Merv had had a difficult childhood growing up in an economically poor family in Hawaii. Her father was an alcoholic, and her mother had been anxious, depressed, and preoccupied with her own troubles. Neither parent took adequate care of Merv or her six brothers and sisters. Mervs parents regularly fought and occasionally struck Merv and the other children. Food, shoes, clothing, and basic school supplies were scarce. Other parents in their neighborhood considered Merv and her siblings to be unworthy playmates for their own children (Werner & Smith, 2001). Remarkably, Merv beat the odds. By the time she reached her 40s, Merv was a productive, well-adjusted woman who worked as a parent educator and had been married since age 16 to a pretty neat guy . . . a schoolteacher (Werner & Smith, 2001, pp. 100101). Merv and her husband raised their seven children in a manner that was gentle, patient, and loving. Merv remained close to her own brothers and sisters. She led a happy, fulfilled life. Merv credited four childhood experiences with making her a strong and secure person. First of all, Merv had learned to work hard, as she described in this memory: As children, we took care of the yard, the house, the clothes, each other, and the cars. We did everything. My father cooked when there was something to cook, and my mother simply coped. . . . When things got rough, I learned to dig in my heels and say, How am I going to make this happen? versus This is too hard, I quit. (Werner & Smith, 2001, pp. 9596)a Second, Merv had caring and supportive people to guide and nurture her (Werner & Smith, 2001, p. 96). Merv thrived on care she received from her grandmother Kahaunaele. During Mervs visits to Kahaunaeles house, Kahaunaele showered Merv with love, bathed the girl, and combed the tangles out of her long hair. Love from her grandmother came to be supplemented with kindness from several teachers and school staff. Mervs principal once said to her, You are Hawaiian and you can be anything you choose to be (Werner & Smith, 2001, p. 98). Merv was forever grateful for these words of encouragement. Third, Merv received a good education. When she was 12 years old, she accepted an invitation to attend a prestigious school on another Hawaiian island. At the Kamehameha School, Merv was well cared for, academically and socially. Her life changed dramatically at age 16, however, when she became pregnant and was expelled from school for becoming an unwed mother. Merv married the father of her baby and was soon allowed to return when a school counselor went out on a major limb for her, having realized that she was not a bad student. She just made a mistake (Werner & Smith, 2001, p. 100). Finally, Merv learned to trust that there is goodness in the world. Merv saw hope as a vital quality for all young people and noted that inspiration is found in a variety of places: Somewhere, someplace down the line, somebody had taught me, There is somebody greater than us who loves you. And that is my hope and my belief. Whatever that translates for youa belief in God, a belief in a religion, a goal, a dream, something that we can hang on to. As adults, we need to give our young people hope and something to hang on to. As young people, we need to find our own. (Werner & Smith, 2001, p. 101) What basic need did Merv have that was fulfilled by her grandmother, siblings, and people outside her family? What do Mervs childhood experiences suggest about how teachers and other practitioners can contribute to childrens emotional development?
Use the order calculator below and get started! Contact our live support team for any assistance or inquiry.
[order_calculator]