Passionate about helping children living in poverty. I am a children's book author & social worker. Proverbs 16:24
Author: crinamorpho
Hello,
I am Crina Andreea, born in Romania, moved to London in 2018.
I love working with vulnerable kids and their families.
Focusing on education, parenting, mental health, wellbeing, and improving the lives of children living in poverty.
Raised as a child in a disadvantaged family, this is what made me stronger in this unfair world. Sharing my experiences to encourage young people to believe in themselves is what I love doing.
Are you a busy parent, or do you love your job, or both?
Well, when a baby comes into your life, how do you organise yourself to be a Mom/Dad and still working?
I think is really challenging, as in UK for example, you only are entitle to 1 year of maternity leave. I am trying to walk in these parents shoes, the ones that bring their 8 months old baby to the nursery so they can go to work and gain more money. I will NEVER be able to leave my baby in a childcare setting, pay over £10,000 a year for the day care and at the end of the day spend 1 hour with my baby, before they fell asleep, sounds like a nightmare!
I am aware of the babies development, especially in the early years, the parents needs to be part of their growing, exploring and enjoying every minute!
Do you want them to say first Mom/Dad or their Key worker’s name from the nursery?
I know is so important and vital to have a good salary so you can pay for food, rent, and so on. But can you still survive at least one year not going back to work?!. Just do some calculations and see if you can do it, as I know some parents can do it, but chose not to.
The Government should help parents and to be aware that babies needs to be with their parents at least 24 months, change the law!
Invidia este un sentiment puternic și amar pe care l-am experimentat cu toții, alții mai mult, unii de mai puține ori.
Invidia se afișează încă din copilărie, un copil poate să fie invidios pe un alt copil, care are să zicem are un iepuraș (adevărat, real). Acum, copilul simte invidie, gelozie, frustrare, merge la părinți și le cere să-i cumpere un iepuraș, altfel se aruncă pe jos, plange, face crize și v-a invidia pe acel copil care are deja iepurașul. Corect?
Din punct de vedere biblic, invidia este păcatul cel mai vechi. Lucifer a fost invidios, gelos pe Dumnezeu, cu toate că era cea mai frumoasă, inteligentă, creație a lui Dumnezeu, el tot a fost invidios, s-a răzvrătit împotriva Domnului, vroia să i se aducă cele mai înalte onoruri în cer. Dar cu toții știm cum s-a terminat.
Mai sunt multe exemple de oameni invidioși din biblie, de exemplu, frații lui Iosif. Invidia a luat naștere în sufeltul lor, atât de rău i-a măcinat invidia încât și-au făcut planuri să-l omoare pe Iosif. Dar l-au vândut unor oameni străini lor, iar tatălui lor i-au zis ca l-a omorât un animal. Dar dacă citim ce s-a întâmplat mai departe vom descoperii cum Dumnzeu a schimbat situația în cazul lui IOSIF, l-a binecuvântat atat de mult!
Adam si Eva au adus păcatul în lume prin neascultarea lor. Iar de atunci invidia ne-a invadat viețiile. Chiar fiul lor ( A lui Adam si Eva) a fost cel care a arătat cum invidia l-a acaparat încât și-a omorît FRATELE, pe Abel.
Acum invidia se arată în mai multe feluri, cineva poate fii invidios pe tine și te blochează pe rețelele de socializare, sau nu se bucură cu tine când vede că încerci să faci un lucru care îți poate aduce bucurie, binestare, apreciere. Asta e invidia în anul 2020 pe platformele de socializare. Sau mai sunt persoane care invidiază o anumită persoană, dar se comportă ca și cum îți este prieten/ă, de aceștia să te ferești, au multe măști, în exterior te apreciază, dar in interior te vor mort, îți doresc răul.
Tu știi prietenul tău de bere, vin, grătar, nașul de ce o fi el, prietenul de la locul de muncă, te poate invidia în adâncul sufletului. Poate tu ai ceva ce ei își pot doar dorii, imagina, iar dorința lor este sa fie la fel ca tine, îi transformă în niste prieteni cu măști.
Tu, femeie, știi că prietena ta de cafea, ceai, vin, sau ce mai beți voi, prietena de la locul de muncă, nașa prietenă, prietena cu care mergi în călătorii, sau pritena ta de anii de zile, ele te pot INVIDIA amar, sunt niște oițe în blăniță de lupoaică. Atunci când ai o stare materială bună, afacere prosperă, un loc de muncă care te pune în top, ai multe prietene, dar chiar sunt prietene? Când ești săracă, și nu îți ajunge salariul să mergi cu ele la Mall, mai sunt ele prietenele tale? Atunci poți remarca prietenii adevărați! Situație pe care am experimentat-o.
