So recently I have decided that I need to widen my audience and to get 'the ear' so to speak of more people. Here I present you with The Male Childcarer's first video! Please watch so that I can explain how I am going to make this more entertaining and easier for all users to access and my opinions heard.
Also for those observant people you may have noticed that I have a new logo! Yes I sat down and made something pretty instead of using the background image all the time!. So here's a little snapshot of it!
So please keep checking for more from The Male Childcarer Blog! :
I've been doing some research into this topic in the last few weeks, and I now sit here at 6am on this Foggy Tuesday Morning to bring you my thoughts and findings. According to several sources many people are angered at Disney's newest film success "Frozen".
For those who don't know what Frozen is about or have yet to see the film, it is a Disney Computer Animated film set in a fictional kingdom on an island which relies on sea commerce to survive. There is a Monarchy in command of this small kingdom, one King and Queen and their two Princesses. One of the princesses has an unique magical power allowing her to control ice and water. This character is called Elsa and is the oldest daughter. When Elsa accidentally hits Anna her younger sister with her powers during play it is revealed that for Anna to survive the memories of Elsa's powers have to be removed and she should not know. This is due to a direct hit to Anna's head.
Therefore Elsa has to painfully isolate herself from her sister. Something which Anna (because her memories have been magically altered) doesn't understand. This lead to a song called "Do you want to build a snowman" which is about Anna's feeling of loneliness and not understanding why Elsa is hiding away. During that song however their parents the King and Queen go on a trip and the ship is lost in a storm. The video of "Do you want to build a snowman" is provided here on the left.
However several years down the line Elsa is still struggling to control her powers. This is because she hasn't had any guidance and has to control her emotions. It doesn't help that she has now come of age and is expected to take the throne and rule the kingdom. However on her coronation the stress and emotions get to her and after an argument with Anna she loses control of her power and exposes her powers. She runs away as she is rejected by her own people and the visiting powers set out to find her, with one leader wanting her dead due to her powers.
However not all is lost. Anna sets out to find her sister and meets a man who sells ice for a living. This mans name is Kritsoff and his best friend is his reindeer called Sven who has been his partner since he was a child. He helps Anna get to Elsa's new ice palace that she has created and convince her to come home. However during a conflict scene Elsa accidently hits Anna with her ice powers again, this time to the heart. The only cure for this is true love. Anna who is rushed back to the castle to find her true love (One of the visiting princes that she instantly got a crush on when they met, the whole 'love at first sight thing that Disney loves so much'). However this prince doesn't love her and plans to let Anna die, and kill Elsa and therefore take command of the Kingdom.
So Anna then realises that she loves someone, that being her sister. So after a great scene where Anna sacrifices herself to save Elsa. Elsa breaks down and starts to cry and therefore the love from Elsa thaws the now frozen Anna and saving her.
So that's the basic story. However for the last few weeks there has been several articles, even one published by the BBC stating that the film is all about encouraging children to be Lesbians and that Beastiality is accepted in society. Now before I start I am going to make this clear, I have often said and will always say this. I have no problem with what sexuality anyone is, whether that be Straight, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or other. I am in no way supporting these stupid claims which is ruining the magic of yet another good Disney movie.
One song in particular is scrutinized in detail from the movie. This song is called "Let it go" which is about Elsa running away, finding her own freedom and finally allowing herself to use her powers instead of hiding them. However the Article on the BBC Quotes a fellow Blogger, Kathryn Skaggs. She says: "The words to Let it Go are clearly not Christian-values friendly, by
any stretch of the imagination, when understood and heard. This is not
an innocent song, with a catchy tune. It is rebellious. It mocks moral
absolutes. It is careless. It is unaccountable. It is anti-obedience. It
is regardless. It is selfish. And if you still disagree, then by all
means, feel free to show me how I've misinterpreted the lyrics".
