In our ever-progressing world of technology the ability to use a computer consistutes an important occupation for both children and adults. Within orphanages, even well-equipped ones such as Casa Speranței, these opportunities may be considerably limited. Fortunately Iulia pursued the provision of a computer for the children to use; and while one computer for forty children is not ideal, it is better than nothing. Some of the older children learn the basics of computer usage in school, but most of their peers already have exposure to a computer on a regular basis long before these classes begin.
This week I pulled out several of the younger children individually to provide 30-minute computer lessons. During these lessons I taught them the basics of using a mouse (which, they quickly discovered, takes considerable coordination) and typing through the use of the "Paint" program. It was fun to see their reaction when they pressed on a key for several seconds instead of only one time. Or the magic behind the space bar and backspace keys. Or when they clicked the wrong thing and a message popped up. All of them were so proud of themselves after writing their names using the keyboard. Several turned and smiled, saying "Look! I did it! I wrote my name!" Others stated, "Mama mia!" or "Che bella (how pretty)!" when they used various painting tools or changed colors. I will continue with these lessons the next two weeks in order to progress their skills even further. The educational games I purchased (thanks to donations) have also been installed on the computers, but Iulia and I still need to find a sound card and a few other applications in order for them to run properly. With any success these tasks will be completed before I leave so I can be more assured that the children can access the games.
As you may have guessed, my time with the children has continued, primarily now with pairs, to further assist their social skill development. I have been happily surprised with many of their interactions together-- both within the therapy room and outside when playing. Arguments and scuttles still occur, but it seems they are less frequent and not as major. Excitedly I witnessed a few of the children who attend the anger management sessions use strategies we taught. And they definitely love being recognized and praised for these positive changes.
A major development here is the addition of six new members to the Casa Speranței household. All from the same family, the four brothers and two sisters range in age from two to eight years (I think). The eldest is currently being taught how to write and read by one of the older girls here. It has been fun to see some of the other children assist with the little ones-- a good source of responsibility and self-confidence indeed. Not to mention this decreases the burden on the already overextended caregivers. And I believe three more children will be coming in the near future (I do not know their ages). Even more reason for the caregivers to keep utilizing the strategies we discussed!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
A Romanian Wedding
Last Saturday I had the privilege of attending the wedding of Iulia and Madalin. The ceremony took place at a Catholic church in Câmpina that seemed to have many of the components of a Catholic wedding in the United States. Both the ceremony and reception were small and informal, but had many traditional components.
 |
| The Newlyweds! |
 |
| Appetizer- Cheeses, Vegetables, Salami, Ham, and Meatballs |
 |
| Course 1- Cabbage, Polenta, Rice and Beef Rolls |
In between the courses of food we danced and enjoyed each others' company, much like any American wedding. I learned a couple Romanian dances thanks to the welcoming nature of the attendees. And not even a Romanian wedding is complete without dancing to the "bunny hop" (although called something different).
 |
| Course 2- Potatoes, Pork chop, Sausage link |
 |
| Dessert- Cake, Brownie, Wafer cookies |
By the time Iulia finally threw her bouquet of flowers (around 2:30am) only two unmarried females remained; unfortunately I did not catch it. I'll leave that matter in the hands of God. Nevertheless I couldn't have asked for a better (cultural) experience and was grateful for the opportunity to attend such a wonderful occasion. A much-needed social and psychological boost for sure!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Quotes of the Week
Thought I would share some of the great things the children said this week:
"How many ice creams did you have to eat to get all of those?" (referring to all the popcicle sticks we used to make picture frames)
"Why don't you know everything in Italian?" (which prompted me to write the poem from earlier this week)
"What does this say?"..."It says, 'You are a child of God'."..."Me!?" (a six-year old asking about a sign I made and posted in the therapy room)
"First we need to clean up."..."With what? A broom?" (a child's response after finishing our game of Trouble)
As a side note, it was exciting to meet a couple from Italy who had read my blog before coming this past week. Plus they spoke English, which is always a nice surprise. It's also encouraging to see couples from Italy again and hear them comment on the progression of my Italian. I will miss having people come in and out these next couple of weeks-- makes for lonely mealtimes.
