Person Project 2
By Zachary Kelly
Ty and Jennifer got married August 27 2012 just a month before the twins turned two.
Tys college football carrier was over and he had graduated from the U with bachelors in
business, Jennifer was still finishing up her nursing Degree. Tommy and Jordan were the average
size for a two year old. They had learned to walk, talk, and were potty trained. Ty and Jennifer
had saved a lot of money the last two years living with his parents but weren’t going move out
until they were both out of college and had jobs. They had bought all organic foods and kept the
twins on a strict diet. Ty especially wanted them to grow up big and strong so they could
compete in sports like he did. They had little sugar and almost no junk food except for when
grandma and grandpa would spoil them and take them out for a treat.
Tommy would have to have his sandwiches cut into triangles but Jordan had to have
them cut into squares, the reason is Jordan liked pickles on her sandwich and Tommy didn’t, so
they would cut them different to tell the sandwiches apart. Tommy would look for triangle pieces
of bread when he went to the grocery store (this is because he uses static reasoning thinking that
bread always comes in triangles Ch. 5 pg. 171). They got plenty of exercise mainly because Ty
wanted them to be the best at everything especially sports, so they would go to the park and run
and play with tiny footballs and soccer balls. Jordan learned to catch the tiny football first and
couldn’t understand why her brother couldn’t since she could he must know how to catch also
(she is displaying egocentrism: she thinks everyone thinks, feels, and does what she does, Ch. 5
pg. 171). Jennifer did not want them to become dependent on their physical attributes to get
them through life so she insisted on sending them to an advanced preschool at age three and
didn’t want them to watch TV to learn. They had learned to talk without the aid of any television,
so she knew it would only hinder their learning experience.
Jordan was much less shy than her brother Tommy so she had a knack at finding
trouble, she had herd grandpa swear a few words when he cut himself cooking and she
found the teacher’s and other children’s reactions to these forbidden words rather
amusing. This behavior didn’t last long. Tommy would often use words he heard from his
father when he would discuss business over the phone, like “ASAP” and “pronto” (this is
fast-mapping because he is learning new words but uses them in the wrong context Ch.5
pg. 179). As they got older they began to understand things that they didn’t before but
with this knowledge came new challenges. Jordan had a high self esteem and seemed to
drive herself to be the best (intrinsic motivation, the reason to pursue a goal is one that
comes from within the person Ch. 6 pg. 200) Tommy on the other hand who was more
shy felt he was to be like his father and didn’t want to disappoint his dad (he was driven
by an external motivator in this case his dad this is called extrinsic motivation Ch. 6 pg.
200).
Unlike most girls her age Jordan was more like her brother and loved to play
sports and rough and tumble play (play which mimics aggression like hitting and chasing
without the intent to hurt anyone Ch.6 pg.207). Ty was raised in a family that pushed him
to do great things and to excel. Jennifer was raised to do her best and that popularity
doesn’t matter in the future. So Ty and Jennifer both wanted to push their kids but not too
hard that they rebel or get buried in what their parents wanted, so they kept a good verbal
communication between them and set strict rules but not too harsh. (Authoritative
parenting is when the communication between child and parent is high and warmth is
high but discipline is moderate Ch. 6 pg. 210). Ty said spanking is how he was raised but
Jennifer read that it could be harmful later in their life.
When they were six they went through public school in the first grade, Tommy
and Jordan made plenty of friends at school Tommy made friends with the boys and
Jordan with the girls. They played together and even brought some of their new friends
with them, but when it came to recess they mostly played with their own friends. Tommy
and his friends played sports or wrestled, while Jordan played pretend with the other girls
but she was always the one in charge. Because of their parents strict diets and exercise
Jordan and Tommy were never overweight and were usually the best in P.E. At age seven
Ty put Tommy and Jordan on a little league flag football team. Jordan had always been
extremely coordinated and was good at just about anything she did so she just played and
had fun, but Tommy, who was also coordinated and good at many things he did, felt he
had to be great at everything to impress his dad because he was the son. This put extra
pressure on him to win and be the best.
The twins flew through first grade, so Jennifer discussed the idea of using the money they
had saved for a house and use it to put Jordan and Tommy in a private school that
challenges the children and teaches them things to stimulate healthy brain functions.
