Jannifer R. Whittle
Feeding Time at the Park
Critical Thinking and Writing, ENG 111E
Trinity International University
October 10, 2007
A woman sitting on a park bench listens in disbelief as passersby hiss nasty comments in her direction. “Gross,” one teenager sneers. A group of three pre-teen boys pause in the distance on their skateboards then proceeds past her with giggles. After passing, she hears one ask the other, “Dude, did you see anything”? The woman, who was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable, looked around to see what the big deal was about. “I’m the only one around,” she thought. Two older ladies were walking toward her now and were clearly talking about her. Stopping a few feet away from the bench, one of the women said with a snooty voice, “My goodness, why don’t you go home and do that in private.” Not knowing what else to do, the woman on the park bench gathered her things and placed her baby, who was thankfully asleep, into the stroller.
God bless the U.S.A., land of the free. Yes, we have freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and freedom of religion, but women lack the freedom to breast-feed a baby in a public place. Women got the right to vote in 1920 but must still duck into a nasty bathroom stall to feed their child if they are not at home. Isn’t it funny how it is okay for beautiful women to strut around wearing nearly nothing, but a lactating mother sends people into a panic? Something is very wrong with this picture.
As a mother of three boys, I can relate to the lady on the park bench. I had to use a breast pump with my first child. I was fortunate enough to have a job that offered “split shifts.” I would leave work after the first shift and use my breast pump while my son was still at the babysitter. After the second shift, I came home and nursed him normally. I was able to produce enough milk from the pumping to give him two bottles of breast milk for the next day. I had to supplement with formula occasionally, but Lord knows I did the best I could. I was a stay-at-home mom for the second two children which helped tremendously. Of course, I did not stay at home constantly. A non-bottle feeding mom must have a life outside of her house also. Do nursing mothers have to stay at home until their child is weaned? What about all of the statistics that say “breast is best”?
According to the La Leche League (LLLI, ¶ 1-3), babies who are breast fed have a lower occurrence of respiratory infections and diarrhea. That is, infections are 8 to 10 times less likely to happen. The possibility of allergies and dental carries is also drastically decreased. Studies also show that women who breast feed decrease the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Employers benefit from nursing also. Babies have less illness which means less work missed by mothers. Another long term affect of nursing is I.Q. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that infants that were breastfed for seven to nine months had higher IQs as adults than children breastfed for less than seven months (LLLI, ¶ 1).
All of the above information leads me to believe that not only have I done the right thing, but my children should all be of genius stature seeing that I breastfed each of them for 16 months. Okay, so I am joking about the last part, but in all reality there are tremendous benefits to taking the time to nurse our children.
In closing, some final words of encouragement. Babies do not choose to be born, we choose this for them. Whether a baby is breast or bottle fed should be the choice of the mother. There is no right or wrong answer. As long as a child is given proper care and affection they should thrive. The remaining question is, is it okay to breastfed in public places? My answer is a resounding yes. Please keep in mind that it is best to be discreet. Nursing a child is not meant to be an exhibition. And to the nasty passerby, just tell them that it is obvious that their mothers did not breastfeed them. It is easy to differentiate between a high and low IQ.
Works Cited
Media release: study confirms positive association between duration of breastfeeding and adult intelligence. (2002). Retrieved October 10, 2007, from http://www.llli.org/Release/intelligence.html
What are the benefits of breastfeeding my baby? (2006). Retrieved October 10, 2007, from http://www.llli.org/FAQ/advantages.html
Feeding Children: No Child’s Play
Ana E. Gonzalez
Trinity International University, South Florida Campus
Critical Thinking and Writing, ENG111E 2.5
Professor Terry Hudson
Feeding Children: No Child’s Play
After reading a couple of editorials from the New York Times, there was one particular article that caught my attention, for the fact that is it dear to my heart, “Picky Eaters? They Get It From You”. This article written by Kim Severson addresses the issue of small children and their aversions to different or new kinds of foods.
And just like many of the testimonies given in the article, I am also a mother that faces this problem. For example, my ten year old son, Jonathan, he could eat anything, from fruits, vegetables, sweets, salty, pasta, meat, poultry, and even sea food – including those weird-ugly-looking octopus and squids. This child does not discriminate or complaint about anything that is edible.
