cognitive and social stimulation. These children are more likely to have a greater risk of intellectual and academic achievement and social behavioral problems. In addition, these children are more likely to be incarcerated, not finish high school, be unemployed, and likely to become teen parents.

My opinion:

I come from an area where teen pregnancy is common. I have seen some teen mother succeed and other teen mother not succeed. I agree that mentally and physically teens are not prepared to have children. However, I think it is possibly for them to do well. I think the chances are the having a positive outcome depends on the support they have during their pregnancy. Those that are not offered support at home or in school are not going to have a successful experience. As a future family and consumer science teacher it is important for me to develop and teach family-life education classes that teen mothers can benefit from. Hopefully my classes will help reduce teen pregnancy, and provide support and information to teen mothers that need it.

What do you think?

Sources:

How Teenage Pregnancy Affects Development | eHow.com. (n.d.). eHow | How To Do Just About Everything! | How To Videos & Articles. Retrieved July 11, 2010, from http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4579971_how-teenage-pregnancy-affects-development.html

Mavis, S. (n.d.). Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting. Homepages at WMU. Retrieved July 11, 2010, from http://homepages.wmich.edu/~s3mavis/teenpregnancy.htm

Santrock, J. W. (2008). Life-Span Development (12 ed.). New York City: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages.

Middle Schools vs. Junior High Schools

Which are better for the development of a child middle schools or junior high schools? Both were created to bridge the gap between elementary school and high school, so what is the difference?

Middle School

• Student-Centered
• Fosters collaboration of students
• Affective and cognitive growth are emphasized
• Focuses on creative explorations and experimentation of subject matter
• Varies length of time students are in courses
• Offers high interest exploratory coursework
• Advisory program = teacher-oriented guidance
• Athletics organized around intramural concept

Junior High School

• Subject-Centered
• Fosters competition of students
• Cognitive development is first priority
• Focuses on mastery of concepts and skills in separate disciplines
• Offers subjects for one semester or one year
• Provides highly structured activity program after school
• Study hall = access to counselor upon request
• Athletics organized around interscholastic concept

Junior High Schools were created mainly for 7th and 8th grade students and were designed to be just like the high school setting. Middle schools were created to have a different grade organization and a more developmentally responsive program to provide a more gradual and appropriate transition between elementary and high school years. The middle school feature interdisciplinary teaming, small learning communities, a teacher advisory program, and special learning centers where students can catch up on needed skills or branch out for further explorations.

Some schools have the term middle school in there name. But are they really a middle school? Are they a junior high school? Or are the combination of both. What do you think is best for the development of children?

My opinion:

I went to a school that had all grades from kindergarten to eighth grade in one building. I greatly enjoyed my time at this school, but I think I would have enjoyed going to a middle school or junior high school more. The only think I remember about my elementary school that was even similar to high school was that we switched classes. But all of our classes where on the same wing, so we didn't have far to go. I think I would have benefited by attending a school that help with the transition from elementary to high school. Luckily all the schools in our county are set up the same way, so we all had the same issues when we got to high school. Not being familiar with a junior high or middle school, I couldn't begin to say which format I think is better. However I can say I think they are necessary.

Sources:

Middle School Versus Junior High: Distinctions Between Middle Schools and Junior High Schools for Students. (n.d.). Middle School. Retrieved July 10, 2010, from http://middleschool.suite101.com/article.cfm/middle_school_versus_junior_high

Santrock, J. W. (2008). Life-Span Development (12 ed.). New York City: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages.

Peer Status and Peer Relationships

Peer status has an important impact on children’s peer relationships. Developmentalists used sociometric status to determine how well students were liked or disliked by their peers. The determined that there were five different peer statuses. First are popular children, they are frequently nominated as a best friend and are rarely disliked by peers. These children have numerous social skills that contribute to their popularity. Second, are average children, this group received an average number of both positive and negative nominations from their peers. Third, are neglected children, they are infrequently nominated as a best friend but are not disliked by peers. Neglected children normally engage in low rates of interaction with peers, and are described as shy. Fourth, are rejected children, they are infrequently nominated as someone’s best friend and are actively disliked by peers. Rejected children tend to have serious adjustment problems. Finally, are controversial children, these children are frequently nominated as someone’s best friend and as being disliked.

Peer relationships are important because the relationships give children the ability to learn social skills that will be important to them throughout their lives. Children need skills to initiate and maintain social relationships and to resolve social conflicts. Also, children without peer relationships are missing opportunities to build social self-confidence. Therefore they do not develop the ability to achieve interpersonal goals and become overwhelmed by social interaction.

