WK1 (2)respond

Marian

I never thought much about my cultural framework as a child.  I knew I was part of the black race.  That’s what I was taught as a child.   When I got older I gained insight about my own identity, I was no longer called the black race.  I’m known as an African American.  My cultural has went through many name changes, but it doesn’t describe my character. I know I am a unique individual.  I was raised in a loving family and environment.  We were taught to treat people as you would want to be treated, “the Golden Rule”.  

   My cultural framework influences me to teach infant and toddlers normal thing that are positive.  When children are small they learn from mimicking what they hear and see. That’s why I provide my infants and toddlers with home loving environment, because at their age they don’t see different cultures.  They only see each other as a boy or girl.  As parents and caregivers, we have to teach our children about their culture.

   As an early childhood professional, I have a diverse childcare center. Our center base environment is culturally respected to all our families and children.  Every month we salute a different cultural to help our children to learn about each other nationality. We also allow our children to eat different cultural food with parents’ permission. “Differences between people within any given nation or culture are much greater than differences between groups. Education, social standing, religion, personality, belief structure, past experience, affection shown in the home, and a myriad of other factors will affect human behavior and culture” (1999 by The Regents of the University of California and Gregorio Billikopf).  One question I do have about culture is when do children begins to understand their own culture and not their race color.

Zoraida

Some insights that I gained about my own identity is that I am American with a Hispanic background. The way I was raised was the American way. My father is from Puerto Rico and my mother was born in Costa Rican. Being that they both came to New York at such a young age they were both were already use to the way Americans do things and they were both Catholic and believed in the same beliefs. Being raised with Hispanic parents they believed that all infants and toddlers were normal they just developed differently and sometimes some children are more advanced than others. One of my cousins was diagnosed with Autism at a very young age and both of my parents didn’t understand the diagnoses they just felt like that my little cousin was just extremely spoiled and coddled a lot that’s why he didn’t want to talk or didn’t know how to eat solids or anything. It was hard to explain to them that he had delays and that why he needed to receive services at home and in school.
 

Some ideas that I have in building a good relationship culturally responsive and respectful with families of infants and toddlers that I am working with is first by having the child pair with their parents and me that way I can see how their parents are with them and see more or less some things the the child likes and dislikes. I want the children and parents to be able to build that trust with me. While pairing with the family and child I will see what are some ways they were brought up to handle certain situations and if appropriate it will carry it on in the classroom in a positive way. Some parents have different beliefs in handling certain situations and if they feel like the positive reinforcer has been working at home when the child is not having a good day than I will continue it at school but using a different toy, edible or songs so that the reinforcer that the child likes  doesn’t fade away at home.