Check out this great MSN video: 10 Most Habitable Alien Worlds

This has nothing to do with my cause, but it's something worth looking at. Enjoy! (and maybe think about packing your bags ;)

Check out this great MSN video: 10 Most Habitable Alien Worlds

Early Childhood Brain Insights: BRAIN INITIATIVE - WEEK #17

Early Childhood Brain Insights: BRAIN INITIATIVE - WEEK #17

Crucial Facts Re: Development of the Human Brain (critical/abuse)

When it comes to verbal abuse (any abuse for that matter) I cannot stress enough the significance it has, directly related to a childs base foundation, and or, key components that establish the adult. In college I had a course on the development of the human brain. What astounded me was something called 'Purging'. This is a cycle that which the brain, actually sets out to destroy any unnecessary cells, kind of like dusting out the cob webs. In other words, the brain recognizes cells that have been utilized more frequently through their 'constant use', and disregards, or destroys cells that are less needed.

Let's say for example, a child plays the piano or beats on a drum (has interest in music or rhythm) and let's say he does this frequently from baby on. The brain recognized those cells (used by the repeated program) as being 'necessary'--or 'used'. It homes in on those particular cells and protects them, giving them their own safe storage box so that they may continue to grow and be utilized. Now let's say, the child rarely engages in books, therefore the cells used for reading will be less necessary, and the brain will work to free up space thus, destroying the reading cells. It does this in order to provide for the growth and stimulation (through repetition/programming) of the more necessary cells, in this case being music.

Of course, I am breaking this down to simply 2 things (music and reading), but the brain is so complex it is' keeping and destroying' a whole lot more than that! Whatever is needed or recognized through constant usage, will be kept. This cleansing of the brain occurs 3 times within the human brain. Once during infancy. 2nd around age 10, and 3rd and final time when the brain reaches adulthood, generally between ages 19-25. This process is vital to the brains function. The bottom line, 'The brain is simply preparing itself for survival' It has no idea what the program is, it simply recognizes repeated programs and patterns, connects to them as necessary for survival, and rids itself from any extras that may hinder survival or cause weakness by overusage. Like a computer that runs slow because too many windows are open. To survive, it must strengthen itself---power up---close some windows!

For a child whose repeated program exists around, violence, verbal assault, criticism etc. (you get it) the brain homes in on these repeated events/or programs, considers them necessary (used a lot) keeps them, and purges let's say, hugs, smiles, adoration, love. The childs brain has no choice but to purge and it will only get rid of what's NOT being utilized. This deturmines the adult.

Each one of us, and who we are as adults is a direct result of our EXPERIENCES. This is a fact. This is why children can be so easily destroyed. Below you will find some additional information that I have pulled from Dr. Kenneth Wesson's website: ScienceMaster.com

I hope you find this informative. Just wait until I post about PUBERTY' That's another very interesting phase of development!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dr Kenneth Wesson @ ScienceMaster.com