Poate că știm că avem astfel de prieteni, dar nu facem nimic, nici-o schimbare?
Sunt cuvinte grele dar sunt reale, așa sunt oamenii. Aveți înțelepciune și selectați-vă prietenii cu grijă. Știți câți prietenii am eu?
Eu am 3 prietenii, da, ați văzut bine, 3 prietenii cu care am multe în comun, printre care dragostea față de semeni, Dumnezeu, credință în El. Sunt o persoană foarte sociabilă, iubesc să ajut oameni, să vorbesc cu ei, dar pentru a fi prietenă cu ei, am nevoie de mulți ani de prietenie și timp petrecut împreună pentru a-i considera prieteni.
Cum poți scăpa de invidie?
Nu există elixir magic, sau ședințe de terapie, ci există BIBLIA cu răspunsurile ei, și înțelepciunea de sus.
Citind biblia, având credință în Dumnezeu, lasându-L să te schimbe și să te umple cu harul, bunătatea și caracterul Lui, poți înțelege invidia și consecințele ei, iar atunci când firea ta vrea să fie geloasă, invidioasă, îți aduci aminte de cuvintele, exemplele, harul, caracterul lui Dumnezeu, te ROGI și îti iese din minte, inima sentimentul acesta plin de amărăciune. Credeți-mă am experimentat de multe ori acest sentiment, dar încerc să mă bucur pentru persoane, să mă gândesc la binecuvântările mele și cum oamenii care nu-L cunosc pe El își arată exteriorul, dar ce este înăuntrul lor?
All of us had to cancel plans, or some lose the job, or a dear person have passed away, really sad to think and see these events taking over our lives.
For example, I have received a lot of lemons this year, they were really sour, NO WEDDING! The most amazing and awaited event of my life was CANCELLED, I think my ex-boyfriend have prayed to El Diablo, for this COVID to happen, so blame him!
But you know that in the end the GOOD forces will win!
What can we do now? Stay in despair and cry, or blame? I think we should go in the kitchen, take the lemons and squeeze them really hard into a jar, add some water, honey and drink it! It’s yummy, isn’t it?
I am not a patient person, I want the things to happen now and not in 1 month or a year, so this COVID-19 teach me patience and FAITH. Trust in God and be sure that HIS plans are greater than yours, we make a lot of plans, and I think God looks at us and says” Oh, my child if you will know that I have a bigger and beautiful gift/plan for you…
” I just trust God and know that HE will provide what I need at the right moment. All my struggles, sadness, and cancelled plans (wedding) are going to be blessed/transformed into something that I can’t imagine, but it will be worthed.
Aceste cuvinte sunt pline de har si de însemnătate. Îmi place mult acest verset din Luca 18:16, Isus le zice ucenicilor să lase copilașii să vină la El și să nu-i oprească.
Noi, ca adulții, avem impresia greșită despre copii când vine vorba despre a avea o relație cu Dumnezeu, credem ca ei nu sunt capabili să înțeleagă relația cu Dumnezeu, sau cuvintele din biblie.
Am văzut copii care știu versete și însemnătatea lor mai bine ca mulți adulți. În 2017-2018 lucram cu copii dintr-un sat, acestor copilași le vorbeam cateva minute din biblie, am văzut ochișori curioși, îndrăzneți, credincioși, plini de puritate, inocență, smeriți și plini de dragoste față de Creatorul lor.
Îmi aduc aminte, cand aveam 11 ani, într-o duminică trecusem pe lângă o Biserică din care se auzeau cantece voioase, eram tare curioasă și vroiam să intru, dar la ușă erau câțiva copii și un lider al Adunării, copii se uitau pe geamul de la ușă înăuntrul Bisericii, și apoi am înțeles că noi, cei mici nu avem voie înăuntru deoarece suntem gălăgioși. Dar de fapt, copii sunt cei care aud și cred, adulții aud cuvântul și au îndoieli, se gândesc la ce să gatească, la ce fac dupa terminarea mesajului, sau fac baloane din gumă. Nu zic că toții sunt la fel, dar vreau să scot în evidență cum copilașii CRED că Dumnezeu îi iubește, așa simplu cum e.
