MY CONNECTION TO PLAY

My Connection to Play

Play is not only our creative drive; it’s a fundamental mode of learning.” ~ David Elkin (psychologist, author)

Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold.” ~ Joseph Chilton Pearce (author)

During play children are able to use their creative imaginations to discover and learn through play.  Play and creativity is the fundamental or the building block of learning.  

As a young child I think back to those long summer days of spending the day with my cousins at my grandmother’s house.  We loved to play on swings, riding our bikes and just playing outside. I one of the two girls out of five boys around so needless to say we also played with trucks and cars a lot.

I also had two older brothers at home who were a bit too old to play with me because my baby brother was 11 years older than I but that didn’t stop me from begging him to ride me around on his four wheeler or to pull me around in my wagon. As a child you could hardly ever find me playing in the house or watching television.  I wasn’t a big fan of playing with baby dolls but instead rather be outside playing.

At school I was a fan of the swing set and I loved to paint. Another thing I absolutely loved at home and school was playing house and cooking. I can remember many times cooking up a concoction for my family members that they would try sometimes but would often refuse to try.

I feel as though play has changed so much since I was child. As a child I was always outside in the yard playing and our parents didn’t expect us to come in until dark. However, youth today doesn’t spend as much time playing outside because they are consumed with music, playing video games and watching television.  

I’m a mother of two sons, ages 14 and 6 who both rather be outside than inside and I think my love of the outdoors influenced them and for that reason I believe that’s why they love the outdoors.

REFLECTING ON BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

RELATIONSHIP REFLECTION

I consider myself very blessed and fortunate to have the relationships I have with my family, friends, coworkers and parents and families I serve.  I will start my blog off with the people I have a very special relationship with first which is my family. I am a product of a mother and father who were still married and living together when my father died 11 years ago and I have two siblings, two brothers.  I was considered the baby of the family because my baby brother was 11 when I was born.  I had a very close relationship with my father who was in his late forties when I was born and he passed away 11 years ago.  My father is one individual who I shared such a special relationship with.  As a little girl I can remember all of the times I would be sick or needed someone to hold me, he was always there.  I can recall many nights I would be up with a virus or fever and he would be the one who would get up with me. I love my mother deeply, but my dad never hesitated when I called his name.  As I began the adventure to adulthood and begin dating I compared the men I dated to the characteristics of my dad. However, when I begin dating my husband some 20 years ago he was so much like my father that I fell in love immediately.  The next person whom I share such a close and special relationship with is my husband, whom I will be married to for 19 years  in June.   We married in 1992 and blessed with our first child in 1996 and our second in 2004.  When we first announced that we were getting married we had a lot of family and friends who were against us who thought we were too young and we would never make it but I can say, “they were wrong”.   We not only have a marriage but a partnership which in cooperates a lot of compromising.  In order for a marriage/partnership to be successful there has to be compromising.  As a golden rule if you see one of us then you will see both if we are not at work. A newly made friend of mine asked that I go away with her for a weekend and I had to explain to her that I’m married and me nor my husband go on vacation without the other one, however, a day of shopping or dinner I will do. To some this may sound silly, but for us it works because we rather are together than with our friends.  I feel that my life would not be complete without my husband. It is so very special to me as well as my children and other family members.

I also have a very special relationship with my co-worker.  I can call my co-worker at any time of the day or night and she is always there for me. We don’t participate in outside work activities but I consider her as a best friend. Having this special relationship with my co-worker enriches the environment of our early learning center which is conducive for learning, which produces a positive outcome. I also feel that having this relationship also makes my work more productive. I have worked at many different places and have had to work with people whom I didn’t get along with so well and my work suffered.

I also feel that I have several parents whom I currently have special relationships with. I feel that it’s so important that I have these positive partnerships established with the parents and families I serve if I want to see my children and families to be successful.  Research has shown the importance of building a positive relationship with the families of educators.  Research has shown if these relationships are formed then academic success occurs and social and emotional skills increase.