Child Care and Observing Troys Behavior - Essay Example

Baby Michelle smilingly looks at Michelle, thinking she was responding to the cartoon character being flashed on the screen. “You like that, huh, baby! What’s your favorite bear!” Baby Michelle looks at Betsy pleadingly and looks at the ball, from one to another and back. Michelle does not notice, her attention glued to the show while narrating to Michelle what is happening to the bear. She gets surprised when the baby shrieks and begins to cry.

Do you think the caregiver’s response was appropriate or inappropriate?
I think the caregiver’s response was inappropriate as she was not able to meet the baby’s needs.

Is there any way that you would have changed the response to make it more appropriate?
Yes. Betsy could have focused more on the baby she was caring for by really finding out why she suddenly made sounds when she was quiet all along. Observing her non-verbal behavior like following her gaze will help her understand what the baby is trying to communicate.

List what needs/communications were being conveyed by the infant.
Baby Michelle was trying to tell her caregiver that she needed her ball back. The fact that she was helpless in getting it, being unable to stand up on her own, go over her playpen and pick up the toy herself means she needed someone else to do it for her. Her caregiver misunderstood her cues, thinking the baby reacted to an adorable television character, thereby making the sounds. Baby got frustrated when her caregiver was not able to read her cues so she began to cry.

Incident 2: Eleven-month-old Baby Troy heard some children laughing and playing outside his window. When he looked, he saw them playing ball. When his caregiver, Cynthia, walked near, Baby Troy said “Boh”, and started lifting up his arms while shifting his gaze from Cynthia to the children outside. Cynthia says, “Oh, you want a ball? Here you go!” Cynthia gives Troy his favorite red ball, but Troy shoved it away and continued to raise his arms to Cynthia. Cynthia picked up the ball and when she stood up, Baby Troy was upset as he began to cry.

Do you think the caregiver’s response was appropriate or inappropriate?
No matter how good her intentions were, Cynthia’s response was not appropriate because she failed to understand Troy’s cues, so his need was not met.

Is there any way that you would have changed the response to make it more appropriate?
Observing Troy’s behavior more closely before he said “Boh” would have helped Cynthia understand his cues better. She failed to see Troy’s shifting gaze and his cue to be carried outside and automatically interpreted his verbalization to mean he wanted his ball. When Troy shoved the ball away and continued to raise his arms to her, Cynthia could have tried another response by picking him up and searching for more cues, abandoning the idea that Troy wanted his ball.

List what needs/communications were being conveyed by the infant.
Baby Troy saw the laughing children outside his window playing with a ball. He said “Boh” to identify the toy that caught his attention. The sight of the children having fun excited him, making him want to go out to play with them. An opportunity came when his caregiver, Cynthia walked by, so he raised his arms for her to pick him up so he can be brought outside to play with the children.

Incident 3: Eleven-month-old Baby Justin awkwardly toddled towards the mirror. He stared at his reflection, amused that it followed all the actions he did. His caregiver, Nancy, approached him smilingly and knelt beside him, pointing to each body part of Justin while both of them are looking at the mirror. “Here’s Justin’s nose and Justin’s mouth, and Justin’s eyes (pointing to the baby’s nose, mouth, eyes, etc.). All the while, Justin listens to her, awed.

Do you think the caregiver’s response was appropriate or inappropriate?
Yes, Nancy’s response was appropriate, as she took advantage of the “teachable moment” when Justin himself approached his reflection, curious at how his body looked. Nancy knelt down beside the standing baby to be nearer him and to be able to touch the body parts he wanted Justin to learn. Baby Justin was curious why the mirror followed everything he did, even his awkward attempts at walking. Up close, he discovered all the details of his body and was curious who or what this creature was, staring back at him. The swift response of his caregiver was very welcome at that precise moment. Read More