YOU DID THIS TO ME!

Yesterday I was at an O.T office with a child that i babysitt for. After she went in I was in the sitting area and I over heard a conversation that was going on in the waiting room that I thought would be in intrest to the rest of you! A mother was on the phone speaking to another person and telling them about her 12 year old daughter ( who by the way was in the room as well ). She began shouting on the phone saying how shes convinced her 12 year old daughter is doing drugs and how she got expelled from school after being caught in the bathroom drinking with 3 other girls. The child you can tell was mortified because she knew everyone in the room an hear and the mother didnt care. She kept going on and on saying how shes never home and shes always at their neighbors house and she swears that shes pregnat and if she isnt shes going to be. What drew me to this conversation was that the daughter was sitting there holding her chain in her hand of a girl that looked just liked her, i assumed it was her twin and she just kept crying, the more she cried the more her mother spoke louder. When she hung up the phone she turned to the girl and began shouting at her and saying how disapointed she was in her and how she didnt bring her up that way and the next thing she said made my heart break. The mother began crying and shouting " IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU WHO DIED NOT LEXII YOU!" The girl turned white and jumped up and shouted YOU DID THIS TO ME, YOU CONSTANTLY COMPARE ME TO LEXI ! ITS NOT MY FAULT SHE HAD CANCER EVER SINCE SHE DIED YOU TURNED ME AWAY, YOU MADE ME DO THIS." Soon after that security came and both mother and daugther were escorted out but I just wanted to reach out to that little girl because she was right. A parent doesnt have to be doing drugs to influence a child to rely on the drugs but actions also hurt and so does silence. This little girl was faced with guilt and pain and frankly I feel like its her mother to blame!

I found my images on flickr.

Did You know?

The world of technology as we know it is expanding and becoming more advanced then anyone thought. According to the the video Did You know on you tube, it explains how our world is advancing in technology. It also, in my perspective tries to open our eyes a little bit and make us realize that the United States is behind the rest of the world in improving child education. I dont think that the video is being zenaphobic I feel as if its actually comparing what the children of the world are achieving and how children in the U.S are far behind. For instance the math that is being taught to children in 8th grade in the U.S is being taught to children in 5th grade in foreign countries. Its not that the video shows a type of fear but more of an acknowledgement of forgien countries and how they are succeeding in preparing the youth for what could happen in the future rather than what is happening right now or what happend before. Our world as we know it will be completly made up of internet usage and other technological studies. By the rate things are improving our children will be the generation of flying cars! I agree with this video and found it very interesting because the U.S is slacking, Europe and other countries are way ahead of us be we're scared to admit it! The video below is the video that I am adressing in my post..

risk factors

A child isn't going to be inloved in drugs and alcohol only because of their parents but their are many risk factors that take place that can lead a child to depend on drugs to " comfort them". According to the Nation Drug Control Policy there are 3 most common types of risk factors that can increase the chances that children will turn to alcohol, tabacco and illegal drugs. The risk factors are :

1. Child Risk Factors such as ADHD, serious behavior problems, violent acting out, or being rebelious.


2. Family Risk Factors which include communication difficulties, to much or to little discipline, parents substance abuse in front of children, or the way they act after consuming alcohol, drugs etc, child abuse or neglect.


3. Enviornemental Risk factors such as peer rejection, law enforcement of purchase-by-minors laws, extreme poverty, neighborhood crime, and failure to do well in school.

Just because one of these factors are present doesnt mean it will def. lead to drug use but they are more likely to do so if they occur during childhood or are faced with more than one risk factor.

Save a future, Save a life

Creating possitive roles in children's lives can almost predict a brighter future. This is especailly true if they are in an enviornment in which drugs, alcohol, and smoking is second nature to them. Most children who experience substance abuse at an early age or later on have had many influences in their life who have led to the negative outcome. Did you ever stop and think, may be if I help a child by spending time with them , I can help shape their future? Well the answer is you can. The Big Brother Big Sister Organization does just that. Big Brother, Big Sister is a program designed to shape the future of children at risk with mentors , or as they like to call it a " big brother or big sister" . The mentor takes the child that they are matched up with on trips, helps with homework, does crafts, or even just hanging out. Having someone they can depend on and get a positive influence from can help benifit any child that is struggling. Most children taking part in this program are known to be less likely to engage in substance abuse. They are more likely to attend school and get jobs and lead a better life style. They're many other organizations that help children at risk similar to Big Brother , Big Sister such as : The Boys and Girls Club , Stand up for Kids, Free to Grow,and many more. So think about it, Do you think if a child has a certain someone in their life that they can look up to and admire that they can achieve their goals and go on the right path?

I found my images on flickr.

foolish actions have severe consequences

Hey everyone!! If you haven’t noticed already, my blog posts are directed towards children who are at risk for substance abuse and different situations that they experience or may experience. This issue was brought to my attention because of some news that I heard about a girl that I used to go to grammar and high school with. She was always the " troublemaker". She strived for attention and did whatever she could to get it. My clearest memory of her was when we were 15 and a video was going around school of how she got her little sister high. Her sister was in the 2nd grade. She taped the whole thing and sent it to everyone through e-mail. Since then I lost touch with her because I didn’t believe in the influence she was giving her little sister. Recently I heard that her little sister now in 8th grade is 6 months pregnant living with her 20 year old boyfriend. Her mother and father couldn’t control her any longer and thats how she ended up. It got me thinking, if she wasn’t exposed to the drugs and alcohol when she was younger would she be in the 8th grade pregnant? So it goes to show you, its not only a parental influence but also sibling and social influence. This isn’t a rare scenario and it will occur more and more if we don’t help to balance the future of children and get them on the right track!

the photos above were found on flickr.

monkey see , monkey do

Hey everyone! Have you ever been out to dinner and seen families with little children? I’m sure you have! Have you noticed that if the mother is wearing make up and fancy outfit, the little girl is wearing make up and a fancy outfit? Or how about if the father is wearing a baseball cap, there’s a 99% chance the little boy is to! Growing up children use their parents or guardians as their idols and inspiration. They want to be just like them! When asking a boy what he wants to be like when he grows up there’s a great chance he'd answer " a firefighter like my daddy" or if you ask a girl who they want to marry when they grow up, its common for them to answer " I'm going to marry my daddy!" Children often mimic everything their parents do, so what makes drugs and alcohol different? Nothing. There was an article on MSNBC about a study done on children, to find out if their " play behavior" indicates that they are influenced by the actions of their parents. The study consisted of 120 children, both boys and girls. The ages ranged from 2-6. There was a miniature store set up filled with : fruits, vegetables, meats, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, snacks, cigarettes, beer and wine. The children were asked to go to the store to pick out items that their Barbie and ken would need to host their social even that evening, like at barbeque or a simple party. Keep in mind that the children were allowed to pick ANYTHING they thought that their Barbie and Ken would need. What they didn't know is that their parents were behind a mirrored window watching. A 4 year old girl chose Barbie sized tobacco and said " I need these for my man, a man needs cigarettes." The study showed that 28% of children bought cigarettes. Children who’s parents smoked were 4 times more likely to buy cigarettes. 61% of children bought alcohol. Children who’s parents drank monthly were 3 times more likely to buy alcohol. Just remember that these children were from the ages of 2-6! It gets you thinking, if they experience this type of behavior at this age, what’s going to happen when they are teens?

pictures above was from flickr.com

Test

This is my first blogg entry!

i read the NY times everyday.

i found this image at flickr.