My Connections to Play

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” 

                                                                                                ~George Bernard Shaw

“Life is playfulness…we need to play so that we can rediscover the magic all around us.”

                                                                                                ~ Flora Colao

“If you never did you should.  These things are fun and fun is good.”

                                                                                                ~Dr. Seuss

                               

When I was young my parents encouraged play by allowing us to go and play by ourselves.  We were always being told “Why don’t you go play.”  I am one of four sisters and we were always encouraged to go and play together.   We enjoyed playing hide and go seek outside and during many family events we would have a large game with many people.   We played a lot with Barbie dolls and our Cabbage Patch Kids.  We also played outside on our swing set.  We liked to play board games with each other.  When we were young it was games like Hungry Hippos and Hi Ho Cherry-o and as we got older the games became more intellectual like Trivial Pursuit and Boggle.  We still enjoy playing board games with our families.  Our parents encouraged play by letting us play alone, but they were also involved in our play a great deal and often made it a family event. 

I think play today is similar because there are still games that you can play that I played as a child.  I think children also still enjoy playing outside with games like hide and go seek and sport related games.  I think that another similarity is that play is still fun for children when they are able or encouraged to be involved in it.  I think one of the differences in play today is that it is not encouraged as much as it used to be.  Children are spending more time in front of electronic equipment and video games and are not engaging as much in imaginative play.  Parents find this kind of “play” easier because they are busy as well and do not have much time to “play” with their children.   I also feel like safety is an issue in play today.  I know that when I was a child we were allowed to go outside and ride our bikes to our friend’s house who lived 4 miles away.  We played outside all the time alone.  Today I feel like I have to be outside with my children if they are out there and I am not comfortable with having them ride around the block because of the potential for violence or danger.  My hope is that children are able to find a way to play no matter what situation they live in or where they live.  I hope that children are still encouraged to play and that it is still important in their lives.  My hope is that children will learn through play and love to learn because of it. 

I think that play is very important in early childhood because it aids in the development of many skills.  I don’t think that the importance stops there.    I think that it is important in every stage of our lives.  I completely agree with the quote at the top of this blog because it is play which keeps us young at heart.  I know that some of my happiest moments are those moments when I am fully engaged in play with my children.  I can see the look of joy on their faces and I can feel it within my heart. 

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are those connections that we have with other people and how we feel about them.  Partnerships on the other hand are the relationships that we have with people who are involved in the same activities or groups that we may be involved in.  I think relationships and partnerships go hand and hand and often partnerships develop into very strong relationships.  Relationships that we have with the important people in our lives shape the people we are and will become from the very moment of birth.  It is these relationships that strengthen, support, encourage, and uplift us.  It is for this reason that it is important to have several positive relationships in our lives.  I know that I would not be the person that I am without the relationships that I have developed over the course of my life and I have many positive relationships that keep my life grounded and remind me daily of how blessed my life truly is.

My Positive Relationships 

The most important relationship that I have and the one that is the basis for all of my other relationships is with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I am a devout Christian and I have a close relationship with the Lord.  This relationship was made when I was born(because He breathed life into me) but did not blossom until about 12 years ago when I asked Jesus to be the Lord of my life.  From that moment on I have learned what life is truly about and because of the relationship I have with God(He has filled me with love), the relationships that I have with other people in my life have become stronger.  God has taught me what it means to love other people and accept them for who they are and not who I would like them to be.   God has taught me that love is unconditional and we need to love others the way He has love us.  I have taken this love and this relationship and used it to make the relationships that I have with others even stronger because I now know what it means to be loved and I want to make other people feel that same love from me.    
                       

My biological family(dad, mom, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins) is another positive relationship that I have.  I have a semi-large family that is very close.  My family gets together for every one's birthdays and holidays and we celebrate together.  It is this closeness that has led me to know that I would always have someone in my corner.  We are always there for each other and the love in our family is one that some people have never known.  As with any family, there are challenges and people don't always see eye to eye but I think what is special with the family that I have is that we always forgive each other and accept each other even if we tend to disagree at times.  We are not the type of family to hold grudges or not speak to each other for years and I think this has taught me to be forgiving.  I have learned that it is ok to disagree with someone and still love them for the person that they are. 

One of the closest relationships I have in my family is with my grandma.  My parents have lived next door to my grandparents since I was 5 years old.  I have become very close to my grandma and she has definitely been a great influence on the person that I am.  I am who I am because of the love and support she has shown to me.  She is a very strong woman who has taught me that it is always important to remember that I am worth something and worth loving.  She is the glue that holds our family together and because of our relationship I have learned to be giving, caring, and encouraging.  I have learned the importance of family and making sure to stay in touch with everyone.  She has taught me that family is love and love is everlasting!