Every country has families living in poverty. With this global pandemic, I know a lot of parents have lost their jobs, and it’s really hard to find a new job.
When a child is born, they do not choose their families dependending on their social status, how many money they have in their bank account. God will take care of that child.
I know children who has to work instead of going to school, when actually only the education can save you from poverty.
Some children drop off the school to work, or they get married (early marriage). I know hundreds of girls between the age of 12 and 18 and they already have children, and a partner, they became mature before their time. In a village, is a girl and she is 13, she gave birth to her son last year, the kid has a father and they live together in a tiny room, the community, parents, family they all are aware of this situation, but they normalize it and say nothing about it. Now, how many chances has that child to go to school, and have a job? I think the child most likely will copy the parents behavior, and will take them like a role model.
When the kid will start school in that village, the teacher will give him no changes of higher education, probably will avoid going to his desk and look into his work, ask if we understood the lesson, and so on. The parents, do not have themselves education, so what happens to the child? He will fall into the poverty cycle. Believe me, I am talking the true, true cases, I have seen them with my eyes.
Poverty is all around the globe, some children have no food with days, no access to education, or a bright future.
These children needs people who cares about them, not people who cares about their pockets. Try to help a poor family, and do not judge them.
Like I said before, all my work experience (5 years) it’s about childcare, working with teens, and social work. I love to work with children, especially to make a difference in their lives, I watch them growing and developing.
Children develop quickly in the early years, and the persons around them have to do all they can to help children have the best possible start in life.
From early on, babies produce responses – such as smiling and crying, cooing. Infants can smile and cry. Initially these are reflexes but parents typically respond as if they were intentional communications. So the infant learns the social consequences of crying and smiling.
Birth – 11 months:
Enjoys the company of others and seeks contact with others from birth
Baby can respond when talked to, for example, moves arms and legs, changes facial expressions
Seeks physical and emotional comfort by snuggling in to trusted adults
Can recognise and react to Mom’s voice for example
Stops and looks when hears own voice
Makes own sounds in response when talked to by familiar adults
Baby can turn head in response to sounds and sights
Makes movements with arms and legs which gradually become more controlled.
From 12 months to 24 months:
Between 1-2 years old, they are developing important fine motor skills and gross motor skills. Their balance, climbing, speaking and running will develop rapidly. It’s the transformation time, you will see the baby transforming from a baby to more a toddler.
1–year-old will begin to try and become independent in many ways.
gross motor skills: Most babies take their first steps before 12 months and are walking on their own by the time they’re 14 or 15 months old.
Fine motor skills: By 24 months, your little one can likely drink from a cup, eat with a spoon, and help get undressed.
Explores new toys and environments, but will checks in regularly with a a familiar adult as and when needed
Demonstrates sense of self as an individual, e.g. wants to do things independently, says ”NO” to adults.
Also they can have tantrums.
Their vocabulary will count many easy words.
Notice: Children develop at their own pace, so don’t worry if your child doesn’t do what your neighbour child does. As a parent, you know your child best.
Growing up with both parents is a blessing, but what is like for a child to grow up with a single parent?
When getting married you do not think it will last 1. month or 5 years but ”till death do us part”, but there are some parents who decide to break the vow sooner. There are a lot of reasons why the parents divorce. When the marriage come to an end the parents are now fighting for the custody ( well, some of them).
Which are the effects of divorce
I will say the first 6 months – 1 year is the most difficult time
The kids might suffer anxiety, distress, anger, abandoned, and can have suicidal thoughts (depends on their age).
There is a huge emotional impact on young children, they can blame themselves about the situation, or they may think that the parents are not loving them.
Children from divorced families may experience more externalising problems, such as conduct disorders, children may also experience more conflict with peers after a divorce, poor academic results.
Always tell your children the truth in regards to divorce!
I believe is better to be divorced than staying in a toxic relationship.
Copilăria în secolul XXI este extrem de diferită față de toate generațiile.
Practic de la vârsta de 1 an sau cateva luni de viață, copilului i se face cunoștință cu tehnologia, pentru a nu mai plânge sau să poată mama să își facă treaba, copilului i se pune tableta, telefonul, etc în față să se uite la desene animate, să asculte muzică…am vazut cazuri, nu inventez.
Ce îi așa de rău în asta?
