Dying and Spirituality
This chapter, while understandably morbid, was quite thought provoking. In chapter 12, we are introduced to the role of death in life, the role of grief, dealing with one's own death, suicide:the rejection of life, spirituality and a section based on a poem titled "If I Had My Life to Live Over."
I thought it very interesting to read about the "Take a Stand" case on page 283 about a 13 year old boy whose family wished to cease chemotherapy to treat his Hodgkin's lymphoma. Who has the right to decide how a person dies? As it states in the book, children do not yet have the ability to think rationally about death and dying. That being said, even some adults cannot tolerate the thought of their own mortality. The five stages of grief put forth by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross can help aid adults in the process of coming to terms with their own death, and the stages can also help family members and loved ones of the dying individual to cope.
Further in the chapter, it highlights an Oregon law called the "Death with Dignity Act." Personally, I support this law as long as it is carried out and followed correctly. Growing up on a farm, you learn to understand that sometimes it is more humane to end the life of an animal that is suffering and will continue to suffer. If one cannot enjoy their quality of life to its full extent we need to take into consideration what would truly be best for them.
The poem written by Nadine Stair, "If I Had My Life to Live Over" was poignant and truly shows how towards the end of life, we look back and think of all the things we could or should have done. However, in this piece written by an 82-year old, I also see all of the things that she loved to do and how she reflects upon them. Ms. Stair shows those of us who are still in our young and middle adulthood that we should life our lives to the fullest every single day, to take more chances and to truly live and be a part of our lives so that in the end, we have no regrets.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
LifeSpan Psychology- Week Six
Early and Middle Adulthood
Chapter 9 describes the initiation into adulthood, physical and cognitive developments that take place, gender and sexuality, social development, marriage and the family and patterns of work that take place in early adulthood. This stage of life typically is more marked by social and cultural experiences, as opposed to the developmental changes that take place in adolescence. In general, the ages during when one goes through early adulthood are during high school through college. During this time, one comes into their identity and starts to become who they are going to be for the rest of their lives. While many of the topics in this chapter were interesting, I found the section on Marriage and the Family to be of particular interest. On page 221 it states "Unlike the early years of the 21st century, when marriage was viewed as the final step in adult development, young adults who choose to marry in the early 21st century view that step as the beginning of their development together and as individuals in a long term relationship. The goal is not simply to achieve a marriage, but is also to maintain satisfaction outside the marriage." I find this statement interesting. Are the authors saying that young adults nowadays get married not because they want to take that next step, but simply want to be comfortable in their lives without the pressures put forth by society? For example, before we were married my husband and I had dated for nearly 8 years. I cannot tell you how many times we were asked "oh when will it be your turn down the aisle?" I admit, this question was bothersome and was nice not to have to keep answering once we were wed, however we wouldn't have gotten married just to remain comfortable without all the questioning! The entire section on marriage and family was very compelling, as it was interesting to see the changing trends in marriage and families in America today.
In Chapter 10, the book goes over what takes place during middle adulthood through the physical, social and cognitive developments, through marriage and family, patterns of work and ends with coping with stress. Personally I noticed many of the changes and developments that were described as having happened or that were happening to my parents and some of my other family members and friends. Levinson's Seasons of Life was also very interesting, and the developments and questions that that were found in the findings were compelling to read. However, as in chapter 9, I found the section on Marriage and Family to be the most appealing to me. It was interesting to read that "middle age is often a time when husbands and wives reappraise their marriage" ( pg 247). This week my parents will be celebrating 40 years of marriage, and they will both be 60 years of age. When I discuss this with friends, they marvel at how they have "stayed together so long." My siblings and I have a hard time understanding this. We were raised to believe that when we get married, it is for life. Our partner should be our friend, confidant, and lover. Just because the children have left the nest does not mean that the parents can abandon the nest. My parents have been "empty nesters" for ten years and they have only grown closer. I once asked my mom how they still seemed to be so in love and she simply answered "because we are. We have a commitment to each other first, and to you kids second. Before you kids, there was just us. your father is the best man and father and I can't imagine not being with him." I thought it was so beautiful. Being farmers and small business owners I could see how the constant stress of their jobs coupled with raising us kids could have made them drift apart over the years. However when all of us kids moved out, rather than seeing what wasn't there anymore, my parents looked at what was still there and grew closer to one another. I use my parents as an example of how to have a good marriage, and strive to have a relationship with my husband like they have.
Chapter 9 describes the initiation into adulthood, physical and cognitive developments that take place, gender and sexuality, social development, marriage and the family and patterns of work that take place in early adulthood. This stage of life typically is more marked by social and cultural experiences, as opposed to the developmental changes that take place in adolescence. In general, the ages during when one goes through early adulthood are during high school through college. During this time, one comes into their identity and starts to become who they are going to be for the rest of their lives. While many of the topics in this chapter were interesting, I found the section on Marriage and the Family to be of particular interest. On page 221 it states "Unlike the early years of the 21st century, when marriage was viewed as the final step in adult development, young adults who choose to marry in the early 21st century view that step as the beginning of their development together and as individuals in a long term relationship. The goal is not simply to achieve a marriage, but is also to maintain satisfaction outside the marriage." I find this statement interesting. Are the authors saying that young adults nowadays get married not because they want to take that next step, but simply want to be comfortable in their lives without the pressures put forth by society? For example, before we were married my husband and I had dated for nearly 8 years. I cannot tell you how many times we were asked "oh when will it be your turn down the aisle?" I admit, this question was bothersome and was nice not to have to keep answering once we were wed, however we wouldn't have gotten married just to remain comfortable without all the questioning! The entire section on marriage and family was very compelling, as it was interesting to see the changing trends in marriage and families in America today.
