" My Connections to Play"

“My Connections to Play”

In our play we reveal what kind of people we are.

By: Ovid
Roman poet
43 BC–17 or 18 AD

Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.

By: Kay Redfield Jamison
Contemporary American professor of psychiatry

  

 

 

 My parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins supported play when I was a young child.  I can remember on Sundays we would go into the yards and play kickball the entire day. The pictures of the children playing tag, hide and seek, and patty cake were some of the play activities that I endured during my childhood. It was such a fun time in my life, because I was spending time with my family in a playful manner.  Play was a big part of my life, because we were raised to spend our afternoons and weekends on the outside.  Even, when the weather was cold, we still would go outside and play.  In the summer time we would pretend that we were Indians and we would build tepees. My family encouraged play by providing outdoor and indoor materials that gave us an opportunity to learn and share experiences. 

Today play is not the same for younger children.  We encourage, support, and create play in the classrooms, but from another observant view of play I feel that children are not really indulging in play like we use to as children.  I remember that we tried to teach the children “Simon Says” and they were totally not engaged.  Children today are not focused on play, instead they would rather be entertained by playing video games or on the computer.  However, children still love to play “Hide and Seek’ and “Lil Sally Walker”.  Furthermore children still like to run and be rough while they are playing.  Play is important because it focuses on the physical and social development of young children. If more play was incorporated in the home and school, childhood obesity will decline. I feel that play should be re-enforced because it gives children a concept of being free to explore and be creative as they share experiences with family and friends.

Play in my childhood was a wonderful experience.  Play taught me how to balance out my life and not be intense about stressful events.  Today play is still a key concept in my adulthood.  I engage in play with the children in my class, and I spend countless hours of play with my own children, family, and friends.  The role of play in my childhood has continued throughout my adulthood, and I want to continue to have play in my life as I grow older with my children and family.  I want my children to have the same experience with play the same way I did.

Relationship Reflection

The relationships and partnerships in my life are what inspires and represent the person that I am and the person that I want to become.

My husband, Travis is my rock.  The relationship that he and I have is unbreakable.  We endure good and bad times together.  We depend on our faith in God to lead and guide us through a successful marriage and making wise decisions in raising our children.  The challenges that have been handed to me through live have been bad, but it was a blessing to have the relationship and hand of my husband to hold me through my bad days, but even better on my good days. My husband is my encourager and my supporter, regardless of what path I choose to take in my life.

My mom, Betty is the reason that I am able to follow my dreams.   She encouraged and supported me through my childhood dreams, and she is still my number one supporter as pursue other goals and aspirations in my life.  The relationship that we have grows stronger as we both grow older.  I realize that the way she raised me was based on values and integrity.  Therefore, I am thankful for our relationship.

My father, Clifton, was guide through church. Our relationship was defined on the leaning and depending on God.  He taught me the most important relationship that I will ever have with anyone in life will be God. Our relationship, because of this is amazing, most of all spiritual.

Tavion, Mackenzie, and Kaleb made me learn to more compassionate, more nurturing, and more understanding.  When a child comes to school sad, I will be the first to show that child compassion and love instantly.  The relationship with my three kids is precious.  My relationship with them is warm and patient, because that is what they have taught me how to be over the past five years.

My friend Erin is my angel. Our relationship has made me such a better person.  She always gives me positive advice about my life.  She taught me to treat people how you want to be treated and never take a friend for granted.  Our relationship has helped me gain a better understanding of honesty and friend.  She is a wonderful person, who good behavior has influenced me to be a better person.

Each relationship that was mentioned above has involved a personal challenge.  However, I overcame all of those challenges and formed bonds in the relationship that will last for a lifetime.  For example, I was very disobedient as a child, but my mom and dad provided me with a guidance that my negative behavior of wanting to be grown before my time did not turn into a negative outcome.

The relationship with my kids gives me a stronger virtue of being an effective, nurturing, and caring early childhood professional. My relationship with my parents has taught me how to be respectful, therefore as an early childhood professional I know respect is major part of developing relationships with my co-workers, children, parents and the community in which I work.  My relationship that I have with my friend Erin reflects how I am an open-minded communicator, which is the foundation for working in the Early Childhood Field.

The relationship that consists of the words trust and marriage has turned my relationship with my husband into a partnership.