În primul rând copilul nu are nici macar 2 ani (vârsta)
Practic acel copil nu socializează cu nimeni
Relația părinte-copil are de suferit mai târziu deoarece copilul o să vrea tot mai mult acel device.
Nu există dezvoltare fizică
Telefoanele si copii au devenit bun prieteni în aceste vremuri, mai ales în timpul COVID-19. Da, este mult mai ușor acum având smartphone-ul la îndemână, comunicarea cu rude,prietenii din alte țări este mult mai ușoară, și rapidă. Dar, ce ne facem când comunicarea cu cei din aceeași casă a devenit none, zero, și asta din cauza telefoanelor inteligente, si a altor dispozitive.
Se face abuz de telefon sau de ceea ce poate oferii telefonul?
Dacă un copil de 8-10 ani are telefon personal, cu acces la internet, acum fiți sigur ca acel copil crede că are o comoară, pe care de cate ori o deschide îi oferă ceva interesant, nou, interzis. Am văzut copii cu telefon de ultima generație la școală, acest lucru, zic părinți că are avantaje ”pentru siguranța copilului și a părintelui”. Ok, dar ai tu acces la acel telefon, știi tu ce se întâmplă în pauză, poate copilul are facebook și de abia așteaptă pauza pentru a vorbii cu X din țara Y, ca este cool. Și cu toții știm cum oamenii răi se ascund în spatele monitorului (pedofilii, de exemplu).
Copilul după vârsta de 12 ani poate avea telefon, atâta timp cât părinții au acces total asupra activității telefonului. Verificați ce căutari au pe google, la ce se uite pe YouTube, sau daca au un cont de socializare și ce se întâmplă cu el. Am niște copii de 12-13 ani pe contul de Instagram, și văd tot feluri de postări diabolice, challenge-uri… de exemplu acum câteva zile am văzut un challenge care era postat de acest copil, și la bază avea ca 2 din prietenii lui ( băiat, fată) să meargă la o întâlnire, ca un fel de ”date” și se putea alege da sau nu, dar toți erau super încântați de idee, acum nu știu ce face o fată și un băiat de 12 ani la întalnire…dar oare părinții știu?
De asemenea tot pe Instagram, văd fete de 10-12 ani postând poze cu posteriorul la vedere, mai mult dezbracate decât îmbrăcate, interesant că părinții sunt creștini, oameni cu educație, oameni de afaceri. Unde este rușinea, stima de sine, și altele? Mie îmi este rușine și dacă mi se vede breteau de la sutien, online nu este tocmai locul ideal de a-ți arăta frumusețea corpului.
I wanted to write about this topic for a long time, and finally here is it.
Parents are all different, their parenting styles are not the same, not even between 2 parents of the same child. Now, having a baby in the 21st century is like they were born in the same time with a well known phone, you know which one I am talking about, you most probably have it in your hand, pocket, bag…
Now let’s talk about our topic
Young brains needs a lot of external stimulation to develop, particular from birth to age 3 (critical period). In this period is better for your child to stay away from devices, keep them engaged with books, talk to them, do indoor or outdoor activities like baking or a trip to the forest. Some parents choose for their child to be in a nursery, kindergarten, in this way children stays away from phone, iPad, tablets, etc. But when kids spent the most of the time at home, some parents introduce to their kids the devices voluntary or involuntary. Now, I am not blaming anyone, there are positives and negatives in all things from this earth.
I was born in 1995, so I did not know that phone exists until I was probably 8 or 9 (2003), that’s when I had my first phone, can you imagine how proud and happy, excited I was? even though that was an old NOKIA, and the only thing I can do was to play that snake game, do you know what I am talking about?
Now, why I was happy about it, well probably because of that game or just the feeling of having that device, or that I could of call my friends, it was something new and exciting. The TV was always there in our room, so I remember watching cartoons quite a lot and sometimes I fought with my brother because he wanted a different channel. Boys and girls didn’t had the same interests, not at that time 🙂
So imagine now, after 2010, the children are amazed of devices, especially that it can offer them a lot of diversity. Of course they will fall in love with mommy’s, daddy’s phone or that tablet, iPad you leave it on the couch…
At work I see babies (15 months old) taking a toy that might look like a phone and hold it to they ears are says ”hello”, so what are we talking about, a child aged 15 months and thinks he is talking on the phone, well our children copies everything we do and say. He most probably seen Mom, dad holding that device at their ear.
