Knowing is half the battle

Absolute and total frustration.

I spent one hour and a half looking at the computer screen wondering why I wasn’t getting this week’s assignment. I read the lecture notes, the section in the book, and some of the supplemental information provided. When it came down to searching for and finding a peer reviewed empirical article I just hit a wall. Maybe I didn’t understand. Maybe it wasn’t explained well. Maybe I’m tired from staying up all night with two sick kids and I’m finally losing it. Whatever it was, I vented a little by cursing at the computer screen (as if it was its fault) then left the room for a moment to grab a bottle of water. Moments later I felt better and sat back down in front of the HP. It’s amazing what a little break can do.

            After the break I started up and things began to flow. I found a really interesting study about the relationship between maternal behavior, delayed gratification and school readiness across early childhood. It’s not that this positive early relationship between a mother and child is anything new. It the study of the relationship and the effects it possibly has on school readiness and the child’s ability to delay gratification that was interesting to me.

            If a child is able to be disciplined enough to delay gratification then it would be fair to assume that the child would be able to control impulses appropriately. Much of our social experience is instant which can be of great convenience but at what cost. What is happening when a child has nothing to do? A couple of things. The child is waiting for something to do, looking for something to do and possibly creating something to do. To be patient, imaginative, creative, observant, and looking for opportunity are not bad abilities to poses (as long as we stay on the positive side of things). Just a few thoughts.

            I feel that the tools gained in this class are half the battle. It’s not that researching is a terribly difficult task, although it kind of is if you don’t know where to look, its time consuming but more productive if you know where to look. This class has definitely helped me use my time more productively.