Words of Inspiration and Motivation

“The (other) thing with me is that it’s personal” (Conniff, 2002).    I know this quote from Edward Zigler, Ph.D.  is not very scholarly, but this quote’s simplicity and power regarding all children and their rights to healthy development speaks for itself.

Marion Wright Edelman said that professionals and the community “must gain greater technical proficiency in how bureaucracies work, how programs are administered, how services are delivered and how decisions are made at the federal, state, and local level” to affect change (McAdoo, 2007).  Marian Wright Edelman helped me see that we must be experts, as well as students of the decision making process.   

“I had a built-in passion that it was important to make a real contribution to the world and to fix all the social injustices that existed in the world.”  (Derman-Sparks, 2010)  I totally relate!  Sometimes, I am very idealistic regarding one person’s ability to fix injustice.

“Children are learning very early that there are power issues and that there are some identities that give you more social power than others….. It doesn’t allow children to grow up to their fullest potential, their fullest abilities” (Derman-Sparks, 2010).  To think that our children see and internalize the power discrepancies really hurts. The fact that many adults pretend that those power discrepancies do not exist hurts our ability to help children and their families.

References:

Conniff, R. (2002, June). Edward Zigler – The Progressive Interview – One of the Founders of the Head Start Program.  Retrieved from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1295/is_6_66/ai_87855090/?tag=content;col1

McAdoo, H. P., (2007). Black Families.

     Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications

The Passion of Early Childhood. [Filmstrip]. (2010).

United States:  Laureate Education, Inc.

Joy's Personal Childhood Web

This is a new experience - sharing personal childhood webs.  Opening up like this is new for me.  I added my personal childhood web on the right side of my blog page.
Mom (Carole Craig) - My mother's most significant influence on me as a child was modeling hard work and commitment. My mother's nurturing qualities were demonstrated in her ability to provide.  That is how I knew she cared. She always made sure my sister and I had everything we needed, within our means, of course.  That's also how she made me feel special.  Today, she is my strongest influence.  At 66, her commitment to the community and the time she devotes to advocating for children is phenomenal.  I would not be in the Master's program if it were not for her influence. She has more time now to study the Word and gain more insight into life, relationships, love, and humility.  She shares what she learns with me all the time.  I love listening to her insight.
Stepdad (Frank Craig) - My stepdad's influence on me as a child was modeling unconditional love and protection.  From the age of 11 (when my parents divorced) on up, he always treated us like we were his biological daughters.  He has nurtured me by being a loving father.  He demonstrated how much he cared and how special I was by coming to school events, activities, taking me where I needed to go and by being a reliable provider.  He influences me today in the same way.  He loves my boys unconditionally, and goes out of his way to be present and helpful in my boys' lives.  He comes to all of my sons' games.
Dad (Jay Smith)  - My dad influenced me as a child by showing me how to take care of a home, cook, and drive.  I remember when he taught me how to make a bed, scramble eggs, and wash dishes.  He nurtured me and cared for me by spending time with my sister and me every other weekend when my parents divorced.  He did not skip a weekend!  He made me feel special by trusting that I would make wiser choices as a grew older. He gave me the space to do grow and to make mistakes.  He influences me today because he is very wise.  He also influenced me to treasure my ancestors.  He and I have gone to the cemetery to visit deceased relatives almost every year since I could walk.  I still go to the cemetery every year to pay my respects.
Dukie (Carrie Leona Boards) - My grandmother (Dukie) influenced me by being down-to-earth.  She drank beer, smoked, and cursed, but I loved being with her.  She did not baby me.  She nurtured me and cared for me by including me in her gardening routine.  I loved being in her yard, helping her pick vegetables, wateingr her flowers, and sitting on her porch. She made me feel special by spending time with me in the garden, laughing with me, and being brutally honest.  She is deceased now, but she was strong woman that I miss very much.
Grandmother (Roberta Armstrong)  Grandmother was one of the strongest women I know.  She influenced me as a child by insisting on proper manners, the Queen's English, and lady-like behaviour.   Grandma was not really a nurturer, but she groomed us well and I knew she cared.  She also influenced me as a Christian and made us go to Sunday school.   You know, I can't think of anything right now regarding how she made me feel special.  Hmmm.  But she was a strong Christian woman whom I respected and honored. She is also deceased now.

Joy's Early Childhood Studies Site

I did it!  I created a blog.  This is my first blog, which will be dedicated to earlychildhood studies.