On the other hand, my six year old son, Nathan, is a totally different story. Since he was a little baby, he was very particular about his food intake. This wasn’t from an illness reaction to certain foods, but it was his clear facial expression of repugnance to anything other that milk, rice cereal, and bananas. Plainly, he was very picky. Therefore, the word “Food neophobia” became a very common word in our household. Now days, Food neophobia is an important concern in pediatric psychology:
Neophobia is the fear of new things or experiences. It is also called cainotophobia. In psychology, neophobia is defined as the persistent and abnormal fear of anything new. In its milder form, it can manifest as the unwillingness to try new things or break from routine. In biomedical research, neophobia is often associated with the study of taste (Wikipidia).
The argument continues to state whether children are particularly picky because of their parents’ genes, or from their environment. One thing is clear, from nutritionists, pediatricians, and academic researchers all agree that feeding children all the appropriate and nutritious foods listed in the “Food Pyramid” by the United State Department of Food Administration is not child’s play, since there are more than forty different kinds of food pyramids one can follow.
The truth of the matter is that one can blame the parent’s bad cooking, their genes, and even their social environment, but reality is that each child is crafted in a unique manner by God, and like anything related to children, they need to be trained in their eating habits just like potty training, getting dressed, etc.
I wonder if starving children from third world countries have any food aversions. I don’t think so. They are grateful for anything they are able to get their hands on. Therefore, it is obvious to me that children develop this instinct and parents encourage it for either lack of knowledge, time, or patience.
Currently, my son Nathan is still a picky eater, but he has learned to trust me when I am trying to introduce him to eat a new fruit, other than bananas. Bit by bit he is already enjoying some of God’s food creation, and every meal is a story that how God created something for Nathan to enjoy. Although he would not bargain to eat any meat, he is now eating more different kinds of foods that are good and healthy for him such as rice, beans, fruits and pastas.
Lastly, after reading The New York Times’ editorial about Picky eaters, I realized that I was not the only parent that suffered this problem. Severson also argues that in their attempt to succeed feeding their children many parents have recurred to cheating or lying about the food; others don’t care, or blame it on their genes. Whichever the case may be, I have certainly learned to feed my children what I know is right for them, at the same time I teach them that they may favor some food than others. At least they have to trust me and give the new food a try, and then make a judgment for themselves; which in most cases they ended up liking it. Furthermore, I always tell my children “don’t be afraid to try it; because, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7). Besides, I love you and I wouldn’t do anything to harm you, remember, there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out all fears” (1 John 4:18). Currently, my dear son, Nathan, is learning that he should not be scared about food, because his mother loves him and knows what is best for him.
Works Cited
Holy Bible: King James Version. (1960). Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers. (Original work published 1569; Rev ed. 1862, 1909 and 1960)
Severson, K. (2007) Editorial. Retrieved on October 10, 2007, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/10/dining/10pick.html
Wikipidia, The Free Encyclopedia (2007). Definition. Retrieved on October 10, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neophobia
Standardized Test in Children: Good or Bad?
Shelly Kwasman
Editorial Paper
Professor Terry Hudson
October 13, 2007
Is the performance of children in school up to par? No, according to our standardized test scores. Test results show that math scores are gaining, but reading scores are declining. Knowledge is a necessity of life and without it we cannot function.
Some states are cutting test standards to avoid sanctions. The state of Texas has given a trial of a new statewide achievement test. “The results were grim,” said Chase Untermeyer, a member of the Texas State Board of Education. “Few students did well. Many students got almost no answers right.” In fear of facing penalties under the federal No Child Left Behind Law, the Board reduced the number of questions that students must answer correctly from 24 out of 36 to 20.
The state of Michigan’s standards had been among the nations highest. This caused many problems because 1,513 schools were labeled as needing improvement. This caused Michigan officials to lower the percentage of students who must pass the statewide test to certify a school as making adequate progress from 75 percent to 42 percent. This ruling reduced the number of labeled schools to 216. Is this fair gain or are we fooling ourselves?
