Karina Grenko

PSY 1100
Karen Kwan
Sloan 3 to 11 Years Old
Things have changed drastically for blonde haired blued eyed Sloan. Shortly after she
turned three her mom began to be home with her all day. Sloans parents had not come to this
decision without much discussion. Regan wanted to be more of a presence in Sloans life and
now that she was pregnant, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. Trey wanted Regan to be
aware that she needs to be more parent than a friend. That she allows her to get away with
everything and does not discipline. He advised that she has to stop being a permissive parent
(Ch. 6, Pg. 217, Permissive parenting: an approach to child rearing that is characterized by
high nurturance and communication but little discipline, guidance, or control) and try to be
more authoritative. (Ch. 6, Pg. 217, Authoritative: an approach to child rearing in which the
parents set limits and enforce rules but are flexible and listen to their children) She can still be
warm and communicate with Sloan but needs to keep in the role as a mother. Then Sloan will
know her boundaries.
Both Regan and Sloan were adjusting well to Regan being home all day long. Sloan had
become attached to particular blanket. Especially the tag on it. She would breathe it against her
nose. It was an ordeal when the blankie needed to be washed. Sloan did not want to give it up at
all. One day Regan had convinced Sloan to let her wash it. Unfortunately when the blanket was
pulled out of the dryer the tag was no longer attached. Sloan freaked out, crying about how her
blankie is broken and cannot be fixed. Regan tried to explain it was still the same blanket even
without the tag. No matter what Regan said Sloan was convinced it was broken unless it had the
tag.

Trey came home amidst the breakdown noticing immediately his daughter is stuck in
irreversibility. (Ch. 5, pg., 183, Irreversibility: a characteristic of preoperational thought
whereby a young child thinks that nothing can be undone. A thing cannot be restored to the
way it was before the change occurred.) He sees Regan obviously beyond her wits end. He
explains Sloan is unable to realize that even though the blanket itself was still whole Sloan
included the tag as part of the blanket and wont be fixed until its sewn back on.
Sloan began to notice that things were not quite the same. Mommy could not play with
her like before, going to Central Park was not a daily thing anymore. She noticed mom was sick
all the time. The strangest thing was Daddy had become obsessed with touching mommys belly
giving it kisses and putting his hand on it. This was very strange to Sloan as mommy and daddy
used to yell all the time. Trey explained there was a baby coming and she would soon be a big
sister. Sloan thought a baby like her dolly Polly was coming. Everyone who came over, or they
met, would always say Sloan are you ready to be a big sister? She would excitedly scream I
gonna be a big sista! Yay! When all she really knew was mommys belly was getting
ginormous.
One night Trey ran into Sloans room waking her up saying The baby is coming! Time
to go to Nana and Grandfather Stewarts. Sleepy Sloan did not appreciate this and cried and
cried for her mommy. Regan was in labor. Quickly Trey touting Sloan behind him raced up the
three flights of stairs to his parents apartment. Nana Stewart answered looking very excited and
sleepy without all of her make-up. Sloan ran into Nanas arms, and Daddy was gone before she
even realized it. Nana took her to her bed in their apartment. Sloan quickly fell asleep.
A few hours later, unbeknownst to Sloan, she became a big sister to a 10lb 22 inch
brother named Grayson Mark Stewart. Trey and Regan were ecstatic and hoped Sloan would be