There are four different factors that contribute to peer relationship problems: social behavior, differentness, family problems, and reputation. Social behavior is when children exhibit some ineffective social behavioral pattern that can cause them to be rejected by their peers. For example, some children may behave in an aggressive or disruptive manner or some may be withdrawn from their peers. Differentness is when children are rejected by their peers because they are perceived to be different. This tends to occur when children are from a different ethnic group or sex, are physically unattractive or handicapped, or are newcomers to the classroom. Family problems cause children to act out which cause rejection from peers, or they could be reluctant to bring friends home and avoid creating close friendships. Reputation is a social outcast that is difficult to change. Even when children overcome the circumstances that led to peer problems, their reputation will usually stick with them.

There are four strategies to help children overcome peer relationship problems: social skills training, intervention for related problems, nonthreatening social experience, and cooperative classroom projects. Social skills training can help children learn new interpersonal skills. This training can help them learn different ways to make peer interactions mutually satisfying and productive. In some cases children who are exhibiting peer problems are also having other problems. In some cases children that also have academic problems may need intensive academic intervention or children with family problems may need counseling. Some children find large groups to be overwhelming. Therefore they need to experience nonthreatening social experiences. It is important for them to be given opportunities to interact in smaller groups and be encouraged to develop interests that will provide a natural basis for interacting with others. Finally, cooperative classroom projects can foster peer acceptance for children who are trying to fit in with classmates. These groups allows students who would normally avoid working together the opportunity to interact.

My opinion:

I would say that growing up I was classified as one of the popular children. I never had a hard time fitting in and I always had friends. However, throughout the years I have watched my cousins and other kids that I am close to struggle with peer status. No one likes to be the rejected child, and rejection has an effect on one’s self confidence. The one thing that I do remember from elementary and middle school was the cliques that caused problems in peer relationships. It wasn’t necessarily that peer statuses changed, but your status in a certain clique may change. And not being invited to be a part of a certain clique caused a huge amount of rejection. Peer status is large part of life no matter what age. However, I think the older and more mature you become the less you pay attention to peer statuses, but it is a huge part of middle to late childhood.

What do you think?

Sources:

Burton, C. (n.d.). Children's Peer Relationships. . ERICDigests.Org - Providing full-text access to ERIC Digests. Retrieved July 10, 2010, from http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-923/peer.htm

Santrock, J. W. (2008). Life-Span Development (12 ed.). New York City: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages.

Children from Divorced Families

40% of children born to married parents in the United States will experience their parents’ divorce. Today there are approximately 20 million children that are living in single parent homes. Children in divorced families are more likely than children in non-divorced families to have academic problems, to show externalized and internalized problems, to be less socially responsible, to have less competent intimate relationships, to drop out of school, to become sexually active at an early age, to take drugs, to associate with antisocial peers, to have low self-esteem, and to be less securely attached as young adults. Also, children from divorced families show poorer adjustment than their counterparts in non-divorced families.

Divorce can cause developmental issues in children. Development refers to that “unfolding” of a child’s physical growth, behavior, and personality. A child is constantly developing. Not only are the changing physically and emotionally, but they change the way they think and communicate. A child develops within the context of their family. The family is where a child’s basic needs are met, emotional bonds are formed, and learning begins. Therefore any event affecting the family, will have an effect on the child.

The following are example of how divorce affects children in different ways depending on their age:

Preschool (ages 3-5): Preschool aged children are likely to regress in their most recent developmental milestones. Also, the can suffer from sleep disturbances. As well they develop a fear of separation and abandonment. In some cases the child may become more aggressive or develop a fear of being hurt.

· Early latency (ages 6-8): Children aged 6 to 8 are more likely to openly grieve for the departed parent. Their school work could suffer because of the grief. In addition they develop a sense of fear and anger. They are still scared of being abandoned, and can direct their anger at the custodial parent. Also, they are wishing for reconciliation between their parents.

· Late latency (ages 8-11): The biggest issue with children ages 8-11 is anger and a feeling of powerlessness. Also they tend to develop a loyalty conflict and will begin to label their parent’s as “good” parent and “bad” parent. Lastly, this age group will try to take care of their parents and let their friendships start to deteriorate because of their focus on their family.

· Adolescence (ages 12-18): Adolescents usually respond with acute depression, suicidal ideation, and sometimes violent acting out episodes. They tend to often judge their parents’ decisions and actions. Many adolescents become anxious and fearful about their own future love and marital relationships.