In Chapter 10, the book goes over what takes place during middle adulthood through the physical, social and cognitive developments, through marriage and family, patterns of work and ends with coping with stress. Personally I noticed many of the changes and developments that were described as having happened or that were happening to my parents and some of my other family members and friends. Levinson's Seasons of Life was also very interesting, and the developments and questions that that were found in the findings were compelling to read. However, as in chapter 9, I found the section on Marriage and Family to be the most appealing to me. It was interesting to read that "middle age is often a time when husbands and wives reappraise their marriage" ( pg 247). This week my parents will be celebrating 40 years of marriage, and they will both be 60 years of age. When I discuss this with friends, they marvel at how they have "stayed together so long." My siblings and I have a hard time understanding this. We were raised to believe that when we get married, it is for life. Our partner should be our friend, confidant, and lover. Just because the children have left the nest does not mean that the parents can abandon the nest. My parents have been "empty nesters" for ten years and they have only grown closer. I once asked my mom how they still seemed to be so in love and she simply answered "because we are. We have a commitment to each other first, and to you kids second. Before you kids, there was just us. your father is the best man and father and I can't imagine not being with him." I thought it was so beautiful. Being farmers and small business owners I could see how the constant stress of their jobs coupled with raising us kids could have made them drift apart over the years. However when all of us kids moved out, rather than seeing what wasn't there anymore, my parents looked at what was still there and grew closer to one another. I use my parents as an example of how to have a good marriage, and strive to have a relationship with my husband like they have.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
LifeSpan Psychology- Week Five
Adolescence
Adolescence is a tough time for everyone. Not only is it a turbulent time for the teen that is going through this stage in life, but also for the parents and caretakers of them. At this time in their life, adolescents believe that they are adults, when adults know that is not the case at all. Chapter 8 goes through when adolescence begins, as well as the physical and cognitive developments that occur during this time. Following this, we are introduced to identity issues, social development, sexual identity and mental heal issues that are associated with this stage of life.
As outsiders, it is difficult for us to commiserate with teens going through this time of their life because most of it is hormonal and internal. One of the things that I found really interesting in this chapter was that the average age of menarche for girls has been decreasing. On page 189, the text says that "in the United States, in the late 18th and 19th centuries, the average age of menarche was 17. Today the average age of menarche is 12.5." Along with this, the text highlights several reasons that this could be happening. The most compelling theory to me was that by Ellis and associates (1999) indicating that family relationships are associated with starting puberty later, especially if a father is present in the home. Generally, it is believed that females who have not had a father figure or a good relationship with their father when they are growing up tend to me more promiscuous. It would be interesting to see if the data would correlate between an absent father figure, early menarche and sexual promiscuity.
Throughout this chapter it was interesting to learn just how many different behaviors begin and that come about in adolescence are effected by family interactions. I firmly believe that every child deserves a loving home life, and seeing how much having one can effect a child through adolescence and even carry on to adulthood strengthens this belief.
Adolescence is a tough time for everyone. Not only is it a turbulent time for the teen that is going through this stage in life, but also for the parents and caretakers of them. At this time in their life, adolescents believe that they are adults, when adults know that is not the case at all. Chapter 8 goes through when adolescence begins, as well as the physical and cognitive developments that occur during this time. Following this, we are introduced to identity issues, social development, sexual identity and mental heal issues that are associated with this stage of life.
As outsiders, it is difficult for us to commiserate with teens going through this time of their life because most of it is hormonal and internal. One of the things that I found really interesting in this chapter was that the average age of menarche for girls has been decreasing. On page 189, the text says that "in the United States, in the late 18th and 19th centuries, the average age of menarche was 17. Today the average age of menarche is 12.5." Along with this, the text highlights several reasons that this could be happening. The most compelling theory to me was that by Ellis and associates (1999) indicating that family relationships are associated with starting puberty later, especially if a father is present in the home. Generally, it is believed that females who have not had a father figure or a good relationship with their father when they are growing up tend to me more promiscuous. It would be interesting to see if the data would correlate between an absent father figure, early menarche and sexual promiscuity.
Throughout this chapter it was interesting to learn just how many different behaviors begin and that come about in adolescence are effected by family interactions. I firmly believe that every child deserves a loving home life, and seeing how much having one can effect a child through adolescence and even carry on to adulthood strengthens this belief.
Friday, June 6, 2014
LifeSpan Psychology- Week Four
Early and Middle Childhood
For this week, our reading was on Chapters 6&7 of our LifeSmart text.
