QUOTES

“Part of being who you are has to do with feeling your feelings, which means you'll have a wide range of emotions--not just constant sunshiny happiness.” Janet Gonzalez-Mena, Child, Family, and Community: Family-Centered Early Care and Education

 “If we don't stand up for children, then we don't stand for much.”

-          Marian Wright Edelman, founder and President of the Children's Defense Fund

“I'm doing what I think I was put on this earth to do. And I'm really grateful to have something that I'm passionate about and that I think is profoundly important”.

-          Marian Wright Edelman, founder and President of the Children's Defense Fund

“To make sure that all children were thought in environment and in ways that truly nurtured their ability to grow and to develop to their fullest ability”.

-          Louise Derman-Sparks, Professor Emeritus, Pacific Oak College, CA

“We as professionals in the Early Childhood Field have an opportunity to shape a childs life for better”.

-          Sandy Escobido, Deputy Field director, Los Angeles Preschool Advocacy Initiative. California Community Foundation

“My passion comes from wanting to make a difference”.

“I’m not here to save the world, I’m here just to make a difference in the community that I’m working”.

-          Raymond Hernandez, Ms Ed Executive Director, School of Early Childhood Eduction, University of Southern California

“It’s not all about you, you’ve got to take your ego out of it, to think about what is best for the child, and you care about them enough to help them transit to what comes next and what’s best”.

“I see early childhood education, all education really, as a civil right issue”.

“I believe i early childhood education and strong child care policies, and i think they should be available for everyone”.

-          Renatta M. Cooper, Program Specialist Office of Child Care LA Country Chief Administrative Office

“My passion as a professiona, relly, is to bring my ideas and passion into changing policy, into changing practice and influencing research”.

“Parents need supports, and with resources and access to resources parents can thrive”.

-          Leticia Lara, LCSW, Principal Manager, Outreach and Professional development, ZERO TO THREE

PERSONAL CHILDHOOD WEB

 

My grandma, myself, my father, my mother, my younger sister and my uncle



This was my childhood family. 

Grandma (late): Was loving, caring and understanding but strict and firm.  She loved children especially her grandchildren because my father was her only child. She loved me specially being her first grandchild and she took me as the second child she never had.  She gave me the name, Morenikeji, ‘I have seen my second’.

She thought me so many things – morale, politeness, respect for all, and every positive things.  She lived in another town a bit far from where we lived, but she always come at intervals and any time she was around; she plait my hair for me, told me moonlight stories and proverbs.  She thought me how to make design on clothes with needle and thread, even how to spit in-between the front two teeth.

Everything i learnt from her are still very relevant in my life today and i am teaching my children.  This has greatly impacted my life because i believe i can do all things by the grace of God.

Father (late): Was very jovial with a very high sense of humour.  Once he took me to school for entrance examination into secondary school and after the exam the principal stood to address the parents who crowded round her.  She was of small stature and she became overwhelmed by the sourge of the crowd, so she started by apologising that her voice was not very high.  As if he was expecting the comment, my father shouted, “Ma, i volunteer to carry you on my shoulder so that everyone would see you”.  Everyone bursted into laughter.  He was loving, caring and understanding, but a disciplinarian.  He wanted me always be at my best, hence, he strove to give me the best.

Whenever there was need for parents to show up in my school, my father was always there – he knew he would always receive positive feedback about me.  At every prize giving day, my father was always around – he knew i must get a minimum of two prizes.  When i gained admission into higher institution, my father went with me on the first day and visit subsequently.

My father has really impacted my life in the way i view life and value people around me.

Mother: My mum was almost of the same character and nature with my dad, but not as loving and caring to me.  Mum was very active and energetic.  Always ready to do her chores without involving anyone.  She loves doing her cooking and calling all for food afterwards.  My mum was never appreciative of what i do, thereby, rendering it meaningless.

My mum’s behaviour to me has helped me to realise and grow with the knowledge that no matter what you do you can not be appreciated by all, however, just move on with life.

 Aunt:

My aunt (Iyabode)



My aunt and I on my wedding day at the registry



  

  

This is my paternal aunt.  Aunt Iyabode.  She is my father’s immediate junior sister though not the same mother with my father (now late).  Being the two eldest in the family, they were very close and fond of each other, at least we children still witnessed this.  She is very kind, jovial and always ready to assist.  I, being the first grand child of the family, she welcomed me with love and it has always been so.  She named me ‘Aramide’, meaning, ‘my own person has come’, and this is name she always call me. 