They talked it over with his parents and they said they would allow them to stay till they
saved up the money for a house. When they entered the new school they had to wear
uniforms Tommy didn’t mind them so much but Jordan wasn’t a fan she enjoyed
choosing her own clothes. Tommy was very good at paying attention even when the class
clowns and disruptive kids would make a scene (he has selective attention, because he
can block out other distractions and focus on task, Ch. 7 pg. 243). That kid making such a
fuss was usually Jordan she often had to go to the principal’s office because of this, they
call Jennifer and Ty and told them their daughter was very distractive and might have a
problem. So they took her to a specialist to see if she had a learning disability (something
that slows down the childes learning and is not caused from physical, mental disability or
home stress, Ch. 7 pg.265). The specialist tested her for ADD and ADHD (Attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder, when a child is impulsive and inattentive, Ch. 7 pg.263).
When they got the results they were relieved that she didn’t have either, they just told
them she is a normal 8 year old girl. So they went to the school and showed them she
didn’t have any learning disability. The school responded by telling them that if she
continues to be a disturbance she would have to be taken out of class and put in a special
class for children who disrupt and to be taught how to listen to the teachers and to be
more obedient. So they put her in a contract program so she had to get her parents and
teacher’s signatures saying she did her homework and class work and if she did this for a
month she wouldn’t have to do it anymore. When Jordan didn’t listen she was put into a
class for 30 min a day to help her be more obedient. In this class were other kids who
needed help to concentrate and to listen to rules. One of the boys in there could hardly
speak and would repeat himself and twitch his hands around (he had autism:
developmental disorder where the child can not relate with other people normally and has
trouble with speech and are self absorbed, Ch. 7 pg. 266). This intrigued Jordan she
wondered what was wrong with this kid. She later asked the teacher and she explained
the disorder to her after that Jordan felt bad that he couldn’t do all the things she could.
Now that they both had started their careers and saved up enough they bought a
new house as an investments and the kids still went to private school. At age 10 Tommy
started playing football with pads and helmets, and Jordan started playing soccer. Tommy
would always try to be the best and he often looked at how well the other kids were doing
to see how he was doing (he is displaying social comparison where children judge
themselves against their peers, Ch. 8 pg. 274). Tommy and Jordan were always close
because they are twins and they are the only kids so they have a close relationship with
their parents as well, this is known as a nuclear family (family with both biological
parents and children under the age of 18, Ch.8 pg.282).
Ty and Jennifer always told them not to fight and to do avoid it at all costs but
they also told them to never let one another get hurt and to stand up for other kids if they
are defenseless. When they were in the third grade Tommy left his friend alone to use the
restroom, when he returned his friend was being called names because he had glasses and
had red hair and was shy and weaker (Tommy’s friend is considered a withdrawn rejected
child who is bullied because he is timid and withdrawn Ch.8 pg. 294). Tommy told him
to ignore it and they left. His friend was one of the kids that were bullied by this group of
boys. At lunch a few weeks later they took his food and threw it away Tommy got up and
told them to pay his friend back the other kids laughed and mocked them both. Tommy
was a very nice kid and was considered popular especially since his sister was and they
always played with each other’s friends. So the next week these kids pushed his friend off
the top of the slide Tommy had enough and grabbed the kid who push his friend and
punched him strait in the face and pushed him down the stairs to the slide. Tommy got in
trouble for breaking the kids arm when he fell down the stairs.
His parents grounded him for the week and told him that he was right for standing
up for his friend but didn’t have to be so aggressive. They didn’t want to let him think it
was ok to fight but it was ok to defend someone who can’t. In fourth grade Jordan was on
the other side she was friends with a group of girls who picked on these couple girls for
calling them names (bully victim someone who taunts the bully and the bully then inflicts
harm Ch.8 pg.295). She was reported and got in trouble with the rest of her friends. Her
parents grounded her for three weeks and told her just because her friends were doing
doesn’t mean she should and that she should ignore the other girls if they call her names.
She started to play with her brother more than her other friends and she became
the target f both group of girls. Her once friends thought she betrayed them and the other
girls made fun of her for playing with the losers. She didn’t take her or her brother being
called losers very well and grabbed her by the hair and punched her. Needless to say she
was grounded for even longer and put in an anger management class. They were still
considered popular but some groups didn’t like them because they defended the weaker
kids. Ty and Jennifer decided that they needed to keep them more busy to eliminate this
behavior, they put Tommy in basketball once football was over and Jordan in softball and
basketball as well as her soccer. They also decided to give them pets to teach them
responsibility. They both got a dog. Ty wanted to push them so they would be able to go
to any college they wanted.