LOTS OF LIFE: You are expecting your first baby
PAPER 1 (1-2 Pages)
LOTS OF LIFE: You are expecting your first baby and are thinking about sleeping arrangements. You have heard of the concept of “the family bed” and are considering having the baby sleep with you and your spouse.
You are expecting your first child and are interested in breastfeeding your baby. You would also like to return to work relatively soon. You have to decide how valuable breastfeeding is and whether you can work and breastfeed.
Your 12-year-old step-daughter tells you that you are not her real mother (or father) and can’t tell her what to do.
You are extremely concerned because your 11-year-old son has been suspended from school numerous times for fighting. He just can’t seem to get along with other children.
You and your spouse have just decided to divorce. Your 7-year-old is very upset about this change.
Your parents were over for dinner the other night. Your 6-year-old did not want to eat the beans you served, or the fish. Your parents said that you should have insisted that he/she should have had some, and that you should insist on this as a regular practice in your home.
Your 9-year-old is frequently sad and feels that nobody likes him/her. A friend has just suggested that maybe he/she is suffering from childhood depression.
Your daughter is having a great deal of difficulty in school. You think she may have learning disabilities. You would like to get the school system to evaluate her and help plan a program for her.
Your 2-year-old has not begun speaking yet.
Your 6-year-old still wets the bed almost every night.
Your 6-year-old has just been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Your 9-year-old daughter has begun menstruating and you are concerned about the effects of early puberty on her social development.
Your children are all adults and have moved out of the family home. Your youngest daughter is 24, a single parent, and has just asked to move back into your home because she has been laid off at work.
Your five-year-old’s birthday is just one month before the age cut-off for kindergarten. You are considering having him/her start school a year later.
Your son/daughter has always struggled with school. Your third grader’s teacher has just suggested that he/she repeat the third grade.
Your 12-year-old daughter who has never had a weight or eating problem is now worrying that she is too fat. The mother of one of her friends has just told you that she thinks your daughter may be bulimic.
You have noticed behavioral changes in your 14-year-old and are concerned that he/she may be using drugs or alcohol.
You are expecting your first child. You and your spouse are beginning the search for good daycare.
You are considering home-schooling your child. You need to get enough information to actually start home-schooling your child.
Your 14-year-old daughter accidentally leaves her purse open in the family room and you see a package of birth-control pills.
You have discovered that your 12-year-old has been downloading and viewing pornography on the Internet.
Your 16-year-old has decided to go on a diet. While you want your child to be healthy, you notice that s/he frequently skips meals, exercises 3-4 times daily, and refers to herself/himself as “fat”.
While putting away laundry, you find a box of condoms in your 15-year-old’s room.
Your 17-year-old brings her/his friends to the house frequently. You notice that many of these friends are openly homosexual.
It is February. Your 18-year-old, who is graduating in May, has not completed any college applications or expressed any plans for life after high school.
You overhear a conversation your 14-year-old is having and every other word out of his/her mouth is profanity.
You find a bottle of vodka under your 18-year-old’s bed.
Your 16 year old comes into the house after attending a party, smelling of cigarettes and marijuana.
Your 15-year-old is student council president, captain of the lacrosse team, plays the piano, teaches Sunday school, volunteers at the local soup kitchen, is taking 5 Advanced Placement courses, and is a member of National Honor Society.
Your 18-year-old insists on marrying his/her high school sweetheart at graduation, although receiving several full scholarships to various colleges, as well as several promising internships. In addition, the sweetheart is a LOSER!
Your 17-year-old announces that s/he is about to become a parent.
You and your spouse do not agree about whether parents can argue in front of their children.
Choose one of the Lot of Life scenarios. You should elaborate on the scenario by writing a letter to a relative or close friend or a diary/journal entry from the perspective of a parent writing about his or her child. Your letter/diary should explain what happened in detail, identify the issues you will need to consider and research in coming up with a solution, and a plan of action for how you will deal with the situation.
Please follow the APA style guide for in-text citation and references:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_style_introduction.html
When citing research findings, please paraphrase rather than use direct quote. For how to paraphrase, please see: https://www.umuc.edu/current-students/learning-resources/writing-center/online-guide-to-writing/tutorial/chapter5/ch5-10.html
Your paper should have a cover sheet that lists your name, the BEHS 343 section number, and the scenario you have chosen. Your paper should be double spaced and use a standard font (e.g. Times New Roman, 12 pt).
Sample Paper
Part 1
Dear Mom and Dad,
I am writing to you with so much joy, and enthusiasm as my partner and I are looking forward to welcoming our daughter. I feel bad that we had to relocate when your presence would have been greatly appreciated. We have made preparations and various adjustments as we wait for our bundle of joy. We have encountered a dilemma in deciding on the most appropriate sleeping arrangements for the child. We want her to be safe and ensure that we spend every moment with her. As parents to three children, I felt you are in a better position to offer sound advice. I would love mom to offer her view on the best arrangements based on her experience as a working mom as work might be tiring. Dad, your insight on how to offer the necessary support will also be appreciated.
We have come across the controversy on co-sleeping or “the family bed.’ Our initial decision was to share our bed with our child as we viewed the option to be more appropriate, especially for breastfeeding and the child’s easy monitoring during the night. We consider the arrangement more appropriate to reduce the possibility of the child crying too much, and since we both sleep heavily, it may be challenging to offer a quick response. We have done extensive research on the benefits and the possible risks of bed-sharing, especially for infants below four months. We would love to hear your views based on your experience. Some of the concerns we have to include the chances of our daughter being too dependent on us, the chances of hurting our kids, whether there will be changes in our sleeping habits once the child arrives, will the arrangement be convenient for the child and us too, and anything else you feel that might be important for us to know.
Based on the extensive research we have conducted, we have confidence about our choice for the sleeping arrangements, especially because the major factors that increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), which is the major reason behind discouraging bed-sharing, are modifiable. Our daughter will not be exposed to SIDS due to alcoholism, drug abuse, or even smoking. We have reviewed ourselves, and we can confidently say that we have the capacity to implement the recommendations by the AAP on how to create a safe sleeping environment. Our bed is spacious enough to reduce the risk of the infant falling or sustaining other injuries. We have reviewed various benefits of bed-sharing with our daughter, including the ability to bond with the child, building trust, and the long-term impacts such as higher self-esteem, better emotional outcomes, and social skills (Young & Shipstone, 2018).
The extensive research, however, was not conclusive as the emphasis was on parents having to make an appropriate choice based on their needs. We would appreciate your views on the issue. We believe that cos-sleeping is the most natural and healthy sleeping arrangement until the baby reaches one and a half years, then we can try room sharing. Your suggestions will be highly appreciated. We are looking forward to your feedback.