I have provided the video of "Let it go" on the right so that you can watch and listen to determine it for yourself. However I don't see this at all. This song is about Elsa being able to use her powers and not hide them anymore, something which has brought her great pain and isolation in her life. Personally I love this song, it represents freedom and it allows children to see that they have hidden powers that should be seen not hidden behind closed doors. Saying it doesn't have "Christian-values friendly" is a stupid way of describing this song. I'm not religious, but how does this song encourage children to "come out of the closet" and become Lesbians? I think that some people need to stop reading too far into this and need to simply sit and enjoy the movie.
However that is not all. It is said that the film also encourages Beastiality which is the act of having sexual relations or contact with animals. This is because Kristoff has a trusted partner of Sven his reindeer who he see's as his best friend. Honestly I think this is just pushing it too far. It is made clear in the story that Kristoff has grown up with Sven from an early age and they have been isolated together for many years. Its a classic story of a isolated boy growing up with an animal and they love and trust each other, what is wrong with that? Children grow up with their loved pets in their own homes, whether that be dogs, cats, rabbits etc. Just because they come home from school and their pet loves to see them and vice versa, does this mean that they are going to grow up and have sexual contact with them? No it doesn't!
I really do not understand people's fascination with this film saying that it has hidden homosexual agendas. Yes some Disney movies have hidden reasons within them, I'm not going to deny that at all. There are several hidden agendas in lots of the classic Disney Movies. However the moral of the story for Frozen is that true love doesn't have to just be from a man you've just met, but family have a special kind of love that can't be broken no matter what. I think that is a wonderful thing to have and for children to learn. A lot of children grow up and unfortunately don't understand that their family do and always will love them. Frozen shows children that no matter how much siblings, parents or other family members fight and argue they still love each other regardless. Please someone show me in any religious book where it says that love in a family is forbidden!
The scene which everyone is scrutinizing and in some cases, parents not allowing children to see is the one on the left. This is the scene where Anna sacrifices herself to save her sister and gets completely frozen from her frozen heart. This is where Elsa then realises that love can thaw a frozen heart and using the love she has for her sister, thaws the kingdom she accidentally froze.
If you watch the film its not about encouraging young girls to become Lesbians. Its about showing children that love is always around them and this helps them realise how special they are.
I want to just cover this point while I'm on the topic. If you do believe that Frozen is about encouraging children to become lesbians and accepting themselves, then what is your problem with it? I am going to be really blunt here and even though I am not religious I do not force any of my beliefs onto anyone, and neither should you. According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, children have a universal right to believe in what they want to believe and choose their own religion and sexuality without the pressures of anyone around them. So what is some children grow up to become Lesbians or anything else, it doesn't really matter. You should stop labeling them and by always taking things out of context, you're just doing more harm. Like I always say and will always make it crystal clear, I have no problem with Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Straights or otherwise. My policy is, if you respect me for who I am, I respect you and that's what everyone should do. So what does it matter? Why do some people always take things out of context?
To conclude this post. I do not believe that the Disney film Frozen has any intention of encouraging children to become Lesbians and slyly suggesting that Beastiality is acceptable. I honestly think that some people in this world need to come into the 21st century and see a film for what it is, a film. Just because its about the love and relationship between two sisters, doesn't mean that its about them being Lesbian. I will sit and argue the point until the cows come home, this is a great movie and I honestly thoroughly enjoyed it. The film has won countless awards and has meaning in it that allow children to understand that they are valued and loved regardless of family issues. Something which Disney recognises is a problem in the modern world. So thats my simple Analysis of Disney's Frozen and these stupid allegations against it, anyone who still believes this film is about encouraging children to become Lesbians, needs to honestly think about their actions and stop taking things out of context, its a Disney Childrens Film!
This remarkable video came up on my Facebook News Feed today and I was very moved by it. Its tells the wonderful story about a girl called Emily James who has beautiful long hair. However she has decided to have a hair cut and instead of throwing the excess hair away, she is donating it to children who have cancer and don't have their hair anymore.