Just as a blossoming young child goes through growth spurts, there seems to be a similar set of events occurring in the brain. The human brain appears to undergo surprisingly dramatic anatomical changes (fostering corresponding behavioral modifications) during seven key periods. 1. The first is the delicate brain-building and subsequent purging (where the least-used cells and circuits die out) processes, during the prenatal stages months. Prenatal substance exposure can trigger a disruption in any of these important early processes resulting in long term brain impairments (e.g., FAS- fetal alcohol syndrome and deficits caused by poor early nutrition). 2. Adjustments to a specific kind of environment drive the early postnatal brain alterations, during the first year of life. Here, important systems get switched on or not depending on the nature of the sensory input received from the environment. 3. Fine-tuning of skills takes place between the ages of three and six. Around 5 or 6, the brain has reached 90-95% of the average adult volume and is 4 times larger than it was at birth. These are the years when extensive internal re-wiring takes place in the frontal lobes (involving organizing actions, planning activities and focusing attention). 4. Between the approximate ages six and puberty, the parietal lobes begin to show a great amount activity. During this time, the skills for developing language and spatial relations reach their construction "peak." At the end of this period, the impressive growth and connecting rate falls off quickly. After puberty, mastering a new language becomes enormously challenging. 5. Immediately prior to puberty, another spurt in brain cell activity takes place in the frontal lobe (at age 12 in boys and a year earlier in girls). These neural construction projects are suddenly and strangely placed on hold and there is a substantial loss in the frontal lobes for a decade beginning in the mid-teen years. 6. Wholesale renovations take place during puberty and the teen years (hormonal changes, alterations in the body’s biochemistry, physical growth spurts, etc.). These massive changes are so incapacitating that there is now an increasing awareness of why teen-agers (along with chemotherapy patients) need to sleep longer, which more than justifies a later starting time for middle and high school students. 7. The last stage is adulthood, where (although the size of the brain remains the same) the trillions of connections in the brain continue to rearrange themselves constantly throughout our years as parents, workers, job-changers, spouses, etc. in our ongoing effort to adjust to our life, environment and circumstances. That the adult brain makes such neurophysiological changes is shattering many of the traditional assumptions about neural development in humans.

Baby Brain Thought

Baby Brain Thought

April 6, 2011 at 6:31 am: I wish my parents would have read this before I was born.

This comment was made by a blogger pertaining to a post on 
www.TheParentsZone.com
This is exactly what I am trying to stress: "PRE PARENTAL EDUCATION"
I have said it time and time again, that adults (parents, teachers, whom ever) just don't take this seriously. There is a serious problem involved when people have little concern, nor society for that matter, to bring this topic to light. It really needs to be driven home, and placed high on the standard list of public awareness. Bullying has been recognized and attempts are being made to stop it. However, this same tactic (bullying) is alive in American households each and everyday. Who is protecting the children from the badgering, critical abuse of their parents?? No one-------because this is not taken seriously. Nor is it demanded to be criminalized. Meaning, worthy of punishment either by fines, or in extreme cases jail. There are isolated cases in which, as result of a grizly violation of a child (severe abuse, mainly physical) does the mental abuse get exposed, but generally it takes a very bad situation for it to be brought to light.
We need to prevent it from the start.
I offer a simple solution. Contact me for further information.

Early Childhood Brain Insights: child abuse

Early Childhood Brain Insights: child abuse

INVESTING IN CHILDREN

INVESTING IN CHILDREN

The Power of Words

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Kony2012-----Must watch this!

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/37119711?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0&amp;color=d13030" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/37119711">KONY 2012</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/invisible">INVISIBLE CHILDREN</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

It's HOW You Say It! Choose your words carefully.

Focus criticism on your child’s actions rather than on the child herself. Instead of: You are so lazy! If you’d studied you would have passed that test! Try: You are clearly capable of getting an ‘A’ in this class, so it disappoints me that you didn’t put in the time preparing for the test.

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Respect-me R.U.L.E.S: Teaching little girls the difference between love ...: I found this blog today, and I really REALLY appreciate the sentiment behind it. You didn't thank me for punching you in the face I will w...

Respect-me R.U.L.E.S: French face jail for psychological abuse of partne...

Respect-me R.U.L.E.S: French face jail for psychological abuse of partne...: I love the French for putting in this law to stop verbal abuse. I think it will help change women's perception of how they "should" be treat...

I assume this includes children also. This is what we need in this country because there isn't much emphasis regarding the protection of children from this issue. I realize we are recognizing 'Bullying' which positively addresses 'verbal/psychological' mistreatment and it's effects (which I make reference to in this blog) but it doesn't necessarily address domestic situations. We (U.S) does recognize domestic violence--but you won't see a parent fined or jailed for verbal attack. You don't see many parents in court for bullying. This is why I push the issue re: KIDS. We need stiffer laws specific to this problem.