The
region I would like to choose is East Asia and Pacific because it is where
China is located and I would like to learn more information about children in
China and around China. When I look into this region, I found that the challenges
that children are confronting are mainly child maltreatment, violence against
children, poverty, lack of education, abuse, natural disasters such as
earthquake, and so on, which have a negative impact on children's physical, intellectual,
social and emotional development.
For
example, due to poverty in rural China, Panpan's mother left her when she was
one year old; Panpan's father has to work far away to make a living; Panpan lives
with her grandparents, who are busy in the field and have no time as well as
don't know how to educate her (Liu, 2014). The absence of Panpan's parents in
her early childhood has a negative impact on Panpan's emotional development,
making her think that she is not loved, cared and important, which affects her
self-esteem, self worth, and her personal and social identities. The lack of
education cuts down her chances to learn how to interact and communicate with
her peers, how to react to problems regarding social and emotional development,
how to aquire from her peers and teachers skills that she could not learn from
home, and so on. However, thanks to Child Welfare Directors Project, problems
due to poverty like Panpan are being eased.
Child
maltreatment, such as the neglect of children with disabilities is one of the
main challenges that children in East Asia and Pacific face. However, through
looking into the website, I found out there are some successful strategies that
promotes the emotional development as well as overall development of children
with disabilities. For example, due to the partnership between UNICEF and
Manchester United, children with intellectual disabilities in Thailand have
opportunities to watch a football match, which has been shown to have a
positive impact on their overall physical and emotional development as well as
helping to improve their communication and social skills (UNICEF, 2013).
If
issues regarding the overall development of children with and without abilities
are highly paid attention to by government and society, there is always a way
out for children who need supports in different kinds of area. As early
childhood teachers, what we can do is to be prepared with knowledge, to
contribute what we have to children's development, and to make a positive social
change, even a small one.
Reference:
UNICEF.
(2013). UNITED for
UNICEF helps to inspire children with intellectual disabilities in Thailand.
Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/eapro/media_21164.html
Liu, Yang. (2014). In
rural China, an innovative solution to reaching to vulnerable children. Retrieved from
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/china_73613.html.
Hi Xiaowan,
回复删除Thanks for sharing Panpan's story. I agree that external educational and social supports would help Panpan to grow and develop and help her to reach her full potential. Continue to be a positive influence in young children's lives. With positive early childhood teachers like you, Panpan will certainly blossom into a vibrant child.
Xiaowan,
回复删除I enjoyed reading your blog. In Jamaica when I was growing up it was common for mothers and fathers to go away to work overseas, while the grandmothers raise the children. I know someone who felt rejected or neglected by his mother because she traveled often to the United States when he was young child. He felt like she only wanted to travel and not spend time with her children. This let to him becoming emotional detached from others and antisocial. It was years later after his mother got sick and sat and spoke with her before he truly understood the sacrifice his mother made to give him a better life. In the process of parents trying to give our children material everything, we forget the most important thing…love and emotional support.
Xiawan,
回复删除I enjoyed reading your post. I look at the issues we face in our country and those in other countries and realize there is so much work that needs to be done. I understand their are major differences in other countries that impacts them in a way that is devastating for young children and their families. Thanks for sharing the story.