To me this little girl represents the future of humanity. She has recognised that there are children that get sick with Cancer and due to their treatment lose their hair. This made Emily feel sad and made her do something about it. By contributing her hair to a charity that makes wigs for children affected by Cancer she is making a difference. She has also seen that having no hair can be upsetting for any child and they can go through very rough times and even be picked on by other children who don't know what the other child is going through.
Emily is one very generous and amazing child. At the age of three I as a childcare practitioner am amazed that such an act can come from someone so young and delicate. She is a true inspiration to us all and I just had to share this on my blog because I feel like she is setting a brilliant example for other children. She is selfless and caring and that's all that matters. Well done Emily, this caring and selfless act has touched many hearts and has really made my day!
I just read an article from the BBC explaining how the Uk's Department of Education is bringing across 60 Shanghai maths teachers to 'rise the standards' in the UK. They have developed this idea to open up new "Maths hubs" where you can go to improve your maths. All this came because children in China have better maths skills than English Children.
So, does the government actually know what they are doing? This sounds very childish to me. It seems like someone has been reading the test scores of other countries, noticed that Chinese children in Shanghai have better maths than us and simply gone "Oh, well they must have good Maths Teachers. Lets pay them to come over to us and teach us how its done shall we?"
To those that are teachers and work hard to teach Mathematics in any setting whether that be Nursery, Pre-School, Primary, Secondary or Higher its a little bit like being stabbed in the back. Plus its not going to solve the issue at all. There are some children in our country that need extra support to understand the subjects, however with government cuts we are unable to do this. Basically what is the point in cutting back funding for teaching in our English Schools, but then spending that on shipping teachers in from another country because children aren't doing too well in Maths?
If the Ministry of Education actually started to listen to the teachers they might actually learn that Maths is not an easy to subject to teach. It can be very tedious and it can be hard to grasp a firm understanding. Its hard to keep children motivated and focused on some Maths lesson because the standard they want taught are hard to teach without help. I know for example I was never good at Maths, and it wasn't until year 9/10 of Secondary School that I actually started to understand half of the formulas needed. (However it was all bloody algebra and there was more X's, Y's and Z's in Maths than numbers at GCSE, so of course I was going to get mixed up).
Plus not to mention all children learn at a different pace and stage. For example some children can pick up Maths really easy and be able to count and do sums easy, however some can really struggle. I really don't see how bringing over 60 foreign Maths teachers is going to even make a dent or do any difference whatsoever. The Chinese way of teaching is totally different from our methods.
From my module at University on International Perspectives and from my Lecturer and Class mate talking about their experience about the Chinese Education system it is totally different. The picture on the left is a photo taken of a standard Chinese Primary School Classroom during a lesson. From what I understand Chinese children will sit at those desks and learn independantly whether they understand or not. There will be one teacher for all the children in the class and hardly any teaching assistants. It looks like something you would expect to see in an old American or Japanese Childrens Cartoon. However this is how it works over in China. Also Chinese children are put under a lot of pressure to learn. We have to remember that their government and education system is not about being free and developing as they should, its about passing hard tests and not failing as a citizen of the country. Chinese children are taught for long hours and are lectured to and they are expected to know this. Our Education system is based on the children having a better development holistically and allowing them to cherish and grow. We don't necessarily call them a failure to Society because at age Ten they can't work out what 97x46 is. (Which is 4462 by the way)
The Department for Education NEED to stop coming up with stupid and ridiculous ways of bettering our education system. Instead of shipping over 60 random Maths teachers from Shanghai and coming up with a program thats only going to affect a small area of the country. How about they simply give the teachers what they want, more support and funding so they can support children struggling with Maths in their classrooms. There have been countless times I've seen teachers understand that they have children struggling with subjects and want to help them but just can't because the school can't afford to hire someone to come in even part time to assist them. The funding for Education has dropped over the recent years since the Coalition Government came to power. Do they really not expect some things to change?
Personally I am rather offended and annoyed that the Department for Education have basically said that our teaching isn't good enough so they are going to get someone else, from another country no less to do it for us. To me thats just going to piss teachers off and not provide any motivation anymore. Afterall if we're not doing it right, why should we when clearly the Chinese teachers can do it better? Oh, but maybe if they actually let us have the funding and support needed to actually do the job correctly?
So yeah. Thats basically it, I can't believe this is happening and to me the Department for Education is just coming up with yet more stupid and down right awful decisions. I feel sorry for the generation of children that have to go through this.
Last Friday we had to create a poster for our lecture, or as our lecturer called it "A graphic organiser". Well it was for a creativity lecture, so I went all creative on it and ended up drawing Azusa from my one of my favorite anime and manga Series K-on (Featured on the right). She was holding her guitar and the information was dotted around her in musical notes. Well of course my lecturer thought this was fantastic, and throughout the break she then threw some very difficult questions at me about anime and manga.
According to my lecturer she watched a program on television which was all about how Japan's birthrate was dropping because middle aged men were all too involved in anime about teenage girls. This of course shocked me, but then again somehow it didn't really surprise me. The one thing I did make it clear to her was that Japan was a totally different culture and out ideologies and society wouldn't function over there. Anime and Manga is a huge part of the Japanese culture and is expanding past their borders and has been adapting itself into other countrie's socities.
However because this is a childcare blog, I have to relate it somehow to that don't I? Well I have some very perfect links. Anime and Manga is not just aimed at the older teenagers. Infact it has many genre's just as our fiction does, and even though it does seem to have the odd obsession with the female endowments, it only seems to tell the truth. Most people that you could bump into the street would pick up a Manga book, see that it has one or two lines about one character commenting on how another character's breasts look bigger than they were yesterday and their automatic reaction is to believe it is some form of hentai.
For those who don't know, hentai is the Japanese word for 'pervert' and is a genre of Japanese Manga and Anime pornography. I wouldn't Google it if I were you, unless of course you're into that sort of thing.
But one thing I have come across is that I have found Manga and Anime a great tool in the past for children. Japanese children read Manga from being able to walk and they are much better readers than we are. The one thing that makes Manga different is that the pictures are high quality and it allows children to easily identify what is actually happening. If you look at a Manga book that hasn't been translated into English or the language that you speak you can easily work out what is going on and have a rough idea what the characters are saying to one another.
So why don't we have that in Western Culture? I'm not saying give five year olds Manga that is set in high school and is about high school clubs and activities. Obviously you'd keep it age specific. However when you look at the reading material's that children are expected to learn from in 2014, they can't hold a candle to what Japanese children are reading. For example, on the left is a page from an Oxford Reading Tree book about "The Magic Key". A key which takes the children on wild adventures. My analysis of this page shows that there is not a lot going on in the pictures. Can you really tell that Chip is saying goodbye and thankyou, and that the pirated don't want them to go? Not to mention the illustrations lack any sense of adventure and action which children nowadays want and which keep them interested into the story. Would you really want to turn this page over and continue? Would you be interested in seeing what happens next? I know I wouldn't.
So now on the right I have put in a picture of a page from a Manga Called "Shugo Chara" which is about a girl in a Japanese Elementary School who has 3 magical character's called "Guardian Characters" which each represent who she wants to be in her heart. In this scene she has found an old observatory whilst looking for a lost friend and has decided to go inside. Typical Manga is printed in greyscale to allow for more emotion in the pictures, however you do get some in colour. You can clearly see the character's expression and worry on her face and you can see what is happening in the pictures alone. Anyone reading this would find it easy to estimate what was happening from just the pictures alone, not to mention even though it is simply entering a building, it has a sense of adventures and makes people want to turn the next page. Captivating an audience and keeping them held into the story. The whole idea of "I never put this book down".