According to Chester E. Finn Jr., a former assistant secretary of education who supports the law’s goal of raising standards, “Some states are lowering the passing scores, they’re redefining schools in need of improvement and they’re deferring the hard task of achievement-boosting into the distant future” (States Cut Test Standards to Avoid Sanctions, 2003). Federal officials disagree. Dan Langan, a spokesman for the Department of Education states:
The department had closely monitored all states’ preparations for compliance with the
Law and was satisfied that the law would not bring lower standards. The law includes
Safeguards to hold states accountable. They have flexibility to set proficiency levels,
But there are enough checks in place to make sure they cannot game the system.
So we reject the argument that states won’t set and keep high standards
(States Cut Standards to Avoid Sanctions, 2003).
Is Bush’s No Child Left Behind law working or is it a failure? The 600 page law was passed with bipartisan backing four months after September 11, 2001. Many prominent Democrats have since withdrawn their support. Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri described it as, “A phony gimmick that we were all suckered into. It’s a fraud” (States Cut Standards to Avoid Sanctions, 2003).
The heart of the Bush education plan is a requirement that all states conduct annual testing in reading and math for students in grades three through eight. Some biases with the test are that states are allowed to change their test from year to year. This makes it impossible to determine if students are progressing at all.
Are students to blame for low scores on standardized test? A survey was done on more than nine million elementary and secondary students. The report showed that student performance was low and not improving. According to Christopher T. Cross, the Assistant Secretary of Education for educational research and improvement, “The bottom line is that very few American students demonstrate they can use their minds well.” Although reading is a basic tool for success in school and in the world, the report found that few students read much analytically. For example, on an average school day most 12th graders read ten pages or less, at home and in school combined. The report also cited lack of homework as a reason for poor student performance. Most 17- year -olds spend less than an hour a day on homework with no discussion with parents. America’s education is declining because of passive teaching methods, less involvement with parents in their child’s education, and television.
Are standardized test a useful way to judge a child’s progress? Many factors can influence these test such as culture. Some people just aren’t good test takers, and some tests simply aren’t valid. A lot of pressure is placed on schools and teachers to perform well. With so much emphasis placed on these tests does this deter from teaching? Should no child be left behind?
Works Cited
De Witt, K. (1990). Survey of 9 Million Pupils Finds Lag in Education. New York Times. Retrieved
October 9. 2007 from http://query.nytimes.com
Dillon, S. (2003). States Cut Test Standards to Avoid Sanctions. New York Times. Retrieved
October 9, 2007 from http://www.nytimes.com
Zernike Kate. (2001). How to Leave No Child Behind. New York Times. Retrieved October 9,
2007 from http://query.nytimes.com
WOULD YOU LET THIS WOMAN WATCH YOUR CHILDREN???
Celebrity, socialite, actress, Chihuahua lover, and spoiled little rich girl are a few descriptive words that can be tacked on to Paris Hilton. I do not dislike her personally because I do not know her. But, her public appearances are always reeking of indulgence and stupidity. Television and computer screens are peppered with her visage. Trust me when I say that I love technology. The internet is one of the best inventions since sliced bread. A drawback of having 24 hour access to the world is that young minds end up seeing the glamorized lifestyles of the famous. They want to be Hilton; the boys want to date her. Hilton may be a model, but she is certainly not a model of good behavior.
On her show “The Simple Life”, she taught little girls how to “flip people off”. That particular episode was about Hilton and Nicole Ritchie teaching girls at a pageant camp how to do pageantry things. The mothers of the girls were livid, but one has to wonder why they would expose their daughters to such foolishness in the first place.
Of course, there is the issue of the D.U.I. charge. As a result, she spent some time in a somewhat modified prison. I would never get into a vehicle with her behind the wheel. I would certainly not let my children go any where with her. Imagine I let my boys spend the afternoon with Hilton. They would probably come home screaming profanities and demanding money. Excuse me, but I think I will pass. Of course, there is something to be said of having someone to laugh at. I would much rather laugh at her than to risk any harm to my precious children. I’m sure her parents consider her precious also. Perhaps, they should have spanked her precious behind when she was young and avoided the public humiliation of her “grown up” bad behavior.