As part of the research paper we did for class, I learned about the Brazelton method. One of the main beliefs that Brazelton has is that parents are the experts when it comes to their children. Professionals who work with parents and children should never dismiss that knowledge. A few weeks ago, my husband took our daughter to the pediatrician. She's prone to croup and had spent the night before wheezing, so we wanted to make sure it didn't get worse. Working at our pediatrician's office was a medical student from a local university. He was doing his pediatrics rotation and did the preliminary exam before our normal doctor came in.
"What makes you think she has croup?" the student asked, his tone derisive. My husband explained the symptoms again and my daughter's history, but he immediately shut down to any efforts the student made to help our daughter. Later, my husband told me that he felt like the student thought he was stupid and didn't know what he was talking about. Even though the student might have been right, his manner made it impossible for my husband to listen.
Dealing with parents is tricky. It doesn't matter how much expertise we have if we don't treat parents with respect and honor them for what they know. And they know a lot. Most are willing to share if we give them a chance.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Digital Media as a Means for Enhancing Relationships
Cen Campbell's presentation about young children and the use of technology sparked a thought for me. She mentioned the importance of technology fostering and enhancing relationships between the child and the caregiver. It reminded me of my own daughter.
The first time my daughter met her grandparents was on a computer screen. At the time, I hadn't read the American Pediatric Association's edict forbidding screen time for children under two. All I knew was that I was 8 time zones away from my parents and I wanted them to be able to see their first grandchild. Since then, technology has been an integral part of my daughter's relationship with her grandparents. Her favorite activity to do with her grandpa is to sit on his lap and scroll through family pictures and videos on his phone. Now she knows about her cousins who all live out of state, as well as relatives that have passed away. Technology has really helped my daughter bond, not only with her grandpa, but with her extended family as well.
I can see how this sort of thing can be used on a family level, but I'm still trying to puzzle out what it would look like in a library setting. Some apps, like a finger paint program that was recommended by a contributor to the little e-lit discussion group, could be used in a story time to practice drawing letter shapes with the help of a parent. However, when I tried it out with my own kid, she was not interested. Like books, not every app is going to work with every kid, but there will be some that are better than others. I've really come to appreciate the little e-lit forum for their input and suggestions on that front.
The first time my daughter met her grandparents was on a computer screen. At the time, I hadn't read the American Pediatric Association's edict forbidding screen time for children under two. All I knew was that I was 8 time zones away from my parents and I wanted them to be able to see their first grandchild. Since then, technology has been an integral part of my daughter's relationship with her grandparents. Her favorite activity to do with her grandpa is to sit on his lap and scroll through family pictures and videos on his phone. Now she knows about her cousins who all live out of state, as well as relatives that have passed away. Technology has really helped my daughter bond, not only with her grandpa, but with her extended family as well.
I can see how this sort of thing can be used on a family level, but I'm still trying to puzzle out what it would look like in a library setting. Some apps, like a finger paint program that was recommended by a contributor to the little e-lit discussion group, could be used in a story time to practice drawing letter shapes with the help of a parent. However, when I tried it out with my own kid, she was not interested. Like books, not every app is going to work with every kid, but there will be some that are better than others. I've really come to appreciate the little e-lit forum for their input and suggestions on that front.
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