Chapter 6 deals with early childhood, it's physical and motor development and cognitive development, as well as early childhood education and different developments that happen during this time period. Chapter 7 also deals with physical and cognitive development, then goes on to highlight critical thinking and problem solving, the changing sense of self, social development and stress in middle childhood. As with my other blog postings, I will highlight on areas from each chapter that I found of particular interest.
In this text, early childhood is defined as between 2-6 years, and as anyone who has experience with children of this age, there are quite a lot of changes and differences in those four years! As their minds and motor skills begin to develop the number activities (and length of time they can do them) changes greatly from when they were in infancy. Watching my nieces interact with one another (ages 3, 2 1/2, 2 and 20 mos) you can really see the changes taking place. For example, page 133 discussed Piaget's preoperational period, saying that "the great accomplishment of the preoperational period is a growing ability to represent, which is how we record or express information." With the younger nieces, they are just beginning to understand and play imitative and symbolic games while the two older girls have been in love with their doctor kit and grocery cart for some time.
Later in the chapter they discuss early childhood education. As someone who works with preschool-aged children, I really believe in these programs. I have been classrooms based on different approaches, and I believe that head start, constructivist and Reggio Emilia approaches are the most beneficial. Children in this age group need to be engaged on different levels, and trying to have them memorize names, places and facts at this age is not as beneficial to them. Having a learning environment with structure and interaction is very helpful for them and children at this age (in my experience) tend to retain information more readily when they believe they have helped "discover" it. I personally am not as big of a fan of the Montessori approach to learning, as I believe it can leave out some key learning techniques that could be of more value.
Chapter 7 was on the middle childhood, from about 6-11 years of age. Children have continued to further develop their coordination in their motor skills and can now accomplish such tasks as being able to dress themselves and tie their shoes, and their sense of responsibility is beginning to grow. This chapter describes how children continue to develop physically and cognitively, and describes Gardner and multiple intelligences. This really struck me as being brilliant. I agree with the information on page 163 referencing his eight equal intelligences. These can have such a great impact in the classroom. This theory suggests that children develop and succeed according to their abilities and inclinations, rather than saying they are either smart/good or not. As educators we need to acknowledge that all children are different. One child may be extremely gifted in mathematics and ace every assessment, while another child does not have a different inclination and, consequently will not do well on the assessments. Just because the child does not do well on an exam does not adequately show that they do or do not understand the concepts being presented. As educators we should strive to keep in mind that a test school does not show the character, complete knowledge or all that a student is capable of.
For this week, our reading was on Chapters 6&7 of our LifeSmart text.
Chapter 6 deals with early childhood, it's physical and motor development and cognitive development, as well as early childhood education and different developments that happen during this time period. Chapter 7 also deals with physical and cognitive development, then goes on to highlight critical thinking and problem solving, the changing sense of self, social development and stress in middle childhood. As with my other blog postings, I will highlight on areas from each chapter that I found of particular interest.
In this text, early childhood is defined as between 2-6 years, and as anyone who has experience with children of this age, there are quite a lot of changes and differences in those four years! As their minds and motor skills begin to develop the number activities (and length of time they can do them) changes greatly from when they were in infancy. Watching my nieces interact with one another (ages 3, 2 1/2, 2 and 20 mos) you can really see the changes taking place. For example, page 133 discussed Piaget's preoperational period, saying that "the great accomplishment of the preoperational period is a growing ability to represent, which is how we record or express information." With the younger nieces, they are just beginning to understand and play imitative and symbolic games while the two older girls have been in love with their doctor kit and grocery cart for some time.
Later in the chapter they discuss early childhood education. As someone who works with preschool-aged children, I really believe in these programs. I have been classrooms based on different approaches, and I believe that head start, constructivist and Reggio Emilia approaches are the most beneficial. Children in this age group need to be engaged on different levels, and trying to have them memorize names, places and facts at this age is not as beneficial to them. Having a learning environment with structure and interaction is very helpful for them and children at this age (in my experience) tend to retain information more readily when they believe they have helped "discover" it. I personally am not as big of a fan of the Montessori approach to learning, as I believe it can leave out some key learning techniques that could be of more value.
Chapter 7 was on the middle childhood, from about 6-11 years of age. Children have continued to further develop their coordination in their motor skills and can now accomplish such tasks as being able to dress themselves and tie their shoes, and their sense of responsibility is beginning to grow. This chapter describes how children continue to develop physically and cognitively, and describes Gardner and multiple intelligences. This really struck me as being brilliant. I agree with the information on page 163 referencing his eight equal intelligences. These can have such a great impact in the classroom. This theory suggests that children develop and succeed according to their abilities and inclinations, rather than saying they are either smart/good or not. As educators we need to acknowledge that all children are different. One child may be extremely gifted in mathematics and ace every assessment, while another child does not have a different inclination and, consequently will not do well on the assessments. Just because the child does not do well on an exam does not adequately show that they do or do not understand the concepts being presented. As educators we should strive to keep in mind that a test school does not show the character, complete knowledge or all that a student is capable of.
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