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Bertha's Birth
Bertha was born after my wife was in labor for 10 hours using "natural childbirth" techniques. I was there to help her with these techniques and be a support for her. A woman giving birth to her first child will be in labor for an average of 12 hours (p. 86). The relaxation techniques used in "natural childbirth" can help the mother with the pain during childbirth, and the support of the husband can help as well (pp. 96). -
Bertha and Object Permanence
Bertha has shown signs that she is begining to understand "object permanence", because she can find objects I hide in front of her as long as I don't wait too long or distract her. Infants begin to show an understanding of "object permanence" at age 8-12. At this age the infant will make the "A-not-B error" where they will look for an object in it's usual hiding spot even when a new hiding spot has been introduced and the object was placed there in front of the infant (pp. 149-150). -
Bertha's First Word
Bertha pointed at my parents dog and said his name! By their first birthday children will be able to comprehend several words, but can only utter one or two (pp. 156-157). I can tell that Bertha understands several words, including her name, but she is right on track with normal development for children being able to only say one word right now. We are expecting her to begin talking a lot more when she turns two. so we are trying to enjoy the silence for now. -
Bertha Develops Self Awareness
Bertha has started to show new emotions in different situations. She seems embarrassed when she has an accident in her pants, and sad when she accidently breaks something. It has been interesting to watch her personality begin to form. These emotions are secondary emotions and Bertha is starting to exhibit them because she is gaining a conscience and she is starting to understand social expectations of her behaviors (pp, 201-202). -
Bertha Gets A Sister
Our family got a little bigger today with the addition of a new baby girl, and Bertha is now a big sister. We have been preparing her for this moment and now that the baby is here Bertha has been doing a great job of being soothing and gentle with her. We are excited to have two children and know that younger siblings can greatly benefit from their older siblings cognitively specifically with their understanding of "theory of mind" (pp. 268-269). -
Bertha and Gender Roles
Bertha has become very strict with gender roles and says that boys should not play with dolls and girls can not be police officers. At this age it is normal for children to associate certain activities, occupations, games, colors, ect, with gender. This is also an age where children believe that gender can change if someone is not acting according to their gender ( pp. 256-257). I tried to teach Bertha about gender roles when a female police officer gave me a ticket but Bertha disagreed. -
Bertha Starts School
Bertha turned 6 years old and is starting first grade this year. I am excited for her to start this new chapter in her life, but nervous that she will be socially accepted by her peers. I'm sure most parents feel the same way sending their children off to school. Overall, I feel blessed to live in the United States where I have the option to send my child to school. This is not the case in most develping countries throughout the world, specifically Africa and South Asia (pp. 323-324). -
Bertha and Friends
Bertha has moved from middle school to a much larger high school and seems to have found new motivation from the change. She seems to have a lot of friends but spends a lot of time with one specific girl friend. The friend is at our house constantly and everytime they are together they seem to be laughing uncontrolaby about things I do not understand. Friendship is very important during adolescence with some people reporting their happiest times are with friends (p. 375). -
Bertha Abuses Alcohol
Bertha called me on a Saturday night and asked me to pick her up from her friends house. When she got in the car I could smell alcohol on her breath, and when I confronted her about it she lied and said she didn't drink. The next morning she felt sick and had a pretty bad headache. Experimentation with substances can be a normal behavior for adolescents, and as long as Bertha does not begin to use drugs or alcohol to "self-medicate" I will try to not be too concerened (pp. 352-353). -
Bertha Leaves For College
Bertha has been accepted to the in-state college she was hoping for and is excited as we move her into the student housing. Although I am sad to see her leave the house, I understand the importance of a tertiary education. People with a college degree statistically have a higher chance of finding employment, status within their job, and the potential to earn more per year. There are also several academic benefits and non academic benefits to attending and graduating college (pp. 421-422).