accepting of her new little brother. Later in the day Sloan was brought to the hospital by her
grandfather. She was not certain what exactly was going on. She was certain her mommys belly
had popped like a balloon because it was too big. She tells Nana this and she only smiles
thinking of how children try to reason everything with Theory-theory. (Ch. 5, Pg. 187, Theorytheory: the idea that children attempt to explain everything they see and hear) She soon sees
her mother laying in a funny looking bed. She runs to jump on the bed and is picked up just in
time by Trey. Suddenly Sloan hears crying and notices the small creature next to the bed is the
one making the sound. She is then told this is her brother Grayson.
Six months pass and Sloan, now four, is still adjusting to having Grayson around. He
sleeps in her room and cries all the time. Most importantly he takes away from her time with
Mommy. Sloan insists he is being borrowed and asks constantly when he will be returned to his
family. No matter how many times Regan or Trey insist he is her brother and will be staying, no
one can tell Sloan differently. She is adamant in her perseveration (Ch. 5, Pg. 179,
Perseveration, the tendency to persevere in or stick to, one thought or action for a long time)
that Grayson does not belong and needs to be returned.
As this little princess is coming to understand Grayson will not be leaving, her world is
shaken even more. Trey and Regan have decided the crammed twentieth floor apartment on the
Upper East Side is no longer suitable for a family of four. Trey has been looking for jobs all over
the country and landed a job at a Talent Agency in Nashville, Tennessee. Daddy and Mommy
explain to Sloan they are moving far away. Every time Sloan hears this it immediately sends her
into a tantrum, yelling I dont wanna move!! Sloans episodes of externalizing problems (Ch.
6, Pg. 209, Externalizing problems: difficulty with emotional regulation that involves
expression powerful feelings through uncontrolled physical or verbal outbursts. As by lashing

out at other people or breaking things) have become worse and she is now yelling and throwing
anything she can get her hands on. She has even hit Grayson a few times but if Trey is not
around not much is done by Regan to discipline.
Despite all of Sloans protesting the family moved from the Big Apple to the heart of the
south in the summer before she was to start school. The drive about tested Trey and Regans
sanity with an almost five, and one year old.
They have now moved into their modest home. Regan had pushed for a simpler life even
if she loved the hustle and bustle of the city. She wanted to help Sloan and Grayson not to be
raised entitled which would hard to avoid on the Upper East Side. She enrolled Sloan into
kindergarten at the nearby public school, as well as in gymnastics and soccer. All would begin in
the fall but for now they would focus on adjusting to a new area and culture.
The summer quickly faded and it was now time for Sloan to start kindergarten, she was
excited and nervous. As much as her mom had tried to find her friends, fitting in the South was
far more difficult than Regan had anticipated. Sloan was naturally shy and anxious. Soccer had
been a complete disaster. The children made fun of her for the way she spoke and her timid
behaviors, rejection of this nature is called withdrawn rejected. (Ch. 8 Pg. 305, Withdrawnrejected: rejected by peers because of timid, withdrawn, and anxious behavior) She often
would go home crying that no one liked her.
Gymnastics was a more positive experience and she excelled in learning the basics. Now
she was now at the front doors of the elementary school, and she waved good-bye to her mom.
She walked in confident into Miss Marshalls classroom and found her name on a desk next to a

brown haired girl named Brie. They became instant best friends. Sloan felt like she might be able
to make it in this new strange place.
Kindergarten was treating Sloan much better than soccer ever had. There were still the
boys and girls who would make fun of the way she talked and her shy demeanor. She remained
timid, but Brie would not allow for anyone to hurt or bully her. Brie taught her not to let anyone
pick on her.
One day a on the playground Jared was picking on Sloan about her funny voice and
pulling on her pigtails. Quicker than a speeding bullet Sloan immediately kicked him several
times in the bottom. Brie showed up, and punched him in the face for good measure. A teacher
had witnessed the events stating that reactive aggression is not tolerated, verbally or physically.
(Ch. 6, Pg. 227, Reactive aggression, an impulsive retaliation for another persons intentional
or accidental action, verbal or physical)
Sloan and Brie were sent to the principals office. Principal Skinner made Sloan call
Regan and tell her what had happened. When Sloan arrived home that day Regan, try as she
might to enforce any form of punishment, could not be brought to even put Sloan in time out.
Trey often told her she needed to worry less about being friends with Sloan and Grayson, and be
more like him. Regan did not want Sloan to be friends with Brie, but due to Sloan not really
fitting in, she allowed them to remain friends.
Concepts that come easily to most children, have not for Sloan. She is able to grasp the
basics but keeps falling behind. By the second grade she still has not caught up to her classmates.
Her biggest struggle is with reading. She has tried to become good at it, because those who read
well are rewarded with special treats and privileges. Motivated by extrinsic motivation, (Ch. 6,

