Molly O Ja's Home Analysis

Molly O 'Ja 's home is a first floor, 3 bed-room apartment. She lives here with her three children, Jeremiah, Charlie and Stephen. Jeremiah and Charlie share a bedroom while Stephen and Miss O 'Ja each have their own room. There were many toys laying a bout when I came to Miss O 'Ja home; cars, blocks, coloring books, action figures, and multiple baby toys such as teethers and a tag blanket, which I found out was the babys favorite item. Miss O 'Ja and myself sat down at her kitchen table to talk. This gave her the easiest way to speak with me while also being able to keep an eye on the children playing in the livingroom. Stephen was happily jumping in his bouncer while Charlie was sprawled out busy playing with his cars, occasionally

Miss O 'Ja is a single mother of three boys. Jeremiah is 8 years old and started second grade this year, Charlie just turned 3 in August and Miss O 'Ja feels he skipped terrible two 's and went to terrifying three 's and then theres Stephen who is about to be six months old, I was told he is the easiest, most laid back baby. Miss O 'Ja said it can be challenging taking care of the boys by herself, Jeremiah 's father is not in the picture, Charlie goes with his father every other weekend and things aren 't very clear with Stephen 's father at the moment. Molly is the primary caregiver of the boys but luckily she has family close by. Her parents live about seven minutes from her apartment and they are very much involved with the everyday life of their grandsons. When Molly has to work or has school her mother or her best friend Lilly watches the children for her. She says this is a tremendous help since she can not afford daycare at this time and because Lilly and her mother are really the only ones she trust to take of boys. Her mother and Lilly respect how she disciplines the children and when they have them they do the same. Molly does not believe in spankings, she thinks this just tells a child that it is okay to hit and be violent to get your point across. " Why would it be okay for me to spank my child when I telling them its wrong to hit? I think that sends mixed messages," Miss O 'Ja told me. Instead, Molly will give her kids one warning to stop whatever it is she

Typically every morning Molly is up by 6:30am to start getting ready for her day, the baby is usually up for a bit around 6:45am wanting to eat and most of the time falls back to sleep. The two older boys are up by 7:15am, Jeremiah will get himself ready for school, and Molly gets Charlie and Stephen dressed for the day, then Molly gets breakfast ready and the boys sit on the couch watching tv while they eat. Molly tells me that she feels like the boys at times spend too much time watching TV, but she makes sure tha t each day they get out doors or have quiet time playing in their rooms. Molly has to get the Stephen 's diaper bag ready because on Monday, Wednesday and Tuesdays Charlie and Stephen go to their Nanna 's house while Molly works and goes to school. On Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday Lilly comes down to the house by 7:45am so things are as hectic on those days. Jeremiah and Molly leave the house by 8:05am, Molly drops Jeremiah off at school and then heads to works, if its a day Nanna has them she has to drop Charlie and Stephen off at Nanna 's house before she goes to work. Molly works all day on Monday 's,Wednesday 's, Friday 's, Saturday 's and Sunday 's and she has school on Tuesday 's and Thursday 's. When she gets out of work Molly gets the kids and then goes home to make dinner ( unless its a day that Lilly watched them and in that case they are already at the home) Jeremiah usually spends weekends at Lilly 's house, Charlie also