Thursday, July 8, 2010

we're peek-a-boo buds

Things I Love
Erickson
That's right, I love a developmental theorist. I love the wonder and beauty he gave to childhood. I love that he extended development throughout the lifespan, that someone finally decided that life doesn't stop changing at the end of adolescence! I love that he started out as an artist. I think that's why his theories are so beautiful, and why the sciencey people in psychology and development get so frustrated with him.

Piaget
That's right, I love TWO developmental theorists! Piaget cared SO MUCH about education, and not about how we're concerned now, about keeping the children up to pace, but about developing children who love to learn who are curious!



Seriously. I want that on a poster in every office I work in and in my room and in my car and written in the sky. If we focus only on gaining the knowledge that everyone already has on a strict schedule, where are we going to improve and develop as a society? Piaget is a guy whose descendants I would marry just so I could tell my children that they are related to a great great man. Is that weird to say? I think it might be.



Alpaca yarn


I'm knitting a project right now using it. It might be the first time I haven't gotten a bit of a string burn on my fingers. It's that soft. I'd post pictures, but it's a surpriiiiiiiise!





These Ladies


I've been friends with these ladies for 8-19 years respectively (Carrita! Next year marks year 20 of our friendship! We should celebrate!). They are truly my dearest friends. They are the people I want to see, the people I want to be around, and the people I want to tell about my life. We are each going into completely disparate careers that are totally fitting to each of us. Ladies, I know that you all read this blog, so know that I think of you all the time and I miss you like CRAZY.
Look how beautiful they all are! I love my ladies!

My Job
Oh man, I know I complain about this a lot. And it can get SO overwhelming at times knowing I have no way to control the activity in a room. But today I was helping out in the baby room and this little boy I've been bonding with (we're peek-a-boo buds) came up to me smiling and touched his forehead to mine and said 'boo.'
I love to see how they grow and develop and learn, especially right at the preverbal stage. They want so badly to communicate that they'll do anything, motions, crying, articulate gibberish, all so they're understood. I love helping them stretch and grow. One girl in the room needs to sit next to people (it's a step down from sitting in laps, which we've only just gotten her away from) and then points at what she wants. Today whenever she pointed I said "Go get it!" And she got upset. She wanted me to go get it. However, I know she's a crawler, I know she can walk a few steps even, so I said "go get it" and she went and got it each time. I even saw her take one step before she got scared and sat down to crawl.
In the fall, my position will give me all sorts of new responsibility and new challenges and new opportunities. I'm so excited about the opportunity to learn and contribute. This semester is going to be CRAZY but I think it's going to be good. And then I'll have only one or two classes left to finish my degree. Which is insane. This time next year I'll have a master's degree and HOPEFULLY working in a job I love.

Things I don't love
scratch that -- THINGS I HATE
Uneducated people who develop "therapies" without any research background and ultimately harm the helpless -- their patients



I am not sure how widespread the use of this "therapy" is. With my limited knowledge of attachment and of child development, I can say that this is detrimental to the future health of the child. Attachment theory states that a child is securely attached when a caregiver is responsive and sensitive. The child knows that their person is there for them, so the child feels free to go out and explore their world and eventually leave. Being forceful and authoritarian and physically aggressive is NOT the way to instill a "this person is safe, I can trust them" attitude in the child.

It has also led to the death of at least one child that I can confirm.

There is a website for the survivors of this "therapy" which to my knowledge is loosely compiled of bits and pieces of Bowlby's attachment theory and not on any scientific data. Here is where empirical evidence is crucial. In the realm of theory, it's fine to wax philosophical, however in the realm of treatment, just as in medial treatment, we had better be absolutely certain of the efficacy of an intervention before administering it to our most precious charges, our children.

Here is an organization searching for survivors of holding therapy and attachment therapy.

What I'm going to do to change it
Be a voice. The most powerful thing I know to do of my own volition is provide people with information. To warn them, to make them aware. To empower people to think about what their therapist is suggesting they do. To STOP if they feel uncomfortable. To feel like they have the right to put off and later research procedures they are suggested to take. This goes for medication as well. If I can let enough people know about this and the dangers of it, perhaps one person who comes in contact with this will be able to recognize this for what it is and refuse to have it done to their child.

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