Pg. 207, Extrinsic motivation: A drive, or reason to pursue a goal, that arises from the need to
have ones achievements rewarded from outside., perhaps by received material possessions or
another persons esteem.) Sloan desperately tries to improve her reading skills, so her teacher
Mrs. Forsyth will recognize her. She cant wait to be the one that gets the special privileges and
treats.
By the middle of 2nd grade without any signs of improvement, Regan decided it was time
to get Sloan a tutor, primarily for reading, but for all other subjects as well. She could tell it was
wearing on Regan that her best friend Brie was reading at an accelerated level. Sloan started
making comments of Im not good enough I cant read, so I am dumb Everyone else can
read but me. Regan could not believe that at 8-years-old her daughter was so self-conscious and
self-degrading. The final straw for Regan was when Sloan made the comment that she Would
never be able to do anything because she is dumb.
As a concerned mom, Regan described Sloans feelings of being less than her peers with
her teacher, Mrs. Forsyth. She explained children can experience industry versus inferiority (Ch.
8, Pg. 285, Industry versus inferiority: The fourth of Eriksons eight psychosocial crises,
during which children attempt to master many skills, developing a sense of themselves as
either industrious or inferior, competent or incompetent) at a very young age. Where they will
compare themselves with their classmates and determine if they can contribute or not.
Sloan loves being the big sister to Grayson and was thrilled when he started kindergarten.
She eagerly taught him the ins and outs of fitting in with the other children. He should not kiss
his mom at school, be the teachers pet, or tattletale. She told him he would fit in with the child
culture (Ch. 8 Pg. 304, Child culture: the particular habits, styles, and values that reflect the
set of rules and rituals that characterize children as distinct from adult society) if he followed

her lead. He would not want to wear his Arthur shirts at school, as now it was Henry the Hippo
who was all the rage among kids at school
Okay run and do a back handspring double double said Coach Lyman to Sloan. Her
love and skill in gymnastics had grown. There had been talk with her coach that it would be an
option to go to the Junior Nationals in 2 years if she kept practicing and skills improved. Sloan
thinks about how she needs to improve on her tucks and fulls. She can do this with consistent
practice and critique. She explains her plan on how to accomplish her goals to Coach Lyman. He
remarks that shows great metacognition. (Ch. 7 Pg. 258, Metacognition: Thinking about
thinking, or the ability to evaluate a cognitive task in order to determine how best to
accomplish it, and then to monitor and adjust ones performance on that task)
A year passes and Sloan is a year closer to competing in the Junior Nationals. At the age
of 10 she is one of the youngest gymnasts on track to compete at Nationals. Though she has not
been feeling well she keeps going to the bathroom all the time and is constantly tired. One day at
practice she collapses and is rushed to the ER by her coach. When her parents arrive they are
informed by Dr. OMalley she is comorbid. (Ch. 7, Pg. 271, comorbid: refers to the presence of
two or more disease conditions at the same time in the same person) He explains further that
she has been diagnosed with two diseases concurrently. She is now type 1 diabetic and has
mononucleosis as well. After learning how to take care of her new autoimmune disease. She
returns home.
Sloan has now been diabetic for 6 months and is getting a handle on it. Her parents have
tried to have her become as responsible as possible for her condition. She is able to realize when
her blood sugars are low she needs to test and eat 2 glucose tablets which will boost her blood
sugar. She also knows she is high, over 180 that she needs to give two units of insulin for each

interval of 20 above that. However, if it is not exactly above in 20s she gets confused. Sloan also
knows that if her blood glucose numbers are between 70 to 150 she is completely fine. Her
doctor noted she is able to mostly be able to take care of herself as she uses concrete operational
thought. (Ch. 7 Pg. 253, Concrete Operational Thought: Piagets term for the ability to reason
logically about direct experiences and perceptions) concrete logic applied to visible, tangible,
real things, not to abstractions As puberty nears this dedicated gymnast will have even more to
adapt to as life continues, but now all that is on Sloans mind is Junior Nationals.