Home and Family (Page 2)

birth

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Up till 70 or so years ago most births happened at home. This usually meant that the familiar village midwife would be approached some time in pregnancy and simply notified that she would be called during the time span of early or late in a particular month. No due date. Simply some time around…. ‘when the baby knocks, I’ll just open the door for him!’ When the baby did ‘knock’, there would usually be a couple of other experienced mothers in the house, obviously chosen by the mother herself. Husbands wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near. They know nothing about births. The trait in the maleRead More…

breastfeeding

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Lately a discussion arose on the Facebook group Women for Women (Malta) with regards to breastfeeding, where a woman claimed that while she is currently dealing with a separation, she discovered that breastfeeding her baby in court is not allowed. Other women confirmed that they had experienced the same situation, including a mother who had been chosen as a witness. She was not only denied permission to take her two month old breastfed baby with her, but also told that refusing to attend would cost her a hefty fine. It is absurd that in 2021 we are still denying basic needs to women and theirRead More…

migrant women living in malta

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“Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have hearts…” In May, mothers are celebrated across the world at different dates…But did you know that Mothers’ day was originally envisioned as a day of peace, to honor and support mothers who lost men of their families to the Civil War in the USA? The title above are the first words of the Mothers’ day Proclamation for Peace, written by social justice advocate and feminist Julia Ward Howe in 1870.  When this text was brought to my attention earlier this month, its purpose – bringing women of all nationalities together to bring peace toRead More…

positive pregnancy test

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From the moment those two lines appear on your positive pregnancy test, your life changes. Apart from a mix of emotions that can be even more heightened due to those increasingly raging pregnancy hormones, suddenly you find yourself anxious about the next steps you need to take, both for your pregnancy journey as well as for your baby. We at wham thought of making it simpler for you by compiling a list of all services available to women living in Malta and Gozo who have just got a positive pregnancy test. No matter what your personal situation is, you will definitely find services you canRead More…

Promoting Language and Literacy Development

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Communication, literacy and language skills are crucial in all aspects of life because they help initiate and maintain daily interactions. Literacy skills in particular are needed for writing and reading, and they include awareness of print and sounds of language, as well as the relationship between sounds and letters, vocabulary, understanding and spelling. This means that the development of these skills are indispensable milestones for young children, i.e. 0 – 7 years. Language development in children takes place when there is complex interaction between educators, guardians and their children. It helps if adults provide a literacy-rich environment and experiences to help with children’s literacy development.Read More…

fathers and online schooling

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Following the publication of an article I wrote a few days ago named Online Schooling in Malta and its Devastating Effects on Working Mothers, certain women reacted negatively to it, stating that the effects of online schooling is not just being felt by working mothers, but by all mothers as well as fathers. And they were right. As a writer I focused on the devastating effects on women, forgetting the many fathers that are actively involved in their own children’s upbringing on all levels, including their education, and for this I apologise. One particular father reached out to me in reaction to my previous article.Read More…

emergent curriculum

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The emergent curriculum is an organic teaching approach that helps in the development of young children. This approach, which is still relatively new and is constantly growing and evolving, is currently being introduced by teachers in the early childhood settings. The emergent curriculum promotes collaboration between children and educators, giving both a voice. Teachers are encouraged to build on the children’s likes and interests so as to promote responsiveness. In such settings, the educator takes on the role of a facilitator, observes what would be happening, and gives the children a chance for more discovery, deeper digging, and further knowledge construction by planning their activitiesRead More…

acknowledging children

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As a 2nd year University student following a degree to become an early years educator, I have learned a lot about the importance of acknowledgment. Acknowledging children and their efforts is both the educator’s and the parents’ or guardians’ responsibility, and it has numerous effects on the children’s development. We need to view the children’s efforts as valid and truthful, as well as honour and respect them. In this article we will be looking at how we can recognise opportunities in which we can acknowledge children, as well as the ‘acknowledgement language’, advantages, and what happens when the children’s efforts go unnoticed. Recognising opportunities toRead More…

you're the worst mum ever

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“You’re the worst mum ever!”, shouted my 6 year old angrily at me this morning, coincidentally on Valentine’s day. I must admit, as a mother I’ve always experienced that doubting voice inside my head whispering tauntingly, “are you really a good mum to your children?”. And whilst I believe I have been doing the best I can as a mother for almost 20 years, hearing those words still felt like a knife cutting right through my heart. See, my way of being a mother may somehow differ from the way other mothers follow in the upbringing of their children. Having become a mother at 18Read More…

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Santa was late this Christmas in delivering a gift to a 9 year old girl…yet thanks to Angela and Omar’s kindness and help, he still managed to make it right in time to deliver gifts and lots of happiness! Covid 19 might have ruined many people’s Christmas but there are always heart warming stories too. As I lay alone at home in quarantine and my husband upstairs in isolation, another message came in on my phone, most of them today have been to thank me or from friends to wish me a happy Christmas. This one was different. It said “I’m a single parent andRead More…