I love the 1990's. I love the music, movies, and especially the memories. I was born in 1988 and I spent my ages 2-12 in that decade and cherish every moment when I reflect back to those days. Chapter 4 deals with early and middle childhood; as well as the development that occurs during this stage. From 1990-1996 I lived with my mom in my grandparents basement in the Back of the Yards neighborhood before moving to the West Lawn neighborhood of Chicago. These are not the best of neighborhoods and a lot of crime did happen but perception is everything and life is what you make it.
I owe a lot to how I was raised. My mom did everything she could to raise me well, although we had a lot of factors working against us. We had a family member who lived with us that was severely addicted to drugs. Needless to say, I was around more 'characters' growing up than the average child but turns out they made some great stories. My family member would leave for weeks at a time and go on drug binges and at times I would go with my mom to try and find them. At the age of 6, I remember being inside crack houses hoping to find them. I never felt afraid because I was with my mom and let me tell you, this lady is not one to be messed with. Vygotsky's social development theory argues that social interaction precedes development; consciousness and cognition are the end product of socialization and social behavior. Vygotsky states: “Every function in the child’s cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child (intrapsychological)”.[2] I feel that this statement sums up early and middle childhood. A child takes in their surroundings whether they are aware of it or not and the behaviors they are around will affect them in either a positive or negative manner.
When I was little, all I knew was drugs were bad. I never knew the types of drugs until I was older but when I learned them I felt as I already knew about them. I remember going to these places and just meeting the strangest of people. I never judged them because I wasn’t sure what was wrong with them I just knew that life was not appealing. Vygotsky hit the nail in the head when discussing the social and individual level. I always have had a negative connotation in regards to drugs because I saw what they can do to someone. I did not hate drugs off the bat because I didn't know they even were but I saw how the people who were on them interacted. It was later when I interpreted this on a personal level. As I got older I was able to piece things together more easily and it became more clear what exactly my family member was doing. I saw the detrimental effects of drugs as a kid and to this day still feel strongly against them. If it hadn't been for my experiences I may have experimented with drugs. You have to take the bad with the good and look at everything as learning experience.
I opened with this blog with how much I love the 90's and that is because they represent my childhood. I loved everything about my childhood. There are trials and tribulations in everybody's life and everyone has a story to tell. The family member I spoke about carried their drug problem up until their death in 2012. My last memory with them wasn’t ideal and I would give anything to alter that. I don’t think of them as an awful person nor do I want the perception of this blog to reflect that. Truth is she was remarkable. She had her problems but who doesn’t? It is unfortunate the outcome but that is life. We all struggle with our own demons but they should not define us. Romans 12:9-11 "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another above yourself.", regardless of her actions she had one of the biggest hearts and always showed love. Our stories start from childhood because it is where our memory really starts to develop. This chapter talks about moral standards and their development. I owe a lot to my childhood and can attribute my morals to what I was exposed to as a child. I wouldn’t change one thing about my childhood because it made me into the man I am today. I still have a lot to work on in life but I know I am on the desired path, that stemmed from my childhood.
“Every function in the child’s cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child (intrapsychological)” This mantra should be the center of the importance of the social development of children in schools. School is so much more that academics especially in early education. The socialization benefits are unmatched. Most developmental theorists applicable to education miss that mark. Vygotsky being the exception. Culture is being taught all around us and educators implementing Vygotsky's principles are better prepared to foster that socialization.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy the points you have added about how your mom told you things when you were a kid and you remembered these things until you grew up. This was one of the parts I covered in my paper about the child's brain being able to absorb so many different things at such a young age. This is a time in a kids life where the smallest of things can change their thoughts either good or bad.
ReplyDeleteDealing with difficult situations as a child does shape your outlook on people and the world. It sounds like you were surrounded by love and because of that your family's decisions to act with love made all the difference. While we cannot control what other people do we can control how we respond to them. I give you and your mom credit for continuing to fight for your family member. Hopefully, when you meet again that will be the thing they remember- you always tried to be there for them.
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