She advises me on what to do and what not to.  She encouraged me when when i was of marriageable age and i found the one i love.  Although my parents, initially opposed it because we were not of the same religious background, my aunt stood firmly behind me and invited me to do the wedding at her place because “none of my children will wed outside the family house.” She said.

The statement and the act of wedding in her compound has continued to impact my present life because it earned me and my family respect before my in-laws.

Teacher: Mr. Arthur was my class teacher in primary one.  He was a very understanding man who was ready to impart knowledge into all concerned.  His method of teaching was very explanatory.  He made me fell in love with education instantly and he was always eager to read my home work, setting it as example for all.

Once he asked me to call my parents and my father volunteered to take me to school before going to work.  After exchanging plesantaries, and talking in big grammar (for a primary one pupil), i heard him say to my father, “she is a promising child”.  Afterwards, I asked my father what it meant, the meaning pleased me and has impacted my life.  It made me believe every positive things about myself.

QUOTES:

About children:

If a child is given love, he becomes loving … if he’s helped when he needs help, he becomes helpful.  And if he has been truly valued at home … he grows up secure enough to look beyond himself to the welfare of others. 

-          Dr. Joyce Brothers,   Good Housekeeping,   Aug. 2010

About childhood:

                If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older. 

-          Tom Stoppard

About families:

                The great advantage of living in a large family is that early lesson of life’s essential unfairness.

-          Nancy Mitford

About early childhood:

What children expect from grownups is not to be ‘understood’, but only to be loved, even though this love may be expressed clumsily or in sternness.  Intimacy does not exist between generations – only trust.

Carl Zucker

STORY ABOUT A CHILD THAT TOUCHED MY HEART: (Received via email)

THE LITTLE DAN

A little boy named Dan lived with his father, Jack,  after the death of his mother.  Dan was about six years old.

One night, Jack came home very late because it was a very busy day at work.  He had been very worried because he did not leave instructions about dinner.  When he got home, Dan had gone to bed.

“Oh, splendid!  At least he’s asleep, I need not worry about him”, Jack thought as he changed to his pyjamas and snuggled under his blanket.  “Oooops!”, he shouted as a pool of water welcomed him into bed.  He jumped out of bed, not waiting to see what it was, swearing, he picked his belt in annoyance and rushed to his son’s room. 

That night, Dan was beaten mercilessly.

After a while, when his crying subsided, Dan went into his father’s room full of apologies. 

“Now, what were you thinking of when you placed water under my blanket?”  His father demanded.

“You didn’t leave any instruction about dinner so when I became hungry, I prepared some noodles and I thought you might be hungry when you come back so I left some in a bowl for you, but I wanted it to still remain warm by the time you come back, so I kept it on another bowl of hot water and used the blanket to cover it.  I was hoping to tell you when you arrive, I didn’t know that I would sleep off.  Daddy, I’m very sorry”.

Jack felt so ashamed of himself that he did not find this out before beating the boy.  He hugged him, sobbing and apologized.



 

AN IMAGE OF A CHILD’S DRAWING, AND WHY YOU CHOSE IT

The pre-schematic stage  (3 YEARS   AND    4 YEARS Respetively)

This is the early symbol making age.  First conscious creation of image occurs around age three and provides a tangible record of the child's thinking process. The first representational attempt is a person, usually with circle for head and two vertical lines for legs. Later other forms develop, clearly recognizable and often quite complex as the child grows older. Children continually search for new concepts, therefore, their creation of images constantly change.

I choose these two images because they show clearly the transition between ages in children.



Self Portrait

I am a Nigerian and a graduate of Mass Communication from Ogun State Polytechnic. I also possess an MBA degree with specialization in Human Resources from Lagos State University.

Naturally I love being with children, listening to them and giving them a sense of direction.  Right from my childhood I had always had flare for caring and teaching children, this I still do in my church where I teach teenagers. This and other factors informed my decision to enroll for this training.  fmomoh.

To me, being with children is always fun and intriguing.  This program is simply one of the best things that I am witnessing this year.