INTRODUCINF CHILDREN TO ELECTRONICS
I am not against this, but we have to keep in mind 2 things – the age of the child and the time the child is exposed to the device!
If we give a 2 year old the phone, iPad in their hands or put it in front of them to watch cartoons, or to listen to music, so we can do our job… well I am against, and I will tell ypu why, first the child’s age and then you gave that child no external stimulation, no social interaction. What if we invite someone to keep an eye on our child?
If the child is 8 years old and we slowly introduce him/her to the device let them watch, discover, play songs, cartoons for not longer than 1 hour a day, why? Well, because we are in the 21st century and the technology is what we live in. The child might find interests, passion in technology an this a good opportunity to grow up with and later to be a software developer, IT manager, etc. We need people in this areas as in this world is what we feed our self with. Can you imagine life without internet, phones, computers, and other devices? In hospital, schools they need technology.
Supervise your kid activity while using the devices, make sure you do not let them have full access to things you don’t wanna the child look to. It’s so easy to have access to a lot of disturbing content these days, and always remember that online world is not always safe, there are many paedophiles behind the screen.
I have seen a lot of children on Instagram posting ”challenges” that require to meet and have a date and God knows what happens after that ”date”. And the parents has also an Instagram account to, hello do you follow your child activity? Do it now, before is too late, no offence!
My advice is to have in mind the age, purpose, health benefits, time, before introducing kids to devices!
LET KIDS BE KIDS AND THEN SLOWLY LET THEM DISCOVER THEIR PASSION, INTERESTS!
In the USA, UK and Canada – Fathers’ Day is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday in June since being made a national holiday in 1966. In Australia and New Zealand, fathers are honoured the first Sunday in September. Other countries celebrate fathers throughout the year. For example in my country (Romania) we celebrated in May.
I wanna talk about the importance of being a DAD for the children, to be there, to be a foundation for your family.
I could not enjoy that much of my dad, I was his princess for 14 years. But I know that in the moment when dad wasn’t there It felt like a collapse.
Believe me, a dad can make a HUGE difference in his daughter life! He is the one that the girl will look up at and she will take him like a future model of her future husband. When I was about 16 I remember having a boyfriend and I used to compare his actions with my dad, the way he treated me, how my dad treat my MOM and even the appearance.
A father has an even greater influence on his children than a mother when it comes to the development of behaviour traits.
Fathers who show love to their daughters and accept them as they are help foster a positive sense of self in the female. Negligent fathers, on the other hand, can send their daughters down a dark path of depression, substance abuse, and psychological problems.
Fathers also play an important role when we talk about the financial and physical health of their daughters. Girls see their fathers as a symbol of financial stability. If the father was involved a lot in his daughter’s childhood, his daughter will be more likely to have better physical and financial health which can lead her to success.
Now, do not get me wrong, but fathers are important not just in his girl life but in the family as a whole!
Here is testimony from a anonymous person
”My father was emotionally absent, rejected me and was not the ideal father. I also watched him cheat on my mother. This article is so true because I became aggressive, angry, and did terrible in school. They got a divorce and it just caused so much depression and I’ve always felt like something was missing”.
When comes to songs for kids we have to be so careful, listen to song yourself before letting the kid access it.
In these days there are millions of songs just to a click distance. But have you ever looked deeply into the author of that song and what the lyrics says exactly?
Here is the list of some of the songs I will accept for children to listen
It can affect children from birth and left unchecked and unchallenged, can impact negatively on every aspect of a child’s life.
Usually, poor children are located in hard to reach villages, isolated, but not only. In these villages, communities people follow traditions, they copy each others even if it’s bad or good. Sometimes no one is going to these villages to make a difference, and the children grow up and have no future.
I used to live like a disadvantaged kid some years of my life, what was the reason? well, an alcoholic dad and unemployment of both of my parents. I do not condemn them, but I try to understand their actions.
There are a number of reasons why a family may be disadvantaged, and therefore, vulnerable.
Unemployment
Single parent
Low income
Substance abuse…
What are the effects on a child living in poverty?
A child may suffer from:
A poor diet or neglect
Low educational achievement: no school trips, no books, uniform packed lunch, healthy snack
Lack of positive interactions with parents
They might be unable to understand their own emotions and those of others
Poor/dirty clothes, shoes.
The child may have low self esteem
Tensions/fights between parents at home.
The child may experience some types of abuse from parents or family.
CRINAMORPHO 