My opinion:

I believe that the child’s reaction to the divorce depends on the reaction from the parents, as well as how open the parents are about the situation. My parents divorced the summer before I started third grade. I was eight years old that summer. I remember the day my dad told me he was moving out. At the time I did not really think much about it, my reaction was to ask who planned on taking me to swim lessons. I remember my mom being really upset, and I cannot say that I was trying to be strong for her. I think more than anything I just wanted to try my hardest not to cause her anymore hurt, so I wanted to be on my best behavior. My parents were very upfront and honest about the reason for their divorce, and I think that made the biggest difference in me being able to adjust to the divorce. I remember my mom being extremely worried about the divorce affecting my grades. Before the school year started she went to talk to my homeroom teacher, and explain the situation. Not one time did my grades drop that year or any year after that. I did have a lot of anger. Not as much towards my parents as I did towards my Dad’s girlfriend. At one point I wrote her a letter telling her how much I hated her. I think had my parent’s not be as open about the entire situation and process it would have had a bigger effect on me.

What do you think?

Sources:

Divorce effects on children. (n.d.). Child Advocate - Helping Parents and Professionals. Retrieved July 9, 2010, from http://www.childadvocate.net/divorce_effects_on_children.htm

Effects of Divorce on Children - KidsGrowth. (n.d.). Welcome to Kids Growth , for pediatric professionals, parents, and teens.. Retrieved July 9, 2010, from http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=1153

Gray, B. (2001, May. - Jun.). Supporting Children and Families in Times of Stress. Texas Child Care, 26. Retrieved July 8, 2010, from http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Documents/Child_Care/Child_Care_Solutions/TCCSeparationDivorce.pdf

Santrock, J. W. (2008). Life-Span Development (12 ed.). New York City: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages.

Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is a growing health problem in the United States. Obesity is an excess of body weight due to fat that puts people at risk for health problems. In children obesity is measured by the Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI is calculated from the child’s weight and height. Those with a BMI over 85% but less than the 95^th percentiles are considered overweight. However, those with a BMI greater than the 95^th percentile are considered to be obese.

The CDC has three categories obesity, overweight, and at risk for being overweight. A study showed that from 2003-2006, 11% of 2 to 19 years olds were obese, 16% were overweight, and 38% were at risk for being overweight. These numbers are likely to continue to grow if changes in children’s lifestyles do not occur. A child’s eating behavior is influenced by its caregiver. The child’s eating behavior improves when the caregiver eats with the child on a predictable schedule, models eating healthy food, makes mealtime pleasant, and engages in certain feeding styles. Also, children should be free of distraction from television, family arguments, and competing activities during mealtime. In addition, a child’s life should be focused around activities, not meals. Therefore, physical activity should occur daily. Healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming obese and developing related diseases. Otherwise overweight children are going to continue to be overweight as they get older.

Childhood obesity has both immediate and long-term health impacts. For example, obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Also, children and adolescents who are obese are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems. Obese youth are more likely than youth of normal weight to become overweight or obese adults. Therefore they create more risk for associated adult health problems including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. Also, obese children have lower self esteem and self confidence than their thinner peers. Low self esteem and self confidence can lead to poor academic performance, fewer friends, and depression. These problems are why is it is important to try and prevent childhood obesity. Also, it is important to identify overweight and obese children quickly, so they can begin treatment and attain and maintain a healthy weight.

My opinion:

My mom and I were discussing the issue of childhood obesity one day, and I told her I just can't seem to figure out why this is such a growing trend. I remember when I was in elementary school, I ate junk food all the time. A typical lunch for me was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a bag of chips, a fruit roll-up or a bag of gushers, and two cartons of orange juice. As far as I can remember I was pretty much allowed to eat whatever I wanted. My mom's response to me was "Yes, you got to eat whatever you wanted, but you would play outside for hours a day. Plus you played basketball, softball, and volleyball. Not to mention that you rode your bike all over the neighborhood." So event though I ate all kinds of junk food, I was an extremely active kid and I was burning it all off. Now, I believe that technology is great. Without it I am not sure where the world would be. However, I think that video games, internet, and television are ruining the lives are children today. I know so many kids that would much rather stay inside to play on the computer or play a video game instead of go outside to play. So when you are eating junk food and staying inside all day, the calories are not being burned. Which is causing them to be overweight and obese.

As a family and consumer science teacher one of the classes that I will teach is foods and nutrition. In my opinion this is one of the most important classes that I will teach. I look forward to working with my students to show them what are appropriate foods to eat and teaching them how to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Whats your opinion?

Sources:

AAP: PREVENTION OF PEDIATRIC OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY. (n.d.). AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS WEB SITE. Retrieved July 6, 2010, from http://www.aap.org/obesity/index.html

Childhood Obesity - DASH/HealthyYouth. (n.d.). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved July 6, 2010, from http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/obesity/

Santrock, J. W. (2008). Life-Span Develpment (12 ed.). New York City: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages.