Khalid Nassar – Week Three
Mrs. Nassar started to see a counselor long ago, and her
depression and ennui lifted somewhat. Khalid was now almost 4 years of age, and
he was starting pre-school at a local day care that also had a school. Khalid
was able to speak both Arabic and English. Khalid was often difficult for Mrs.
Nassar to handle, and Mr. Nassar was usually away on deliveries. In fact, Mr.
and Mrs. Nassar rarely saw one another. Mrs. Nassar hoped that the pre-school
would help Khalid.
* What are the major developmental milestones for a 44 month
old (Khalid is almost 4)? What should Khalid be doing physically, cognitively,
and emotionally at this point?
* What else is important for you to know about Khalid’s
family at this point? (Hint: Think about all that you don’t currently know
about the family that could be helpful for you with regard to demographic
information.)
*What are the major developmental milestones for a 44 month old (Khalid is almost 4)? What
ReplyDeleteshould Khalid be doing physically, cognitively, and emotionally at this point?
By the age of 44 months, Khalid should have a lot of his gross motor skills, fine motor skills, Social
and emotion skills as well as language, achieved if not perfected. As far as gross motor skills, he should
be able to stand on one leg, walk, run, jump on two feet, kick a ball, climb stairs with alternating feet and
peddle a tricycle (if taught by his parents). He should also have gained many skills for playing games at
daycare such as being able to kick a ball forward, throw a ball overhand, catch a bounced ball most of the
time, and move forward and backward with agility. Khalid should also be toilet trained at this point in his
development. Given he is attending preschool, and that many preschools require that the children are toilet
trained before they start school; Khalid should be able to use an adult toilet, and stay dry most nights. He
should also be at the point where he is starting to switch to standing rather than sitting (Baby Center,
2011).
As far as Khalid’s fine motor skills, he should be able to use an open cup or a Sippy cup,
have good handedness, as well as be able to undress himself (Dedrick, 2000). Other skills such as using a
fork or a spoon like an adult should be mastered along with brushing his teeth; granted he should still need
some help and supervision, to prevent missing spots and getting cavities, but overall he should be able to
mimic the activity well (Baby Center, 2011).
As far as social and emotional development at 44 months, Khalid should be at the point of
mastering the separation and independence milestone (Baby Center, 2011). Khalid should be self sufficient
in many routines at home, and he should be affectionate toward his parents. He should start negotiating
solutions to conflicts, and now be able to view himself as a whole person; involving body, mind, and
feelings. Khalid should be developing other friendships at his school, and be able to have communicate
with them. At this age, we could expect Khalid to be past associative play and well into being able to play
with his friends at school cooperatively instead of just associatively (Dedrick, 2000). He should be willing
and able to share with his friends at daycare and be imitating his parents in role play. Khalid should be
inventive in fantasy play, he might have an imaginary friend, imaginary fears of the dark or injury, and he
also might imagine that many unfamiliar images are “monsters.”
Lastly, when it comes to Khalid’s cognitive development and his language, we should be
able to expect Khalid’s speech to be intelligible enough for a stranger to understand. He should be using
phrases with at least 6 words and moving onto more challenging verb usage such as the irregular “s” in the
present tense (Baby Center, 2011). Khalid’s language abilities should also include using pronouns
appropriately, and being able to say his own name (Dedrick, 2000). Cognitively, Khalid should be able to
correctly name some colors and he should understand the concept of counting and know a few numbers.
He should have a better sense of time, be able to recall parts of a story, and understand the concept of
same and different. Children of this age should be engaging in a lot of fantasy play and typically approach
problems from a single point of view.
Baby Center (2011). What to Expect This Year: Social, Cognitive, and Physical Milestones: Ages 3
to 4. Retrieved from
http://www.babycenter.com/0_what-to-expect-this-year-social-cognitive-and-physical-miles_723
03.bc
Dedrick, C. (2000). Developmental Milestones. Retrieved from http://www.dbpeds.org/milestones.html
* What else is important for you to know about Khalid’s family at this point? (Hint: Think about all that you don’t currently know about the family that could be helpful for you with regard to demographic information.)
ReplyDeleteAt this point in time, we are aware that Mr. Nassar acts as the sole provider for the Nassar family. Driving a delivery truck may not be his ideal job, but he does what he has to do to get by and to support his family the best he can. He came to this country looking for the opportunity for a better life and he has continued to search for such. Living in a small house beside the projects is never what Mr. Nassar imagined for himself, his wife, or his children when he pictured their life together in the United States.
The size and location of the Nassar’s home indicates that they fall somewhere in the lower class. Supporting a family of six on one salary is not an easy task, however it seems to be enough that they family can get by day to day. Working as a delivery truck driver has gains beyond the income in which the family survives on, it allows for certain health benefits and coverage in the areas of medical, dental, vision, and prescription medications for Mr. Nasar incase he ever were need such. At the same time however, working as a delivery truck driver keeps Mr. Nassar far from home at times and leaves Mrs. Nassar to tend to the children majority of the time without her spouse to help and support her. This aspect of Mr. Nassar’s career causes additional stress in Mrs. Nassar’s life especially at times when Khalid is in a difficult state. Khalid’s behavior is in no way beneficial to Mrs. Nassar’s health and having to seek out professional help for her depression, this is an additional expense that the family does not necessarily have the means to afford.
Now that the children are all either attending school or day care it seems as though Mrs. Nassar may have the option changing her employment status. If Mrs. Nassar were to find a job during the hours her children were being looked after during the day, she could be another support and source of income. With her and her husband’s combined earnings they could progress and seek new possibilities for themselves and their family. If this were to occur the family could possibly move to a safer neighborhood or one where they would not be judged and or turned away based on their race or ethnicity. At this point however they have hopefully adjusted and found support from others who are in similar situations, new to the US and struggling at times to make ends meet.
We are unsure at this time if the Nassar family is the only Muslim family in vicinity. If Khalid and the other children lived close to other families that practiced their faith and honored the same traditions it may make them feel more welcome and at ease around their peers. If the children feel uncomfortable they may have developmental delays or poor social skills. Living by other Muslim families may also be an outlet for Mrs. Nassar. These families could be an outlet and provide her with support as she raises all the children while her husband works. If Mrs. Nassar found other Muslim families to confide in, her depression would likely subside. Feeling at home or connected to something is just what Mrs. Nassar and her family need after leaving their native country.
1.How will not having a father figure around effect Khalid and his behavior?
ReplyDelete2. Is the mother's depression causing Khalid to misbehave when his fathers not around? How will this effect his future behavior? When he reaches elementary school will his bad behavior continue in the classroom?