Reminiscing

Brittney W. wrote our first entry on chapter 4. This is her
as a baby, and I believe you'll know who is holding her
when you read her entry!

            Reading the chapter Roots of Empathy: Six Strands of Human Connection made me think about my childhood and how many different connections I have made. I immediately agreed with the author when Gordon said, “weaving together the strands of human connection that are critical for understanding ourselves, one another, and the society we live in” (p. 59). While reading through the chapter, each strand makes you evaluate your childhood, your society, your beliefs, morals, upbringing; everything comes to mind.

            I can recall developing many of my strands as a young child through memory, pictures, or from stories from family members. I can remember a very distinct attachment between my dad and me. We were inseparable when I was younger. I was told that I was always such a happy baby. I never wanted a bottle or a pacifier; I just wanted my Daddy. I just wanted to play with him; whether it was crawling around or just sitting on his lap. I was just so content when I was with him that most of the pictures of my childhood are the two of us together. My emotional development was influenced by the relationship I had with my Dad. Because of our strong relationship and connection, I have been able to regulate my emotions in a healthy manner as well as feel secure in myself and in my relationships.

            Having a secure attachment allowed me to develop my emotional literacy at a very young age, which is another strand on which Gordon touches. Until reading this chapter, I never really thought about how children use storytelling to communicate their emotions. Being the oldest of four children, a past preschool teacher, and a nanny, I have heard my fair share of storytelling. Whether those stories have a distinct point or are just a bunch of compiled complaints and accusations, storytelling really is a major way of communicating for the young.

Some other ways that children express their emotions is through their language and art. I see how language is a more obvious form of communication, but in a previous child development class, where I had to conduct observations of children, I really grasped the concept of children expressing themselves through art. In that particular child development class, I ran an art activity for the preschool children and the activity was letting the children do whatever their little hearts desired to do with the objects on the table. Some children just glued pieces of yarn, buttons, and confetti all over and they were satisfied. On the other hand, some children developed a picture that had a story behind it that they wanted to share. Some of those stories were stories of their families and the people in their family, some were of a pet, and others just about a dream they had. All of the pieces of art had something to say about exactly what the child was thinking. I grew more fascinated with every picture that was created and began asking them to tell me about them. Those who shared their pictures with me displayed that they had strong and healthy relationships by feeling comfortable with sharing with me. Children that communicate their emotions have a more confident sense of self in any type of relationship.

When I read about the authentic communication strand it really made me think about the society that we live in. We live in a society that is filled with technology where it is easy to communicate with others in all kinds of different ways; however it is extremely easy to feel alone as well. Also the number of traditional families has become fewer and fewer allowing blended families to take the top spot. By traditional families, I mean parents are still married and living together to raise their children. Blended families are when parents are divorced, and one or both parents remarry so that members of at least two families come together. Children in this day and age do spend much of their time playing video games and on social networking websites instead of outside playing. I know that the world is not as safe as it was in the past and we have more and more things to worry about when our children do go outside, but when is keeping them inside the best thing for them? We need to interact with our kids outside as well as inside. We need to teach our children boundaries and safety outside, as well as open their minds and attitudes to exercise and sports. Our children cannot just sit inside on a computer or gaming device because that kind of teaching will never get them experiencing life. Children need a healthy balance of outdoor and indoor play with their peers as well as their family.