This type of reading material is much more modern and to me is more suited for children on the 21st century. We are living in a world where the media has a firm grasp on children's childhood. There probably isn't one child living in the UK that hasn't heard of Peppa Pig, Ben 10, Thomas the Tank Engine or Bob the Builder. It is through the television and cartoons that children are captivated. A fact for those parents out there, did you know that Ben 10 (Which if you have a child, you've probably had to sit through the torture of) was influenced by Japanese Anime and Manga, hence why the character's have the 'Manga Eyes' that people associate with Japanese Mange and Anime.
If age appropriate Manga was selected for children's reading, I believe they would find it much easier to read. Not only do the illustrations allow children to physically see whats happening and associate the pictures with the text but it is in a modern format which children can correspond to. I know that the hardcore teachers will be like "No, this isn't literature, it should be Great Expectation and Romeo and Juliet that they read first" but I do honestly believe that those types of literature are not the best in the modern changing world.
Children change and evolve with society and so has entertainment. A hundred years ago children would have had books with no pictures in. Then illustrations came along and made it better. Then comic strips became comic books and they took off like a storm. Manga was created across the other side of the world and it has evolved with the times. You will see more children reading comics or magazines now than sitting down with a copy of War and Peace. So why can't we make it part of the curriculum and allow children to get what THEY want out of THEIR reading? I believe that we should allow children to read Manga or Comics, its far more interesting than the Oxford Reading Tree's materials.
So thats my thoughts on Manga when it comes down to children. This is one of the many points I couldn't get my lecturer to understand at all... she was definately old school. I personally believe this is the way forward and any future children of mine will be allowed to read what they want within reason and as long as it is appropriate for the reading level. And seriously, don't Google hentai. I'm not being responsible for anything you may find...
Yesterday it was Valentines Day, and I had a lecture in the afternoon. Yesterday was Friday and to me it was a normal working day, it wasn't the half term holidays in my area and as far as I am aware there wasn't any schools on training days. So, how come when I walked into McDonalds to grab a cheeseburger for lunch I saw so many school aged children?
There must be a few people out there that pass children that are clearly school aged in the street at random times in the day and thought "Wait, why are they not in school?". I seem to be doing it more and more often since I went into the career of childcare. Back when I was a child if I has a day off school because I was sick, then it was a case of staying in bed, watching the Powerpuff Girls, Johnny Bravo and Scooby Doo on Cartoon Network, eating soup and getting better for the next day. I wouldn't be taken to McDonalds for lunch, or being treated to new clothes. So why everyday I walk up the high street during the week do I always see at least ten school aged children with parnts or grandparents?
Seriously, does your child's education not matter to you? I see it all the time and frankly it annoys me. Now I know that there are children out there that do attend special schools and every school timetable is different, but the children I am on about are the ones that look like any average school child. I've even seen them dressed in full school uniform before as if they've just come out of school, or were on the way to school and happened to forget to actually attend.
As a training teacher, I can not understand how parents can keep their children off school claiming they are ill and then somehow find themselves at McDonalds or at the children's play area. Am I just being old fashioned in that if you were well enough to eat at McDonalds or play out, then you are well enough to go to school? Do we have a generation of parents who just don't know when to say "no"?
I know that parents love their children, but there should be a limit to what you let them get away with. And to those parents out there that seriously think "oh, its just one day, what harm can it do?" then I say right now that you have no idea. At GCSE level, if a student misses one day of school then it can lead to a whole grade's difference in their overall GCSE results. Can you honestly say that you would rather your child have a D in maths instead of a C because they claimed to have an Ear Ache and you wanted to treat them to McDonalds?
Now I understand having young children out of school at certain times as some childcare settings only provide half days and youo might have to go shopping around your work shifts. Thats perfectly fine, I'm talking about when you see parents with a child which looks around the age of nine or ten years old and they are having a laugh and having time together. I'm sorry, but isn't that what weekends are for? Teachers and childcare practitioners do not work their arses off to give your child a good education and provide the best possible care they can for them, just for you to take your child away and sit in McDonalds thoring a 'sicky'.
