Research that Benefits Children and Families

When I was expecting my first child I received  the book" What to expect when you are expecting".  I didn't think that I would read it, but finally picked the book up to read it.  What was helpful for my family was to find out there are many different ways that women experience pregnancy.  We had a great time comparing what I was going through and what other women had gone through.  I had friends that were expecting at the same time and we would search for the stories that were like ours.  I think it helped us to have healthy children and a healthy attitude about the whole experience.  Pooling many experiences of different people can be a good thing,  sharing what to expect and how to handle different things as they come along is very helpful.  We all probably spent a little less time on the phone and in the doctor's office knowing what we were going through was not an unusual   

Personal Research Journey

My topic of simulation is developing social skills of young children.  When I look at children I see that they are many things, especially when you see them with their families.  you see that they got this trait from this person or another.  You may ask do you know who that is like?  When I look over my family ( this time meaning sisters and brothers, aunts, uncles, etc.) I wonder where certain personality traits come from.  My sister sometimes laughs like my Grandmother who she probably has little memories of( she also has feet like her). we often say you are like this person or another and this course has made me see that who we present to the world is a true summation of all that we come into contact with in some form or another. Then we go to school and we are subject to the view and the power of a teacher.  A teacher can make a great powerful positive influence on a child's life or a great negative influence on a child's life.  But does that teacher see that the child is a combination of many things and many influences including their own?

I guess I have to put on my big girl panties and face the issues of picking a topic this week to reflect on as a simulation.  I have and am still afraid that I am going to get off track in doing research for this project.  The choice of topic has overshadowed the issue of what method I will have to use. I guess that is for another day. 

Have  any of you run across any studies that may talk about how the order of a child's birth influence how they develop?