Take ten...

Like most people, I have experienced my own set of ups and downs in life.  Through the Master of Early Childhood Studies work at Walden University, I have learned much about how and in what ways early childhood experiences affect who we become as adults.  I've also learned that we are heavily influenced by the early childhood experiences of our parents as well, or those who became our primary care givers.  As adults we cannot go back and change the past; change our childhood experiences or the overall way in which we were raised.  Likewise the people who raised us cannot do that either.  One effective way to cope with a difficult childhood is to go ahead and reflect upon the inadequacies of one's childhood and consider how it continues to possibly affect one's adult life, and then to create a better childhood for one's own children or the children of others.  Given quality information and education on which to base sound judgments, having first hand knowledge about the injustices or inadequacies some experience during childhood can be a powerful tool in knowing how to make specific societal improvements that can improve early childhood experiences.  Not only does this make for a greatly improved societal future, it acts as a healing mechanism for those who experienced childhood injustices themselves.

I like to share this quote with my Sixth Graders:  "Let your past make you better, not bitter".  Many of my students have experienced highly unsettled childhoods, and have been raised by adults who themselves also experienced highly unsettled childhoods. At the age of 11 and 12 years old, sixth graders are becoming cognizant that the quality of childhood varies among families.  Most sixth graders are curious about how other children live- how other families function- and what they can do to better understand their own families and possibly make their own lives better.  This is an important step in human development.  Many times my students realize that their childhood experiences have been and possibly continue to be compromised in one way or another.  Rather than give up and resign oneself to a bitter and difficult adulthood, students can reflect upon those experiences and use that knowledge to make themselves, overall, better not bitter- making their lives better by making choices that will buffer the effects of negative childhood experiences, allowing them to grow into healthier more capable adults, and thereby creating a generation of healthier more capable children.  This takes support by adults who are knowledgable about early human development and how it affects our lives into and throughout adulthood.

I propose that early human development with a focus on childhood brain development be incorporated into the curriculum of all Grade 6 students, and that Neurocognitive science be offered for science credit in high school.