"How many ice creams did you have to eat to get all of those?" (referring to all the popcicle sticks we used to make picture frames)
"Why don't you know everything in Italian?" (which prompted me to write the poem from earlier this week)
"What does this say?"..."It says, 'You are a child of God'."..."Me!?" (a six-year old asking about a sign I made and posted in the therapy room)
"First we need to clean up."..."With what? A broom?" (a child's response after finishing our game of Trouble)
As a side note, it was exciting to meet a couple from Italy who had read my blog before coming this past week. Plus they spoke English, which is always a nice surprise. It's also encouraging to see couples from Italy again and hear them comment on the progression of my Italian. I will miss having people come in and out these next couple of weeks-- makes for lonely mealtimes.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Still Chugging Along
Early this week Iulia and I spent most of our days in the anger management sessions with selected children. Some of them came with examples of when they used the things we had previously taught, which is encouraging even if they only employed them a couple times. I have also observed a few of them using (or trying to use) what they learned. This week we provided them with more strategies to regulate their anger/frustration, such as squeezing their hands/feet together, putting something in their mouth, stomping the ground (instead of someone else!), and closing their eyes or turning the other direction. After practicing them each one identified their favorite; many liked the first three options. Next we played a game with colored candies that required them to give the number of responses as they had candies of that color (i.e. 3 red candies= 3 responses). The prompts asked what they could do when they get angry/frustrated, what they can say when they don't like what someone did, and what nice things they can say to someone else. For each correct response they won that piece of candy. With two weeks until our next session we told them to practice everything they have learned, rely on each other, and report back what strategies they practiced. I'll be on the lookout as well and providing guidance to make the better decision when needed.
With the help of the caregivers I was still able to conduct a few group activities with the children this week. One day the older children made picture frames out of popcicle sticks. First they had to choose four different children and write a nice adjective that describes him/her. Then they exchanged the popcicle sticks, which served as the border of the picture frame. Next came the task of decorating; which, of course included taking turns, sharing, and asking politely to use various materials. Throughout the week I have been taking pictures of them playing nicely with each other and will develop the pictures to put in the frames.
At the meeting this week with the caregivers I attempted to tackle the difficult subject of sensory regulation. Before starting I composed a mini-Sensory Profile survey for them to take (on themselves). This allowed them to get an idea of what the topic entailed, and get them thinking about various children who might respond strongly to the items. Then we talked about each sense, I introduced the proprioceptive and vestibular senses, and we discussed the consequences of too much or too little stimulation. Next week we'll delve into strategies to address sensory integration issues, specifically those concerning a few of the children here (although most of the behavioral issues are truly behavior related and not sensory related). It's a tough topic to grasp, but they seemed engaged in learning something they never heard about before.
All in all a successful week sprinkled with positive changes during my daily observations (mostly from the children). After two fairly frustrating weeks it was refreshing to have one that was more upbeat. As more and more children begin returning from Italy I'm eager to see how they will integrate back into Casa Sperantei, and how both groups will teach each other the positive behaviors they gained this summer.
With the help of the caregivers I was still able to conduct a few group activities with the children this week. One day the older children made picture frames out of popcicle sticks. First they had to choose four different children and write a nice adjective that describes him/her. Then they exchanged the popcicle sticks, which served as the border of the picture frame. Next came the task of decorating; which, of course included taking turns, sharing, and asking politely to use various materials. Throughout the week I have been taking pictures of them playing nicely with each other and will develop the pictures to put in the frames.
The following day the younger children made butterflies which will be given to the older adults they visit with one of the sisters. Using a popcicle stick as the body the children wrote a nice message (primarily "have a good day"). Next they traced their hands and cut them out for the wings (yay fine motor skill development!). Finally they decorated the wings with stickers, markers, colored shapes, and string. Many of them need encouragement to slow down and take their time; several need one-on-one attention for honing their cutting skills (which I've been trying to do a bit in my play time with them). As with the older children I was definitely pleased with the way they shared, waited their turn, and used their manners when asking for materials.
Because the majority of the children have spent several session with me one-on-one I have started to ask the children if they want to play together with someone. Many, but not all, opt for this choice. It's a great way for them to employ the skills they have learned individually and facilitate their interaction with one another. Plus they enjoy teach each other the games they have learned and exploring new activities together. The most difficult task is having them work together on projects (e.g. building a house, making an object with Play-doh) rather than doing these things in parallel. With three weeks to go I think some positive changes in this area can still be made.
At the meeting this week with the caregivers I attempted to tackle the difficult subject of sensory regulation. Before starting I composed a mini-Sensory Profile survey for them to take (on themselves). This allowed them to get an idea of what the topic entailed, and get them thinking about various children who might respond strongly to the items. Then we talked about each sense, I introduced the proprioceptive and vestibular senses, and we discussed the consequences of too much or too little stimulation. Next week we'll delve into strategies to address sensory integration issues, specifically those concerning a few of the children here (although most of the behavioral issues are truly behavior related and not sensory related). It's a tough topic to grasp, but they seemed engaged in learning something they never heard about before.
All in all a successful week sprinkled with positive changes during my daily observations (mostly from the children). After two fairly frustrating weeks it was refreshing to have one that was more upbeat. As more and more children begin returning from Italy I'm eager to see how they will integrate back into Casa Sperantei, and how both groups will teach each other the positive behaviors they gained this summer.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Translation
De ce nu
mi capisci quando
I talk
cu tine?
