My Connections to Play

Quotes about Play:

“Play is the beginning of knowledge.” ~ Anonymous

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

“It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them.” ~ Leo Buscaglia (author, educator)

http://www.childsplaymagazine.com/Quotes/index.htm

Play Today
Children play today just like they have always have.  However, the toys are very different than when I was growing in the 1970s.  Many of the toys today don't allow the children to use their imaginations.  They are often electronic and don't offer children the chance to use it in different ways.  The best toys, in my opinion, are blocks, dolls, cars, trucks, trains, etc.  Children need toys that foster their imagination.

I think it's important for everyone to play.  It alieviates stress in children and adults.  I love playing with my children.  My daughter loves to color and I like to sit with her and color, too.  It is very relaxing.  Right now, my children and I really like to go the Six Flags and ride roller coasters together.  I am having a great time playing with my children.  Each new stage in their lives gives me the chance to remember and experience a different stage of play.

My Favorite Childhood Toys

I loved playing with Little People, Barbies, and Dolls.  I could play for hours in my room by myself.  My mother bought all the Little People items she could find.  We had the castle, a house, a ferris wheel, and the lion country safari set.  My mom kept them all and now her grandkids play with them and love them as much as I did. 



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Relationship Reflection

·       We have all kinds of relationships.  Family, work, close friends, casual acquaintances, pets, classmates, and students and their families.  All of these relationships play an important role in my life.  My family is first and foremost.  I will put them above all other relationships.    They are in my mind with each decision I make.  My pets are also very special to me.  They provide me unconditional love and they are never judgemental.  It is so relaxing to play tug-o-war with the dogs or just listen to the cats purr. 

·      The relationships I have formed at work are also very important to me.  I work with 2 amazing teachers, Mrs. Rademacher and Mrs. Coleman.  They serve as an inspiration and a friend.  They are always there to give advice or just listen.  I don’t know what I would do without them.  

·        My students are also very important to me, but are also the most challenging relationship.  I am there because I want to make a difference in their lives.  Sometimes it is something small, like offering a smile on their worst day or sometimes it’s big, like watching their baby while they go to class.   Sometimes I wonder why I do it, but then something happens to remind me.  Over the years, I have learned to relish the small triumphs and not dwell on the challenges.

·        The relationships that I have built at work are (hopefully) going to help me become an effective early childhood professional.  Once I finish this program, I want to open the first child development in my school district.  My goal is to open it in conjunction with a specialized school for teenage parents.  They will attend school in the same building as the child development center.  They will work in the center in exchange for childcare.  They, and other high school students, will be given the opportunity to work towards their CDA.  In order to achieve this goal, I am going to have to draw on the relationships that I have built within the district.