My Connections to Play

I have very fond memories of playing as a young child. I lived in the upstairs of a very old house with my mom and there was an elderly lady who lived downstairs. I had my own play room and every Saturday morning, I would clean out my toy box. After I had cleaned it out, I would sit in for awhile and play with my toys before putting everything back in.  I played by myself, with my mom, my grandparents, my babysitter, and a little boy who lived next to us. 

Quotes About Children and Play:

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning…They have to play with what they know to be true in order to find out more, and then they can use what they learn in new forms of play.” ~ Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood)’

“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” Kay Redfield Jamison (professor of psychiatry)

This is one of my favorite toys! I remember when my mom bought the box of Crayola Crayons with 64 crayons and a built-in sharpener! I drew pictures until the crayons were just stubs! I loved crayons with points  and looking at all the colors in the box.

Here is my other favorite toy! I have no idea how many miles I put on my tricycle but I have the scars on my legs to prove that this toy was the best! I took it to my babysitter's every day and rode it up and down the sidewalk and then would try to go as fast as I could around the corner and into the driveway without falling off. Ha, I think I feel in the bushes more than I did making it around the corner! 

   My third favorite toy was the sandbox/dirt pile. I played in those two places and Alice, my babysitter gave me all kinds of shovels, bowls, containers, watering cans, whatever I needed to build with and get extremely dirty with! 

I feel that everyone around me as a young child supported me in play and allowed me to do so many hands-on activities with them. It seemed I was never in the house during the day but outside playing. I think everyone really engaged my imagination and that allowed me to pretend and create.

I think play today is similar with outside toys and activities at least. There are still tricycles, sand boxes, and other large motor developmental activities that children still play on and with. But play is different too because children now have video games, computer, hand-held games, television, cell phones, and a whole slew of electronic gadgets that do not encourage them to do anything but sit. 

I felt like I played a lot longer with toys and other outdoor activities because my imagination was so well developed. I played with dolls and Barbies until I was in 6th grade. I played outside whether it was in the snow or going swimming at the pool. I enjoyed play time because I had to find things to do and had no trouble doing it. I now find myself playing with the children in my preschool and trying to be a good role model to them by allowing them to use toys and other open-ended items that will hopefully encourage their imaginations. I think adults need to find a way to play to perhaps get rid of the stress that seems to take over our lives. I think working in a preschool keeps me young at heart!

Relationship Reflection

I was blessed to have found two of the most perfect relationships in the world between my first husband Gary and my second husband Dave. My first husband Gary was an outgoing, friendly, gentle soul who was my best friend for almost 10 years. He blessed me with our daughter and was a good father to my son and his two children from his first marriage. We had good times and bad times but worked together to get through the tough stuff. He was killed in a car accident in 1999 and I thought my world had come to an end. I was brave enough to try again 2 years later when I went on a blind date with a classmate's uncle. This man is truly my soul mate in so many ways that are different from my first marriage. We have so much in common from growing up and graduating the same year to experiences that most people would not understand unless they too had been through the same thing. He took on me and my two children (ages 15 and 8 at the time), not an easy job by any means but did it and has done it well ever since 2003. My children are now "our children" and he loves them as his own. He will do anything for them. He knows me better than I know myself and I can tell him anything and vice versa. In some ways he is like my first husband but in other ways he is the complete opposite.

I can probably say the same thing for my best friend Barb. She and I got to know each other through teaching and our daughters who are the same age. We always say we are sisters separated at birth because we have shared similar experiences, not always happy, and have come a long way in our lives. She truly is the sister I never had and she and I share a bond that cannot be explained. We did not grow up together or even live in the same area until 1992. I can talk to her about so many things and she can talk to me and those confidants are never shared with anyone else. 

My other friend Sherrie and I met through the workplace and just clicked from the first day.  We have a unique friendship that I treasure dearly. I talk to her every day through text or a phone call. She reminds me of my best friend from high school. We both provide a strong shoulder for one another.

I could probably say the same thing about several friends who I have close relationships with. I am not sure if it is because I do not have siblings but I take my friendships and relationships seriously. These relationships are more with people I have met since moving away from the area where I grew up and graduated from. I am not in contact with classmates from high school at all anymore. I feel that the relationships I have now are extensions of my high school friends but on a different level. One fault I have with friendships/relationships is that sometimes I put too much trust into people who I think are a friend but are not. I have learned to step back and evaluate the situation before revealing too much or investing too much. I like to think I am a very outgoing and friendly person. My husband says I can talk to anyone about anything.

Relationships/friendships take work; they are not born that way and need nurturing. I think this is how I see parents in my program who do not know me. We continue to build and establish that relationship and I hope my parents think it is a relationship worth nurturing. I have enjoyed getting to know my parents this year. I have a very unique group of them and  we have established an excellent rapport. I try very hard to communicate with them through newsletters, phone calls, emails, and face-to-face contact. I know I can improve my skills even more and hope that I can do this throughout the remainder of the school year.