Influences

Well I would say parents are the most influential but you said item, therefore, I do not consider parents items and will have to say the media is the most influential item on children today. The media is everywhere. Even for parents who consciously choose not to indulge their children in the media world, their children are subjected to it through their peers and societal views that are obvious through observation. I find it very sad that the media is so influential. In a previous blog I said something about the slaughter of the individual which can be contributed to parenting styles, schooling, and most of all the media. Children are taught through the media the appropriate way to act, think, and express themselves. Children who choose not to be a copycat are often made fun of and feel less than others. It breaks my heart that everyone just wants to be like everyone else which media has contributed to greatly. In conclusion it is the most influential because it is in the home, school, and culture all together.

NO TV!

I happen to be an extremist in this aspect of children rearing.
I personally do not think children should be allowed to watch television. If they do it needs to be educational. Parents should most defiantly be sitting right next to them so they can discuss it after. I have a small TV in my home and we can only watch movies. I did this purposefully so I would not be tempted just to plug my kids in. Young children do not need television they need to exercise their imaginations through concrete experiences.
If your going to allow it, it needs to be parent approved and only for a short while. I would let them maybe watch one show a day. Of course, once children reach a certain age they will want to watch it to fit in with their peers. I would then allow them to pick one show a day to indulge in.
Internet and video games are a whole new story. I don’t allow it now at all but once in middle school they may. I will allow them to play video games that are not violent as long as they have finished their homework and chores. No longer than an hour. The internet is tricky. If my kids want to play an online game they may same rules apply as with video games. They can also do research. But they must always ask to get on and I will probably check the history. If there was a violation they would loose that privilege for as long as I feel necessary.
I am so radical in this area because of what I have previously called the slaughter of the individual. Most children aspire to be like those with fame and I respect very few of them.

Teachers

My best teacher was my history teacher. He was a mix of authoritarian and democractic. His structured his class traditionally. There were specific rules about conduct; however, there were also expected to be responsible and did have some say in the rules. Our curriculum content was also traditional based off the textbook and considred preparation for life. Motivation was both by test and ability. Method was not individualized unless there was a learning disability. I loved him because I knew what to expect and learned a lot. My memories were all academic.


My worst teacher was my geometry teacher. There was no structure to her class, I could not even hear her. She was very soft spoken and passive the class was aloud to do whatever they wanted. I think she tried to have a modern approach but failed miserably. The was absolutely no motivation or method to her teaching. I am a studious student who tried to learn, yet I failed to learn anything and passed the class miraculously with a b.

Preschool

I have not worked in a preschool; but, I would like too. I attended preschool as a child and loved it. I had older siblings and felt left out and lonely when they went to school; preschool was a wonderful place to be social and learn. I think preschool is a necessary socialization agent that prepares kids for kindergarten. It is a time when they are eased into routines such as getting up early and going to school, when they meet new people and have lots of opportunity for creative outlets. Two of my children attend sac state preschool and I think it has been very beneficial for them. I think that the best preschool is one that has structure as well as lots of chances to give the child feelings of self-rule. They must be a safe environment with authoritative teachers.

The Stress Effect

I wasn’t clear as to whether or not we are supposed to list the top 10 stressors in the book or are opinion of the top 10 stressors on family. I agree with the top 10 stressors in the book and so I am going to use them. They are as follows:
1. Economics- A families socioeconomic status effects children on multiple different levels. Briefly they include: the kind of education the child receive, they type of activities they are involved in, the clothes they wear, the food they consume, they possessions they have, the quality of their environment (neighborhood, home, school), their self-esteem, and the way the view the world.
2. Children’s Behavior- The way the child behaves will affect every aspect of their personal life. How they are treated by their parents, teachers, and peers, whether or not the succeed in school and life, their self-esteem, their safety, their education, their activities, and opportunities.
3. Insufficient Couple Time- When parents do not get adequate time to bond it put strain on the relationship and consequently the children. They may be more apt to fight and misunderstand each other, putting stress on them and their kids.
4. Lack of shared responsibility in the family- When each family member is not contributing to the family it often result in conflict and high stress. Either one parent is overly committed and overwhelmed therefore has a short temper with the kids or the kids are not contributing as they should, doing chores and what not and so they do not learn how to take responsibly. Also arguing will often happen creating turmoil.
5. Communicating with Children- Many things can go wrong without proper communication. Children will not know what is expected of them, therefore getting in trouble for not meeting expectations. Children may feel lonely and excluded. Children may not understand why they are being punished and so they do not correct the punishable behavior.
6. Insufficient “me” time- Not sure who is not getting sufficient me time the child or the parent. If the parent is not getting their own time then they will have a shore fuse. If the child is not getting their own time they may feel suffocated, and may not have time to find their identity, and express themselves creatively.
7. Guilt for not accomplishing more- If a parent or child feels this way they may become depressed or give up with the attitude of “what does it matter?”
8. Spousal relationship- If the relationship is suffering or just not as good as before it can lead to divorce, cheating, and depression which will obviously affect the child in a huge way.
9. Insufficient family play time-If the family is not able to bond together and experience having fun together and not just the business of everyday life they will fall apart. If they are not close and do not understand each other than their will be more disorder amongst them and less of a support system.
10. Overscheduled Family Calendar- It is unhealthy to not have breaks and family time or me time.

Societal Trends

I am a child of the 90’s. The decade I grew up in was very similar in many ways to our current decade. Of course it is different as well.
Technology has advanced significantly and the use of it is more prevalent. In fact, it is uncommon to come across adults without cell phones, and almost unheard of to find people who do not own a television. The iPod, hybrid car, myspace and you tube were all invented in the 21st century.
Fashion trends have also changed. In the early 90’s scrunches, neon colors, the “Rachel” hair style, flannels and many more styles were trendy. Now the trend is to be provocative.
There are many social trends I believe will negatively impact future generations. The first that come to mind are: the direction of our public education, our consumer nature, societies obsession with being thin, lack of parent involvement, children being plugged into all of the technology, loss of respect for nature as well as fellow human beings, and children doing whatever it take just to fit in.
I am very concerned with the slaughter of the individual. I think we are going through a time period were it is more acceptable to be part of the crowd than to have any expression of individuality or uniqueness. In fact being unique is looked down upon and often ostracized. Children are being programmed to think, dress, act, and look a certain way. We are so concerned with material possessions that the mind and scruples come second to clothing.
I could probably rant about all of society’s problems forever. I have left out so much and have a ton more to say, but, my daughter needs me. I’m sure I will have more opportunity to express my opinions ;-)