Noi potremmo parlare
o limbă
that we all
capite. La lingua
de iubirii.
mi capisci quando
I talk
cu tine?
Noi potremmo parlare
o limbă
that we all
capite. La lingua
de iubirii.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Duck...Duck...Goose!
Here's a glimpse into one of our group sessions where the children are playing 'Duck, Duck, Goose' for the second time. They love this game and played for nearly 20 minutes! (The first time definitely wasn't as successful, and unfortunately not all of our groups are this well behaved.) This simple game is such a great tool for teaching numerous skills such as waiting a turn, playing by the rules, being gentle, and listening. Hopefully this will brighten your day!
Same Ol' Ups and Downs
My apologies for not posting last week. The internet was down all weekend and I got behind on many things, this blog included.
The past two weeks have been a roller coaster ride of progress and frustration-- no surprises there. With only four weeks left here I'm beginning to realize how many things on my "to-do" list have not been accomplished and how many other things are only starting to take shape. And to add to that imminence Iulia will be out for the next two weeks due to her upcoming wedding. While I cannot blame her for taking this time off it definitely puts a damper on implementing several activities with the children and impedes with our consistency. Luckily we will still meet with the pairs doing the anger management sessions on Monday and Tuesday and we'll have the caregiver meeting on Tuesday.
For the children's activities the past weeks we did the following:
1.) "Sleeping Bear"-- One child sits on a chair blindfolded with a whistle underneath. The other children take turns trying to creep up on the 'bear' to steal the whisle and blow it three times. If the child is caught by the bear another child takes a turn. If the child is successful he/she becomes the new bear. It's a great game for listening, taking turns, and patience. After awhile I had two children go at the same time to elicit teamwork skills. The kids LOVED this simple game and continually ask to play it again. Success!
2.) Chalk Buddies-- One child lays on the ground while the other child traces him/her with sidewalk chalk. They switch places so their 'chalk buddies' are next to each other. Then they write something nice in a word bubble to the other person, and/or have the buddies sharing a toy, etc. Finally a face and clothes can be added. This activity forced them to work cooperatively together, use nice words to each other, and think about the principles of sharing (not to mention they had to share the sidewalk chalk). All the children giggled when they were being traced and very much enjoy using chalk.
3.) Kids as Leaders-- We selected two children who went to a camp in Italy to teach a game/song/craft to the other children. Towards the end of the session we switched and gave the children who stayed here a chance to teach a game/song they learned. Needless to say some groups were facilitated much better than others. It was encouraging to see some positive leadership skills from both the children who stayed here and those who went to Italy. When reflecting on this experience, the children were able to see how frustrating some of their behaviors can be. It also showed me how far we still have to go.
Iulia and I continue to make progress in meeting with pairs of children for anger management. Aside from simply bringing attention to their feelings and reactions we have seen some minor positive changes in their responses to frustrating situations (i.e. not hitting/kicking/swearing/yelling). [Unfortunately this is even more difficult when the child can hear a sister in the next room yelling at children who are doing homework.] We've used social stories and puppets to retell a situation where the child became angry or frustrated and had a negative response. Then they must retell the story with an alternative positive response (e.g. playing together, walking away, ignoring, telling an adult). Now we need to be present in their daily play to facilitate the transfer of this concept to real life (as well as teach the caregivers how to do this). Another activity we've done is teach them emotional regulation strategies such as taking 5 deep breaths, squeezing fingers and toes, putting something in the mouth, closing eyes/turning away, and thinking of something funny. The first three seem to be the preferred methods for the children-- we'll see if they actually implement them!
The past two meetings for the caregivers/sisters only the caregivers have attended. Last Friday I talked about common psychological issues that tend to arise in orphanages: ADHD, depression, and anxiety. In the beginning I had them do an activity that simulated what it might be like for children who have ADHD. Some of these concepts have been taught previously because of Iulia's background as a psychologist, but it's always good to reinforce them. Afterwards I gave them strategies to use with children who struggle with symptoms of ADHD, especially during homework time. These include setting clear expectations, using a timer, taking a 5 min. break every 20 min., removing distractions from the room, breaking the task into smaller parts, and using a therapy ball as a seat. They all seemed eager to try these methods because many of the children struggle with sitting still and completing a task.
This past Tuesday I discussed adolescent development and changes the caregivers should anticipate in the next couple years. I want them to start thinking about this now so they can start to develop ideas and strategies to address these issues. Many new daily occupations arise in adolescence and somebody needs to be there a.) to teach them these occupations, and b.) to listen/talk to them about their feelings and questions. It's also important that they designate a male figure that the boys can approach with questions. I'm hoping that one of the maintenance workers will be willing to take on this role (we're going to ask him first then let the boys know he can be a resource for them). Most importantly I stressed the need for the caregivers to guide the adolescents through decision-making and not simply berate their actions. This challenge takes more time and patience but has much greater outcomes in the end.