I feel very strong against this issue that I have observed. I think that parents who knowingly take their children out of school on mandatory school days should face the consequences. Truant officers are never seen in shopping areas or on high streets anymore. But if they were I bet that most schools would be seeing more and more 100% attendance in their classrooms. Its one of those delicate issues, I would sometimes like to challenge those parents whose child is with them and not in school and ask why, but unforuntely we are living in the society of "I know whats best for my child and not you". Well in this case, I strongly believe that all children that are physically able to attend school should do so and being treated to McDonalds and happily skipping around Tesco is not accpetable when you're meant to be sick.
Ok, I'll leave this rant here. I'm just fed up of seeing parents allowing children to truant from school and then actively letting them do what the hell they like in public.
Well a lot has happened since I last posted. Mainly I've been very busy with university work,
however today I had 2 nice surprises. First of all my morning lecture was cancelled due to my lecturer being ill, I hope she recovers soon as it's not like her to take a day off. The second if getting my first ever Valentines card through the post. Yes thats right in the 21 years I've been on this planet I've finally got one, and it actually kind of scared me yet made me smile. (Mainly because I have no idea who its from, and it was posted so said person has my address.... still to work out who its from..).
But anyways, because it is Valentines Day, I thought I'd looking into the side of what love actually is. I'm going to link this into my usual topics of course and look at something which has become a modern issue in the modern world and that is relationships and children.
There are many relationships in the world, from marriage, to civil partnerships to just simple living together. First of all, just to make it crystal clear before I continue. I have no issue with any type of relationship whatsoever. I am not biased towards any particular relationship. However when it comes to children at home I do strongly believe that a relationship between two parents is needed. Children from families that do not have parents who love each other or love them do not fare well in their life.
For example it can be complicated when children are involved in a divorce. It is even worse when their parents don't get on and constantly argue. I know from personal experience that this never fares well and that it can lead to big complications in any child's holistic and social development. When one parents tells a child one thing and the other parents tells the child the opposite it is confusing and can often be hard for the child to determine which is right. I found it hard which side to side with as a child. I never knew if I should do what my father said, or do what my mother said. When I was younger my parents didn't speak after their divorce, and as far as I ama ware they still do not speak now. Most of the vital communication and issues were relayed through my grandparents as they were 'neutral ground' and I often felt like I was shunted between parents like a railway truck that needed putting into a siding on a night.
But anyways, the one thing I just wanted to outline in this entry is that no matter if you are a single parents, married, divorced or living with your boyfriend or girlfriend. The children you have or may have are important and they need love to cherish and prosper. Ensure that you know that you love them no matter what and even if their mummy or daddy leaves, that they still love them and its not their fault. There are a lot of children out there who's parents divorce and they think that its their fault that one of their parents have left. This can make any child feel lonely and shatter their self-esteem. The truth is, it is never their fault. Relationships can sometimes fail, but if there are children you should always lets them know that both parents love them unconditionally and regardless of any circumstances.
Also, if a relationship does breakdown or fail and custody of children is divided in any way or precentage then it is vital that the parents or guardians of the child co-operate with each other. There has been many cases that I've seen and heard about where the child has no idea whether mummy or daddy is picking them up from school and they have no idea which house they are going home to. Remember that schools, nurseries and after-school clubs are not there to act as a 'hand over' service to your ex partner. Also when it comes to the child's health, well-being and even parents evenings. Go together and act civil. Just because you broke up doesn't mean you are worst enemies. Parents with children who are no longer together should come together when their child needs them to be and be the parents you should be.
To sum it up, to all parents out there. Let your children know you love them, in your own way. Even if those children are from a previous relationship and be a decent human being. Don't let them see you argue or bicker with your ex-partner and when they need you be there and show the love you have for them.
Also for those observant people you may have noticed that I have a new logo! Yes I sat down and made something pretty instead of using the background image all the time!. So here's a little snapshot of it!
