The Bronfenbrenner's developmental theory applies much to my childhood. An unforgettable time in my life was when I first turned 13 years old. At thirteen you start to experience the real deal. Your officially a teenager and some of your approaches might be different. It was always me and my mother since I was six. My father was in and out of my life and he came around when he wanted to. It didn't effect me at the time because I was a kid. My grandparents helped raised me as well. They made sure that I was in the best environment whether it was schooling, socially, etc. I attended a school for performing arts, taking theater art classes. My teacher Mr. Robinson was a very strict teacher. He always taught us about motivation and expressing yourself. He had a big influence on me at the time like a mentor type. At the school I was attending I always tried to surround myself with people who was into fashion, had a good personality, creative, smart and like to have fun. The kids there were all different and were into to different things. At thirteen you exposed to so much that you have to start to learn to make decisions for yourself and not be a follower. I was a cool person majority liked me. Outside the school was were the drama occurred. High school kids would come to our school to start fights, rob the kids, or start any type of trouble. The neighborhood was filled with troublemakers. A lot of the kids were school drop-outs, or on drugs. It was madness! At that age you don't want to seem excluded or you have to deal with abuse and harassment.

My mother always told to surround myself with people who have respect for themselves and others. She didn't want me up in all the guys face and around no fast girls either. Sometimes my mother would say things and she would think I wasn't listening. That wasn't the case . On page 25, it states "Similarly, the bioecological approach illustrates that the influences among different family members is all multidirectional. Parents don't just influence their child's behavior the child also influences the parents behavior."(Feldman, 2011). I agree with that statement because I was not a dumb founded teenager compared to most, I was smart, I had a lot going for myself to be young and I knew about a lot. My mother always taught me to be a leader not a follower and she taught me many different skills at a young age. A lot of my friends didn't know how to handle different situations and I helped them. The friends that I did have were about 5-6 girls. My mother and grandparents only liked a few out the bunch for certain reasons and didn't prefer the rest for other reasons as well. When some use to come to my house my parents were more observant and just listened a lot, never said anything in front of them just behind their back. Compared to interaction with my school and teachers that wasn't a problem. She would always come up to the school unexpected and call the school if something was needed or she had suggestions. My mother was the one who attended school parent teacher conferences she seemed to always be involved with my academic learning. She was concerned when I wasn't doing good and exceptionally happy when I was. She was apart of the parent committee too. The help was definitely available if needed my grandma used to help me with my homework at times and I used to have my friends come over to help me with it as well. My grandma says that “the different subjects you have now have changed so much from when I was in school.” The community I was from was called "Fortgreene" they had a Boys and Girls Club's which held many activities for the kids that came from the community. It wasn't considered a good neighborhood but they tried to make it as decent as much as they could to keep the kids off the street and involved in different activities.

Vacations was taken as much with my family. Because my mother had to work or I had school. Even when I didn’t I didn’t travel much. The most memorable vacation was Disney World down in Florida. It was just my mother and I. We had a ball and we got to bond and relax. We stayed for about a week and it was the most incredible experience, every child should be able to go there. But sometimes, I wish my father would be involved. Prior to that there was a divorce between my mother and father but it never affected me because I never knew my father I was young when I used to see him and he used to come to visit me but we were never that close as we should have been. What ever happened between them that is their business I don't think it had to do anything with me I wish I could have gotten to know my father better. But unfortunately things happen people make bad choices and I never will put that against him.

I was born and raised in Brooklyn New York. Majority of my family are from down south, I have family from the West Indies as well. I don't know much about my ethic background never really looked into it. It was always encouraged to go to church very Sunday in my family. We affiliated ourselves with Christians, attended a Christian church and are Christians. I consider myself as middle-class. I have to uncles that use to play professional basketball for the Nets and for Knicks, and I have an aunt that is one of the editors of Essence magazine. My mother always had good careers since my younger days. For years worked for Verizon doing customer service, for home phone service she makes up to $60,000 a year. I'm content with how I live and how I use to live. Always had food on the table, clean nice clothes on my back and a nice roof over my head. At age thirteen a lot of kids don't have that.

The terrorist attack that happened in 2001 was the most tragic day ever. I never witnessed or seen anything like it. I didn't have anyone close to me who worked or passed away during it. I knew a girl who lived in my grandmothers building and use to play in the park with me after school, whose mother died in it. I was nine at the time, so I didn't know much if what was going on. I lived near the bridges that take you to Manhattan and I remember seeing people with no shoes walking to their destinations covered in dust, sweat, blood. It was a shocking to me because we had to leave school early that day. The first thing I did when I got home was watched the news and listen to the radio they repeatedly broadcast what was going on about the twin towers, and that we were under attack. Honestly I would never forget that day it was so crazy it can never be forgotten!

Vygotsky’s theory of Cogntive Development had role in my childhood as well. I must have been the only child who couldn’t ride a bike at the age of thirteen. I really was embarrassed. Every other Saturday my mother would take me to the park near our house to practice. I was nervous to ride the bike without her helping to balance it. I was too scared, all I could think about was falling. I felt secured with my mothers assistance if she continue to hold on. But, I realized I need to conquer my fears and do it on my own. I started to feel more comfortable and confident of my balance on the bike. My mother then felt that I could try on my own at least without her holding it.go from holding both hands, to eventually holding one hand, and eventually she can stop holding her hand. The child will soon be able to walk unassisted.

Cited Works:

Feldman, Robert. Development Across the Life Span. Sixth Edition. 2011. Prentice Hall., Pg 25.