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Sleep
Because of Western Traditions, my parents were warned not to co-sleep with me because of the risk of SID's.Therefore, I slept in a crib in their room. According to my mom, my dad would wake up every hour to place his hand on my chest so that he knew that I was still breathing. They were also told to place me on my back whenever I was asleep as this was when the "BACK to Sleep" campaigned launched. (Sec. 4.2) -
Born
I was born in a hospital in Southern California via vaginal delivery. My mom opted out for a natural childbirth and rejected medical methods. To prepare her for the labor process she tool lamaze classes with my father so and they learned how to decrease anxiety and cope with the pain. (Sec. 3.2) -
Feeding
My Latino parents were strongly encouraged to strictly breast feed their children. According to our text, the rate of Latino parents who breast feed is higher (80%) within the U.S. (Sec. 3.5) -
First Food and Nutrition
I was given my first food at 4 months of age, as Latinos traditionally introduce foods earlier than what is recommended by doctors in the U.S. My first food was a mashed banana! Due to being a low-income family my mom applied for WIC benefits and was approved! (Sec. 4.2) -
First Steps!
I started to toddle around the house before my first birthday! Around 11 months. I wanted to be active like my sister and one day I just did it while trying to take a toy back that she took away. According to our text, children typically start walking without support at 11 months, but it can range from 9 - 17 months. (Sec. 5.3) -
First Words
By the time I was 13 months I was able to say a couple of words such as "mama", "papa", "agua"(water), "mas"(more), "no", "si", "hola" and along with a short version of my sisters name "cass". I used holophrases (single words) such as "agua"(water) which meant, "I would like to drink some water". (Sec. 5.4) -
Finger Injury!
When I was 4 year old we took a trip to Mexico to visit family. My sister and I were playing outside near the restroom(or outhouse) at my grandparents house. My sister accidentally slammed the metal door on my left index finger and it was hanging off. We were not being supervised and because of our age we were not able to anticipate dangerous situations. (Sec. 6.2) My finger then had to be sowed back on. -
Drawing
When I was 5 years old I grew an interest in drawing. I would draw my family members(mom, dad, sister and I) holding a bag of marshmallows. I would tell my mom about my drawing and she would help me add details; such as bows on the girls to distinguish gender. (Sec. 6.7) -
Parents Separate
My mom and dad would constantly fight and eventually my dad would just leave. At times it was just days, but sometimes it was weeks. My sister and I would see my mom cry so we would cry for dad too. We were able to understand her emotions and react the same. (Sec. 6.7) -
Overweight
When I was between 8 I started gaining more weight than normal. I was 4 ft 3 inch and weighed 78 lbs. I was in the 90th percentile and considered overweight. My mom started working and my dad was not around My mom would be too tired to cook dinner so we would get fast food. My sister and I would also watch more than 2 hours of T.V a day. According to our text, obesity/overweight rates for children in the U.S are higher in minority groups such as Latinos. (Sec. 7.2) -
Bad Grade
School was never my favorite. I was always distracted and would get picked on. I would not study for tests and never asked for help when I did not understand. I received a D on a math test in fourth grade (9-10 years old) and my mom grounded me and did not let me watch T.V. I did not want the punishment to reoccur so I study and finally spoke up when I needed help. (extrinsic motivation) (Sec. 7.5) -
Puberty Starts!
When I was 12 years old and in the sixth grade when I first started my menstrual cycle(menarche). Many of my friends got there's before I did. Our text states that there has been a decline in the timing of menarche in Western countries due to better nutrition and medical care. However, in developing countries the average age is 15 because of the lack of medical care and limited nutrition. (Sec. 8.1) -
Baby Brother
I was 13 years old when my brother was born and I was responsible for a lot of his care. As stated in our text,(Sec. 6.9) middle-childhood siblings care and teach their younger siblings. I admired him and still do, but feel responsible to be authoritative towards him if he is not behaving well. My mom will often call me to talk to him and give him advice. -
Teen Mom
I became pregnant with my first born when I was 16. I was a sophmore in high school and my boyfriend and I had only been dating for four months. According to our text, research shows that the effects of early maturation are negative for girls and they are at risk for numerous problems. I gave birth in the fall to a baby boy! (8.7) -
Moving Schools
When I became pregnant with my son, I decided that I did not want to continue attending at my current school. I looked into a program that was still apart of my High School, but I would meet with a teacher once a week on campus instead of going every day. I choose to do this because I began to think that I was the talk of the school(which I probably was). According to our text in the adolescence stage, the imaginary audience makes adolescents more self-conscious. (Sec. 8.3) -
First Job!
My first job was only for the holiday season at ToysR Us. I decided to work to help pay for my the things my son needed and for activities such as going to the movies or an indoor playground. According to our text, in this stage adolescents are valuable to potential workers because of their new physical, cognitive, and social abilities. (Sec. 8.4) -
Converting to Christianity
I was born to parents who practiced Catholicism. As my boyfriend(sons dad) and I grew closer together, my relationship with his family also grew. I would attend their church services and I finally decided to give my life to Christ at the age of 18. My mom was not happy with this, however, I did not see any problem as we would still worship the same God. I noticed a change in my behavior towards my life. According to our text religious adolescents report less depression. (Sec.8.6) -
Marriage and Family Drama
Once my boyfriend and I turned 18 we got married. We wanted our family to be one unit and he had already signed for the Army so it was the perfect timing. My sister and mother were not for it and tried to talk me out of it. I did not spend as much time with them anymore and we would have conflicts and arguments over that. (Sec. 8.7) -
Moved to Texas!
My husband had to report to his first duty station in Texas. We packed our things and moved our little family miles away from Southern California. I was 19 years old and in the age of instability. According to our text, residential change in American society are higher between the ages of 18-29. (Sec. 9.1) -
Second Baby!
I gave birth to my second baby, a girl! She was born in Washington State and I was 22. Although today, many wait to have children and get married until they are finished with school between the ages of 27-30,(sec. 9.1) this was not the case for me as I started off so early and we wanted our family to grow. -
Education
I decided to start my tertiary education right after high school and I attended a community college in Southern California. However, I took a break when we moved to Texas so I could focus on being a wife/mother. According to our text, tertiary education takes longer now than it did before due to many factors. I decided to pick up where I left off at the age of 24. (Sec. 9.5) -
Third Baby
We welcome our third baby the summer of 2018. I was 24 years old.
