My Own Development

Sandra Pagan

My Own Development

Elms College

My Own Development

My family values are typically the same as other families. The father is the head of the household and the mother is the homemaker. In my family my parents divorced when I was just ten years old. My parents both re-married. My father quickly re-married and my mother a few years later. So my step father became the head of the household. My biological father has eighteen kids and my mother has three, which I consider my immediate family. My father had two previous marriages before my mother. Back in the 60's and 70's Puerto Rican people believed that it was normal for young girls to be given away by their fathers to a man if he properly came and asked for her hand. My dad was already in his 30's when my mother started dating him and she was just in her teens. My mom and dad had three kids me being the youngest out of all eighteen kids. When my mother and father divorced my mother went to work.

I was born July 2, 1980 in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. My parents lived in Massachusetts and went there specifically to have me. My father wanted at least one of kids to be what he considers "a true Puerto Rican." Out of the eighteen kids I am the youngest. So I was the one that got the special treatment. I was in English classes for elementary and had Spanish classes as an extra class. He put me in Spanish dance class, he did all he could do to try to instill strong Spanish values. My mother was born and raised in New Jersey so she grew up with American values. So it was always easier to speak English and cook American food.

In our family we carry a moral responsibility to help each other out as needed, whether it is financially, physically due to poor health issues, or caring for each other's children. When they say it takes a village to raise children those are words we live by. Our family ties are very strong. We try to gather as much as possible. I personally go visit my mother almost every day. My family instills in their children that it is most important to respect adults. When we greet older family members we greet them with a "bendicion" meaning a blessing. It is a way of showing respect for your elders.

Families play a major role in our existence. For some families customs and traditions are what makes their family. For me culture and tradition play a very important role. Although we have adapted more to the Americanized way of living, my family makes it a point to keep our culture alive.

Everyone reaches their developmental milestones at their own time. My mother always told me I was a very intelligent baby. I reached my milestones very early, maybe because I was very small so it was easier to get around. I weighed just 6 ½ pounds when I was born. My mother says I fit in a shoe box. My mother was unsure of the first time I rolled over or started standing. But she's always told me that I started walking at nine months. As we grow older we go through a process called child development. Child development is defined as the discipline devoted to the understanding of all aspects of human development from birth to adolescence.

I was born in the 80's, which was when GI Joe figurines and Cabbage Patch kids were taking over the world. The pop culture of the 80's truly defined the era. We dealt with the cold war and the scandals like the Iran Contra Affair. Ironically I think the 80's was all about fun. The first computer was launched in 1981 by IBM and arcade and video games grew popularity. It was the beginning of the 9th decade of the 20the century.

Being the third child and having working parents I went into the toddler program at two years old. The toddler program is just like day care now it was just called that then. I remember going there and having a graduation when I completed the program. I have many memories of the toddler program. I remember having a best friend there and our moms dressed us alike for our graduation. My mom always said I had great long term memory because I always surprised her with the things that I remember from being a toddler. My mother and older sister volunteered at the program. So I grew used to the idea of them going to school with me.

As a toddler I can always remember watching Sesame Street and chispirin, a show on the Spanish channel. My dad used to lie on his back and lift me in the air with his feet. I was the baby so I always wanted to sleep with my mom and dad. I can remember when my uncle from next door passed away I was just four years old. It was a very difficult time for my family. When it was time for my dad to leave the home I would wrap my body around his leg so he wouldn't be able to move. I was daddy's little girl growing up that is my best childhood memory.

After my completion at the toddler program I attended a pre-school program at New North Elementary School. And later on went on to kindergarten at Brightwood Elementary. I will never forget the first day of kindergarten, I clenched on to my mom's leg and screamed and cried. The reason I never forgot that was because she reminded me every year after that I better not act that way again.

I always was always the smallest one in the crew. Being able to use that to my advantage at times was good but at times it wasn't so beneficial. I considered myself to be a late bloomer. Developing later on in life caused me to always look younger than I really am. I was always