Fear

                 Me and my family own three beautiful cockatiel birds. My niece Xianah use to be frighten when the birds flew, were near her, or if someone tried to get a bird in her face. When we let a bird crawl on her she thought it was hurting her because she would feel the cockatiel's nails and she would think they were trying to claw at her. Xianah truly had fear for these birds. The other day she came over to my house, we had let the birds out of their cages like usual to let them freely roam. My brother went to go get one just to play around, then my sister got the other and my dad grabbed the last bird left. Xianah was just looking at them as the birds gave them kisses and played with them. She had randomly asked to carry one. We were all shocked knowing that she was always scared of them and barely wanted to touch one. My brother had told her to come closer so he could hand off the bird to her. She was excited as the bird walked onto her hand. We taught Xianah how to move her hands to be able to make the bird crawl as if it was going up stairs. Xianah was having a blast, holding the bird and being able to do things with it.

                 It was time to put the birds all away and we let her put the bird she had back into it's cage. As she let the cockatiel go she said in a cute way "Thank you for letting me hold you!" She loved holding the birds, she asked to put the others away. When she did, she said the same thing she said with the first cockatiel. After, I got to thinking about her fear with the birds. It had disappeared. So I went on a mission to find out why. According to a website called Kids Health on an article about "Anxiety, Fears, and Phobias", as a kid grows, their fear for something can either disappear or replace another one. In my niece's case I believe her fear for our cockatiels had disappear. I was happy she got over it, I could always tell she wanted to play with the birds but always thought they would hurt her. It was something really special to be able to experience with her.

Field Note November 6, 2014 

Xianah is holding one of the cockatiels.

Work Cited 

"Anxiety, Fears, and Phobias".KidsHealth.The Nemours Foundation.July 2015. (Web) 9 Nov. 2014

Trick Or Treat!

                      Halloween- a crazy made up holiday for kids to go get candy as they are dressed up as something they chose to be. My niece was a little Native American which she loved and enjoyed being. As all the grown ups around her asked her what she was, Xianah with her attitude and personality would reply with "I am an Indian", which was adorable. Like all the other crazed children in the world all this kid wanted to do was to get candy and find her way to the bottom of her little candy pail. She happily and independently went up to the houses and asked for candy. Since she is only three and doesn't understand that when the porch lights are off no one will give you candy, and she would have her little meltdowns on those trips. It was a blast to see her so happy and energetic to get candy. Also to see her looking through her pail to eat some candy, but it being late and her being three she wasn't allowed candy but maybe a piece. The night was fun and it was fun seeing her get scared with the fake and horrible decorations that will only really scare toddlers and people who are easily scared. I noticed that on this day the whole world is all crazy getting candy, giving candy, trying to keep the kids happy and free from meltdowns. It is crazy to see what a made up holiday can do to people.The night was worth it and it was time well spent with a crazed Native American with some attitude and crankiness from all the walking and wanting candy. Hope to do that with her again next year.

Field Note 

Taken a while back she couldn't stay still long enough for a good picture on Halloween 

She still look cute though

Rude

      I didn't see my niece that much this whole week but when I did I see her and see was really bratty and stubbornness and she was being rude as well. She backed talked everyone including her parents. She scream kicked the walls disobeyed crossed her arms, Xianah is never like this I don't understand why she is acting like this.I went on a search mission to find out why she was acting like this. In an Article Called "The reason Behind Bad Behavior in Children" and it said out of a couple reasons curiosity,miscommunication, immaturity, and desire independence. There are always going to have this types of days where they are just all over the place they can be ways you can come up with for your own child to see how you can keep them nicely under control and not all over the place. After reading this today I will inform my brother on what I have read so my niece doesn't get bratty all the time,

 

 

 

Work Cited

 

The Reason Behind Bad Behavoir in Children.What to Expect.N.p.n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014. 











Feisty

      Friday was my brother's birthday and they had all the kids, her cousins, over. The only other girl cousin is Zoe. She is about 2 years older than Xianah. I was keeping an eye on the kids and I realized how both Xianah and Zoe were both in a weird argument about what each one was going to get something better than the other. These girls fight like if they are sisters. They always try to be better than the other like if it is a competition to see who is better. Why though? Why do they do that thing with each other? I notice it only really happens with girls not boys. I went on Google and went on a search mission. I found an article called " Why does the rivalry get in the way of so many female friendships, asked their worried mum?" It was pretty interesting. I learned that the reason for girls always being feisty and competitive with other girls is that they compare themselves with them. If they are better than them then they try to be more better than them.It has always been like these with girls, teenagers, and adults.It is just part of our female nature, which I could see from personal experience.
                                                       

Field Notes 10/17/14

Zoe(left) and Xianah (right)

Chunn,Louise. "Why does rivalry get in the way of so many female friendships, asks the worried mum?" Mail Online. Associated Newspapers LTD Part of the Daily Mail. 28 Sept. 2009. Web. 19 Oct. 2014

If at first you don't succeeded, try, try again.

When I was observing my niece we got to go out and play baseball before it got to dark. My brother had found a baseball and brought it to my niece a couple of days before. She was so excited  and just couldn't wait  to play. She had been watching re-watching a lot of the Sandlot movies and just got really into a baseball mood. We couldn't go to the field so we played in front of the apartment. My brother quick showed my niece Xianah how to get in stance  and how to hold the bat. My niece didn't hit the ball at first, or the second not even the third time. She never gave up though. she kept trying and trying, even if she got hit with the baseball a couple of times. At last! She hit the ball! Her first Hit! I learned something about her that day. She doesn't give up . It is just her personality. A three year old just can;t give up on herself. She kept trying. I loved seeing her big smile as she hit the ball a couple more times. It was an amazing evening.

                                                         Field Notes 10/7/14
                                        In the video, it was the second time she hit the ball.

Remembering

One evening, we got back to the apartment, where we just started to make dinner when out of the nowhere Xianah, my niece, repeats almost word for word a part from The Little Rascals. My brother and I turned to each other and were just amazed. It was so crazy for her to have remembered it. We decided to record her saying it , so we asked her to repeat what she had said.

I asked myself , how did she remember it? So i googled it. I found out that the neural structures are crucial for memory are working , the hippo-campus that is in charge of storing new memories, and the prefrontal cortex that is in charge of retrieving those memories. Since they are still developing so they only capture part of the present as it flows by.Meaning that since Xianah watches the Little Rascals almost everyday she remembers it.

The First Sights

I love my niece Xianah  very much, She is a crazy, energetic three year old. For the last couple of weeks I have been observing her more than just babysitting her. I have notice some new things and things that she always has done. She had recently moved into some new apartments so she got her new room. She loves always showing others what new thing got put up to decorate it or to just have people come in and play with her and all her toys. Xianah is a creative person who really gets into drawing or painting even if its just all scribbles and weird shapes, I always notice her singing along to all the music that played or just a song she remembered out of the no where, so i questioned why she was so into music? I looked it up and apparently its natural in a toddlers life to be into music. It creates a kick start and can open new experiencing that can open up pathways between the cells in the brain. Lately I even notice her napping up to about 3 to 4 hours on Mondays and Tuesdays. She naps more on these days because the lady who babysits her also babysits 3 other children so in her mind there is no time to rest only play. Xianah is a very obedient kid but being a three year old she is still a little rebellion child but she doesn't get many of time outs. She understands when she should ask for something, apologize, and even be polite and say thank you. Xianah is also a weird child. She likes to help clean. She always offers to clean whenever she can. Also she helps with everything. She just has to help with something even if her help isn't need she gets sad if she can't. Xianah is an interesting child, and can't wait to keep on observing this little crazy but funny girl.