I think the greatest relationship and the one I know I can always count on is the relationship I have with my sisters.  I have 3 sisters one of whom one is my twin.  My sisters and I are very close and love one another very much.  We do not always agree with each other but we are always there for each other no matter what.  I know that I will always have someone in my corner when I am facing difficult times because I have my sisters.  We share a love that has been growing since we were young.  I am very close to all of them but the bond that I share with my twin sister is like nothing I have ever experienced.  She is like an extended part of me and she makes me whole.  We live 5 hours away from each other right now and it is very difficult because I always feel like a part of me is not here.  We cherish the times that we can get together and when we are together, we are inseparable.  The best thing about our relationship is that it is unconditional and I know that my children have a second mother in her.  We love each others' children as if they were our own and there is nothing more comforting than that.  These women in my life have taught me strength, courage, dignity, honesty, giving, nurturing, and most of all love..Without them, I wouldn't be half of who I am today. 

Almost 18 years ago God took all of the love he had for me and put it in the man who is the love of my life.  Next to the relationship I share with the Lord my relationship with my husband is what is most important to me.  He is the best friend I could ever have hoped for and he makes me feel loved and valued always.  Our relationship is based on love, communication, honesty, and trust.  Although every marriage has issues(and ours is not any different) we have always remained dedicated to the love that brought us together.  I think because we have a love that was blessed by God and we keep God as a center of that love, we are able to withstand any obstacles or difficulties that life can throw our way.  He is my rock, my support, and the one place that I can feel safe and secure.  It is because of his love that I have had the chance to build a great relationship as a mother.  We have been blessed with four beautiful children and I share a very strong relationship with each one of them as well.  I know that I was given these children on loan (from God) and it is my purpose to show them love and protection and give them the guidance they will need to survive in a world that is not always kind or giving.  My children will learn from me that the relationships that they have are very important and that they need to treasure each one.  I hope that I am teaching them how to love and how to give that love unconditionally.  I want the relationship that we share to always be open and honest and I want to make sure that they know that they always have someone in their corner who is encouraging and supporting them.  Most of all I want them to always feel loved and to build their relationships by passing that love on. 

 

I also have many friends with whom I share very close relationships. Friendships are one of the greatest blessings we can be given and in many cases I feel as if my friends are part of my family.  The love I feel for them is the same love that I feel for my family.  I feel that God gives us some friendships for a season(for our benefit, or for theirs) and others for a lifetime.  I have had friendships that have lasted for awhile and then slowly dwindled away and others that have been here and will remain with me always.  I think that in each case I have learned from those people in my life and I know that God put them there for a purpose, even if that purpose was not for us to be friends forever.  In other friendships I know that I will be friends with that person always no matter how time or space may separate us.  In my friendships I know that I have people with whom I can be myself and they love me for the person that I am.  My friendships are another way that I feel encouraged, supported, and loved.  These relationships are important to me because friends can give us another way of looking at things when we are going through difficult times.  They are there to support, but also to give advice and understanding.  The relationship that I have with my friends is one that I treasure and I always look forward to the times that I can go out with my friends and share stories and laughter.  My friends make my heart smile and I know that my life is truly blessed with these relationships that I have with them.

I believe that many of the relationships that we have are also partnerships at different times.  I believe that my marriage is definitely a partnership because we are involved in raising children together.  We have to partner together for this cause and I have always believed that marriage is a 50/50 relationship where the people work together for the good of the whole.  I think that is what makes my marriage so strong.  I also believe that when you go through experiences in your life, then you are involved in partnerships with the people who are going through those experiences with you.  I have developed friendships with my colleagues at work, but we also have a partnership in educating young children.  We are working together in order to give children the best we can and because of that partnership we have created lasting friendships and relationships.  Sometimes we develop partnerships first and then those partnerships can develop into lasting relationships(friends) and sometimes we develop relationships that can also be partnerships at times(mothers and fathers).  I think the two definitely go hand and hand and the most important thing to remember is that the basis for both is respect, trust, honesty, and love. 

I think all of these relationships and partnerships impact my work as an early childhood professional because they have made me the person that I am.  I think that if I hadn't had the positive and loving relationship with my family growing up, then I may not have valued my life as much.  I think it is the love that I have felt my whole life and have been able to share that makes me a good educator.  I care deeply about people and I want to give children the chance to learn how to do the same.  I want to make children and others feel as if they are valued and that if no one else in their life cares about them, they know(at least for the amount of time they are with me) that they are important and worthy.  It is my goal to impact the lives of others by creating a positive caring relationship or partnership that they hopefully will pass on to others.

Relationship Reflection