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  • Essay / Reflections on Observing Children in Middle Childhood

    People in society spend a lot of time observing, whether we are intentionally aware of it or not. People observe through their environment and the daily activities that take place there. Observations can be carried out by engaging in different actions and environmental contexts such as public transport, restaurants, hospitals, work and stores, among others. As a social worker in training, it is important for me to observe skillfully so that I can effectively assess the safety and environment of clients, which will strengthen my skills and help me determine what treatment options might be best. best for children and families. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The life stage used for this focal observation was middle childhood. Children in this stage (4) are five or six years old and end between ten and twelve years old. I chose this stage of life because I thought I could gather more data through compliance. The middle childhood stage is usually when children begin to expand their roles and develop their identities in society. Many changes began to occur for them socially, cognitively, and ecologically. Hutchinson (2015) states, “During middle childhood, the child’s social world begins to expand dramatically. » The sighting took place on April 16, 2019, at approximately 8:05 p.m., in the Bronx, at Lincoln Hospital, in the intensive care surgical unit, on hold. area on the 9th floor. The observation lasted almost twenty minutes. A hospital is an institution that provides medical care and treatment to sick and injured people and one that many children dread going to. Children often associate the hospital with unwanted feelings due to their childhood experiences; such as receiving required immunizations during infancy and early childhood. Inside the hospital, I remember the walk from the elevator to the waiting room was very long. The walls of the intensive care unit were taupe and the lights were dim, which presented a dull, lifeless feeling. In the waiting room, there was a television on the wall, a patients' bill of rights hanging by the door, and two vending machines in front of the 8 chairs. One filled with unhealthy snacks and the other with sugary drinks such as Pepsi, Sunkist and fruit punch. The smell in the hospital was reminiscent of a chemical smell found in most hospitals. Medical equipment was present in the corridors, such as an electrocardiogram machine and a blood pressure monitor. Health professionals were traveling and working. The atmosphere in the hospital was very bad; sadness was conveyed through facial expressions and body language. Before I began this observation, I remember feeling emotional. I was in the hospital visiting a loved one who had become very ill and was having surgery. I had not planned to conduct my observation there. I planned to do it in a different setting like a supermarket or a movie theater. However, as I arrived and settled in, I noticed that there was a child in the waiting room, the only child I saw in the last two weeks in the intensive care unit during of my visits to the hospital. I started thinking about how hard this must be for him. What emotions were going through his head? Was he nervous or scared? Did he just wantbe here? As an adult, I was going through many feelings and dealing with my own anxieties. It's difficult to go to the hospital to see a loved one who is sick and needs additional care, knowing that we cannot physically help them feel better. For a child, this experience can be traumatic and have a further impact on their cognitive abilities and functioning. The middle childhood stage falls under Erikson's category 4, which is industry versus inferiority. It is at this stage that children usually begin to do things for themselves and gain a sense of independence. Although their brains grow to ninety percent of the size of their adults in the infancy stage. During childhood, they began to build their self-image, to be able to make decisions and to assert themselves. Most children began their school career at this stage (preoperative thinking). Increase their cognitive development, self-confidence, social skills and gain more independence as they come into contact with society at large. Such as teachers, churches, classmates, librarians, bus drivers, sports activities, etc. During my observation, I noticed that the child most likely went straight to the hospital from school, as he always had his school bag with him. The boy who looked to be around eleven years old, wore jeans, a long sleeved top, old sneakers and looked like he could cut his hair. Additionally, I observed that he was overweight for his age. This indicates that he may not be physically active or his family may be experiencing financial problems. According to Hutchinson (2015), “the nature and rate of physical growth during this period is shaped by both genetic and environmental influences.” I observed the child playing on an iPhone for about 5-8 minutes, until his mother asked. The child was also very curious and asked a lot of questions about different topics ranging from school to his grandmother who was sick in the hospital. He spoke articulately, demonstrating his linguistic development. According to Cohen (2016) “Language continues to develop and at the end of this stage, children have an average vocabulary of 40,000 words.” However, the most apparent developmental skill demonstrated during observation was emotional intelligence. The child was able to listen to his mother's feelings and sympathize with her, rubbing her hand and showing her affection and compassion. Demonstrate advanced coping skills during this difficult time. According to Davidson, Tish, Am, and Michael Mazzei (2016) “Children ages 7 to 11 demonstrate a greater variety of self-regulation skills. The sophistication in understanding and implementing the rules of cultural presentation has increased significantly at this point. » Cognitively, he was able to present formal operations; showing the ability to understand people and circumstances occurring in one's proximal environment. Family and peer groups are important influence systems for children in middle childhood; they generally seek the desire to feel accepted as they constantly compare themselves to others in society. Positive relationships with peers and family have a significant impact on their development. Tomonari, Dana and Rachelle Feiler (2003) “Middle childhood is also a time when children develop skills in interpersonal and social relationships. THE.”