The Road to Rory
Demographic Information A child is considered one of life’s most precious gifts. However, it can also be one of life’s greatest challenges. The Virtual Child program provides participants with a small glimpse into the processes, decisions, trials and blisses of raising a sweet bundle of joy (Manis, 2008). At the start of my virtual parenting adventure, I had a baby girl whom I named Rory Jane. My favorite name for a girl is Aurora, but I have a terrible habit of shortening people’s names, so I knew I would refer to a child named Aurora as “Rory.” This nickname is also a homage to Rory Gilmore from the television show Gilmore Girls, a character I related heavily to growing up and still enjoy watching on the screen. The middle name “Jane” has no significance other than that I think it sounds …show more content…
Parenting decisions have such palpable outcomes, and this can seem both intimidating and remarkable. One reoccurring decision that I believe had a significant impact on Rory’s development involved multiple instances involving her affinity for design. In the beginning, young Rory consistently score well above average on gross motor tasks, spatial skills, building and art. Then, when she was four, she showed a liking for playing with blocks and other things that could be built and rearranged, so my partner and I spoke to her about what she was doing and let her guide her own play-creations. At age ten, I further encouraged her interest in design by introducing creative activities like “modifying sewing patterns, room layouts, and various arts and crafts” (Manis 2008). Throughout school, Rory consistently scored high in the fine arts. At the conclusion of the program, she decided to attend art/design school (Manis, 2008). I believe my encouragement of this steadily developing skill, which also happened to be something very enjoyable for Rory, resulted in the ultimate outcome of the
Demographic Information A child is considered one of life’s most precious gifts. However, it can also be one of life’s greatest challenges. The Virtual Child program provides participants with a small glimpse into the processes, decisions, trials and blisses of raising a sweet bundle of joy (Manis, 2008). At the start of my virtual parenting adventure, I had a baby girl whom I named Rory Jane. My favorite name for a girl is Aurora, but I have a terrible habit of shortening people’s names, so I knew I would refer to a child named Aurora as “Rory.” This nickname is also a homage to Rory Gilmore from the television show Gilmore Girls, a character I related heavily to growing up and still enjoy watching on the screen. The middle name “Jane” has no significance other than that I think it sounds …show more content…
Parenting decisions have such palpable outcomes, and this can seem both intimidating and remarkable. One reoccurring decision that I believe had a significant impact on Rory’s development involved multiple instances involving her affinity for design. In the beginning, young Rory consistently score well above average on gross motor tasks, spatial skills, building and art. Then, when she was four, she showed a liking for playing with blocks and other things that could be built and rearranged, so my partner and I spoke to her about what she was doing and let her guide her own play-creations. At age ten, I further encouraged her interest in design by introducing creative activities like “modifying sewing patterns, room layouts, and various arts and crafts” (Manis 2008). Throughout school, Rory consistently scored high in the fine arts. At the conclusion of the program, she decided to attend art/design school (Manis, 2008). I believe my encouragement of this steadily developing skill, which also happened to be something very enjoyable for Rory, resulted in the ultimate outcome of the