My Connections to Play

“For a small child there is no division between playing and learning; between the things he or she does ‘just for fun’ and things that are ‘educational.’ The child learns while living and any part of living that is enjoyable is also play.

 ~ Penelope Leach (psychologist and author)

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

~Kay Redfield Jamison (professor of psychiatry)

 I had many toys growing up. Here are three that I use to play a lot with my sister.

                   

When I was a young child, my parents were all about us being outside and active at all times unless it was a rainy day. We were never really allowed to watch television unless it was after our baths right before bedtime. My parents along with everyone around me had the same feeling and understanding that children needed to play and use their imagination instead of sitting doing nothing like watching television. My sisters and I along with all the children around us would all play together. Some things we would do are: swing, ride bikes, hula hoop, jump rope, play tag, hide and go seek, or cops and robbers, any much more. We were always being encouraged and motivated by the adults.

I feel that play when I was growing up is completely different than play today. As a child, we had video games, television, radio, etc. just like children today have. The difference is, children today start out young just sitting in front of the television or playing games on the tv or computer just to stay busy and occupied as to not bother their parents or siblings. The motivation to use their imagination is not there like it was when I was a child. The parenting ethics are different because children today do not have their parents forcing them outside to run and be creative in play. I hope that children learn enough from their teachers that it makes them want to go out and play and run wild. I hope that one day the attitude of play and video games changes back to the way things were when life did not revolve around electronics.

Play is part of what made me the way I am today. I was able to learn how to play in a structured or unstructured setting. Play has helped children including myself develop socially, cognitively, physically, and intellectually. Play stays with you throughout your childhood and into adulthood. I feel as though learning to play as a young child has helped me when I work in groups or with colleagues. It has also played a role in helping me to be flexible and patient. Play helps children learn qualities and skills that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. One will not realize this though until they are older.

Relationship Reflection

Relationship Reflection

Relationships/ partnerships are important to me for many reasons. I have built many great relationships/ partner both in my personal life and in my professional life. The relationships/ partnerships I have are extremely important to me because they are people who help me grow and develop as a person. They are people who I can trust and who give me advice or lend an ear when I just need to talk.

I currently have several people with whom I currently have a positive relationship with. Some of the most important people to me are: My son, my mom, my two sisters, and many more.

The first person who means the world to me is my son. He may only be 8 months old, but he completes my life in ways I never knew were possible. Since the day he was born we have had nothing but the best of days. He is the happiest boy in the world and intern can change my bad days to good days just by being with me. We have built a relationship on trust, security, care, and love. The relationship I have with him now will only grow and get stronger as he gets older.



The second person is my mother. My mom is the person I look up to the most. She is the strongest woman I know who does above and beyond what anyone and everyone expects of her. I hope I can only be as great as her as I grow. Our relationship was also built on trust and love. She was the person who taught me everything I know. She is the person I go to with questions, problems, or just someone to talk to. My mom gives me the best advice. Being open with my mom has only helped our relationship. 

The third relationship I would like to share is my relationship with my sisters. I have an older sister and a younger sister. They have been by my side through thick and thin. They too have the best advice a sister could ask for. Our relationship has grown over the years. I know my sisters and I can trust each other and can run to each other for anything. We may all live in different places, but we are only a phone call away.

 

Any relationship can have challenges however those challenges are not something that can’t be fought through. Relationships can take work but after the hard work is done, you will have a strong positive relationship to share in. Some things relationships need are: trust, understanding, love, being open, willing, etc. I have also learned that at first relationships might take time to build but once they are built, they will last a lifetime. I have also learned that when a relationship is hurt, they will take time to rebuild and that will take a lot of time and effort.

To have a great positive relationship, you need to possess special characteristics. I think if a person is trustworthy, able to listen and give advice when needed, open, patient, and flexible, they will build relationships that could potentially turn into partnerships.

I personally have had experiences where I met someone who became my friend and later opened a school and in return I was able to land a job in her school and we have now had a great partnership the last two years. Great relationships pay off when grown to partnerships. I could not be any happier with the way my positive relationships are growing.

Being able to hold positive relationships and partnerships with people is a great characteristic to have when wanting to be an effective early childhood professional. If you already know how to have a partnership, it would be easy for you to work as a team in an early childhood setting. The better you can work with others, the more effective your team can be. When working in a partnership, it is a team effort to make decisions based on the best interest of the children.