Kids are incredible, in any country, they continue to amaze me with the life and energy that never seems to run out with them. In any situation they could be crying one minute and the next be completely taken by happiness. They are not so easily brought down by the normalities of life that often gets us adults down for a whole day, a whole week. During my time in the Dominican Republic I had the opportunity of working in two different workplaces with two very different groups of kids, a pediatric clinic and a school. And in both places of work I was able to see the range of personalities, emotions that a child can feel between 10 minutes to 4 hours.
Babies in the pediatric clinic, although small can display a sense of intelligent understanding just by their observation of everything going around them. They know when their mother is leaving them to play them on the scale to be weighed, they acknowledge when a stethoscope is too cold on their skin, and they recognize the depths and gentleness of a doctor nurses voice. They will look at anything, and you can see how much they are actually learning about the world in the matter of just a few seconds. They know nothing about their living situation, their illness, what’s going on politically in the world they were born into, all they know is what is in that present moment. It is something so pure but also important to really capitalize on. Communication with your baby even when they can’t talk is one of the most important things to do. In the Dominican Republic, I don’t see a lack of this as there often is in America. I think in the United States, many people are preoccupied with work, their cellphones, TV, video games, etc. and although in the DR there still are these things, mothers are consistently attentive to their kids.
As you can imagine kids in a classroom undergo a complete range of activity levels throughout the day. If you add the factor that some of them also have cases of ADHD, autism, down syndrome, and other developmental disorders, you can imagine the amount of energy that can be found. My time at the Mama Elba School for Special Students, was never boring. Every day being presented with a new challenge, a new success, it was exciting. But the best part was witnessing everything the students would experience within a short four-hour school day. Happiness to be reunited with their friends, excitement to play during their free time, frustration to have to sit down and learn math skills, and admiration as they learn about germs, teeth, healthy foods. There consistent excitement for every new approaching activity really helped myself keep my energy up even when I was drained from the jet lag and total work of the hours previous.
A childhood in the Dominican Republic is very different than the childhood. Not only are they raised differently, but their excursions their playtime is mainly spent running around in empty dirt alleyways and with baseballs and basketballs. Video Games and cellphones are of course a part of their life as well, but not so much as it is here. Past 6 o'clock it isn’t uncommon to see a whole mob of kids surrounded around a single basketball hoop rather than surrounded a TV. It was refreshing.
Babies in the pediatric clinic, although small can display a sense of intelligent understanding just by their observation of everything going around them. They know when their mother is leaving them to play them on the scale to be weighed, they acknowledge when a stethoscope is too cold on their skin, and they recognize the depths and gentleness of a doctor nurses voice. They will look at anything, and you can see how much they are actually learning about the world in the matter of just a few seconds. They know nothing about their living situation, their illness, what’s going on politically in the world they were born into, all they know is what is in that present moment. It is something so pure but also important to really capitalize on. Communication with your baby even when they can’t talk is one of the most important things to do. In the Dominican Republic, I don’t see a lack of this as there often is in America. I think in the United States, many people are preoccupied with work, their cellphones, TV, video games, etc. and although in the DR there still are these things, mothers are consistently attentive to their kids.
As you can imagine kids in a classroom undergo a complete range of activity levels throughout the day. If you add the factor that some of them also have cases of ADHD, autism, down syndrome, and other developmental disorders, you can imagine the amount of energy that can be found. My time at the Mama Elba School for Special Students, was never boring. Every day being presented with a new challenge, a new success, it was exciting. But the best part was witnessing everything the students would experience within a short four-hour school day. Happiness to be reunited with their friends, excitement to play during their free time, frustration to have to sit down and learn math skills, and admiration as they learn about germs, teeth, healthy foods. There consistent excitement for every new approaching activity really helped myself keep my energy up even when I was drained from the jet lag and total work of the hours previous.
A childhood in the Dominican Republic is very different than the childhood. Not only are they raised differently, but their excursions their playtime is mainly spent running around in empty dirt alleyways and with baseballs and basketballs. Video Games and cellphones are of course a part of their life as well, but not so much as it is here. Past 6 o'clock it isn’t uncommon to see a whole mob of kids surrounded around a single basketball hoop rather than surrounded a TV. It was refreshing.
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