Ugh. It's been a long week and I am glad to see the weekend. I'm trying to focus on the positive improvements I've been seeing, but it's so difficult when the negatives are so evident. With four weeks left there is still plenty of time for change. Not to mention plenty of time to share love and enouragement. The ride's not over yet!
The past two weeks have been a roller coaster ride of progress and frustration-- no surprises there. With only four weeks left here I'm beginning to realize how many things on my "to-do" list have not been accomplished and how many other things are only starting to take shape. And to add to that imminence Iulia will be out for the next two weeks due to her upcoming wedding. While I cannot blame her for taking this time off it definitely puts a damper on implementing several activities with the children and impedes with our consistency. Luckily we will still meet with the pairs doing the anger management sessions on Monday and Tuesday and we'll have the caregiver meeting on Tuesday.
For the children's activities the past weeks we did the following:
1.) "Sleeping Bear"-- One child sits on a chair blindfolded with a whistle underneath. The other children take turns trying to creep up on the 'bear' to steal the whisle and blow it three times. If the child is caught by the bear another child takes a turn. If the child is successful he/she becomes the new bear. It's a great game for listening, taking turns, and patience. After awhile I had two children go at the same time to elicit teamwork skills. The kids LOVED this simple game and continually ask to play it again. Success!
2.) Chalk Buddies-- One child lays on the ground while the other child traces him/her with sidewalk chalk. They switch places so their 'chalk buddies' are next to each other. Then they write something nice in a word bubble to the other person, and/or have the buddies sharing a toy, etc. Finally a face and clothes can be added. This activity forced them to work cooperatively together, use nice words to each other, and think about the principles of sharing (not to mention they had to share the sidewalk chalk). All the children giggled when they were being traced and very much enjoy using chalk.
3.) Kids as Leaders-- We selected two children who went to a camp in Italy to teach a game/song/craft to the other children. Towards the end of the session we switched and gave the children who stayed here a chance to teach a game/song they learned. Needless to say some groups were facilitated much better than others. It was encouraging to see some positive leadership skills from both the children who stayed here and those who went to Italy. When reflecting on this experience, the children were able to see how frustrating some of their behaviors can be. It also showed me how far we still have to go.
Iulia and I continue to make progress in meeting with pairs of children for anger management. Aside from simply bringing attention to their feelings and reactions we have seen some minor positive changes in their responses to frustrating situations (i.e. not hitting/kicking/swearing/yelling). [Unfortunately this is even more difficult when the child can hear a sister in the next room yelling at children who are doing homework.] We've used social stories and puppets to retell a situation where the child became angry or frustrated and had a negative response. Then they must retell the story with an alternative positive response (e.g. playing together, walking away, ignoring, telling an adult). Now we need to be present in their daily play to facilitate the transfer of this concept to real life (as well as teach the caregivers how to do this). Another activity we've done is teach them emotional regulation strategies such as taking 5 deep breaths, squeezing fingers and toes, putting something in the mouth, closing eyes/turning away, and thinking of something funny. The first three seem to be the preferred methods for the children-- we'll see if they actually implement them!
The past two meetings for the caregivers/sisters only the caregivers have attended. Last Friday I talked about common psychological issues that tend to arise in orphanages: ADHD, depression, and anxiety. In the beginning I had them do an activity that simulated what it might be like for children who have ADHD. Some of these concepts have been taught previously because of Iulia's background as a psychologist, but it's always good to reinforce them. Afterwards I gave them strategies to use with children who struggle with symptoms of ADHD, especially during homework time. These include setting clear expectations, using a timer, taking a 5 min. break every 20 min., removing distractions from the room, breaking the task into smaller parts, and using a therapy ball as a seat. They all seemed eager to try these methods because many of the children struggle with sitting still and completing a task.
This past Tuesday I discussed adolescent development and changes the caregivers should anticipate in the next couple years. I want them to start thinking about this now so they can start to develop ideas and strategies to address these issues. Many new daily occupations arise in adolescence and somebody needs to be there a.) to teach them these occupations, and b.) to listen/talk to them about their feelings and questions. It's also important that they designate a male figure that the boys can approach with questions. I'm hoping that one of the maintenance workers will be willing to take on this role (we're going to ask him first then let the boys know he can be a resource for them). Most importantly I stressed the need for the caregivers to guide the adolescents through decision-making and not simply berate their actions. This challenge takes more time and patience but has much greater outcomes in the end.
Ugh. It's been a long week and I am glad to see the weekend. I'm trying to focus on the positive improvements I've been seeing, but it's so difficult when the negatives are so evident. With four weeks left there is still plenty of time for change. Not to mention plenty of time to share love and enouragement. The ride's not over yet!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)