Ian Mahoney – Week Two
Ian was now 9 months of age, and he had only seen his father
through a computer on Skype. When he
did, he just stared blankly at the image. Leila missed Phil terribly and
worried every day about his safety. He assured her that everything was fine,
and that he really wasn’t ever in danger. He was mostly working on “support,”
ferrying supplies back and forth and so on. He felt certain he would be home in
time for Ian’s first birthday. It was hard for Leila knowing that Ian did not
yet know his father. For some reason, she had a terrible fear that he may never
know him.
* Write a developmentally appropriate narrative of the
conversation you would have with Tyler about his new brother.
* What are the major developmental milestones for a 9-month
old? What should a 9-month old be doing physically, cognitively, and
emotionally at this point?
* Is Ian likely to bond with his father at all? Why or why
not? Support your position with information from the literature regarding early
child development and how infant-parent attachment occurs.
DECISION POINT
* Does Tyler generally accept his new brother? What is the
nature of his reaction to Ian?
Many three year olds love to talk and ask questions about their every interest and what is going on around them. As a parent, a major role is learning how to talk with their child. According to the website AskDrSears, there are a specific ways to talk to your child so they will listen. Some of these tips include addressing the child, staying brief and simple, being positive, asking them to repeat your request, and giving them choices.
ReplyDeleteIf Leila were to talk with Tyler about his new brother she would start the conversation by saying “Tyler, mommy needs to talk to you”. She would want to address Tyler directly so he understands that this is going to be an important conversation. Leila might mention that Tyler is the “big boy” in the house while daddy is gone. A sentence that she could express to Tyler could be “Daddy loves you very much and would want you to teach Ian how to throw a baseball or how to use a big boy potty”. Tyler has had the opportunity to learn big boy skills from his father and he can pass it on to his new baby brother. As a three year old, he is able to understand that his father is at war and needs to be a good big brother to Ian. Leila would have to explain to Tyler that Ian is now a part of the family and that mommy is going to need help to take care of his baby brother. At the end of their conversation, Leila would tell Tyler how much she loves him and that no matter what he will always have a special place in her heart as their first born child.
Each month of an infant’s life comes significant and countless milestones. All children develop differently, but every day all infants are acquiring new skills and learning new words. In the case of our 9 month-old Ian, he should be able to sit up, pull himself up to stand, have teeth coming in, drink out of a sippy cup, have a preference for his dominant hand, and respond to simple commands. The National Institutes of Health explain the typical milestones for a 9-month old child. Some physical milestones for an average 9 month-old include crawling, feeding themselves with fingers, sitting up unsupported, paying attention to size and shape of objects, having a pincer grasp between thumb and index finger, and throwing or shaking objects. Cognitive and sensory skills for a 9 month-old demonstrate that the child is able to communicate better with their family members. The 9 month-old can respond to their name, learn to go around or under objects, imitate speech sounds, vocalize to attract attention, show interest in interactive games and books, and is developing depth perception. Emotional milestones for a 9 month-old include being able to understand the word “no”, wave bye-bye, talk on the phone, apprehensive around strangers, and cling to familiar adults.
ReplyDeleteIan is a 9 month-old infant that is still developing social skills. Even though his dad is not home to give him a hug or kiss at night, Ian will more than likely be able to bond with his father. For Ian, the chats through Skype are short and hard to see who is on the screen, but he is able to recognize his father’s voice. As Ian develops cognitively and socially he will understand that his father is at war and loves him no matter the distance between them. If Phil were to come home, Ian will cling to his mother because that is what he knows, but overtime as his father demonstrates love and affection he will be able to bond with him just as well.
ReplyDeleteIn the literature provided, it mentions a scientific hypothesis about infant-parent bonding being the strongest after birth, which leads to a strong parent-child relationship. It is a phenomenon and has yet to be proven. This theory is a conflict among adoptive parents because most parents are not around their adoptive child at the time of their birth. If the theory was true, then the adoptive parents will not have a long- lasting, successful parent-child relationship. Infant-parent attachment occurs through the interaction and comfort of a parent. Once Ian’s father is able to prove that he is there to protect and guide Ian in the right direction, Ian will able to build that infant-parent attachment.
As a group we decided that Tyler would accept his new baby brother and be very excited to play the “big brother” role. Younger children tend to be more enthusiastic about helping care for their new sibling and we do not think that would change in this case. Tyler is going to love his new brother and is going to want to help his mother with feeding, changing, and holding the baby. Tyler will be expected to have the responsibilities that come with loving and caring for his new brother such as teaching him how to play with cars or showing him how to ride a tricycle. At the age of three, Tyler is going to have the same exciting reaction as any three year old would have to a new baby in the family.
ReplyDelete25 ways to talk so children will listen. (2011, August). Askdrsears.com, Retrieved from http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/discipline-behavior/25-ways-talk-so-children-will-listen
ReplyDeleteDevelopmental milestones record- 9 months. (2011, August 29). Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002009.htm
Feigelman S. The first year. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 8.
Feldman, R.S. (2011). Development Across the Life Span (6th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson, Inc.