MY CONNECTIONS TO PLAY

QUOTES:

(That remind me of my childhood) 

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.” – Mr. Rogers

"In play a child always behaves beyond his average age, above his daily behavior. In play it is as though he were a head taller than himself"

Lev Vygotsky
Russian psychologist
1896–1934

From what I remember, I really enjoyed playing with.....

... I still play with my Super Nintendo, I encourage my God son to play with pots and pans to make music, my little cousins love playing with my huge Barbie selection, and playing with sticks with my class is the most fun part of each day!

When I was younger I played with everything from sticks outside to my rock and shell collections, all the way to barbies and action figures. I loved dressing up and pretending to be a doctor and dressing my younger brother up in turn giving myself a sister. My mom even has pictures of me somewhere playing with pots and pans.  My parents grew up in the West Indies and often reminisced about how they made their own toys, from milk carton cars to grass dolls. Their upbringing and strong feelings to wards children needing to play and explore influenced my love of playing and getting as creative as possible. I'd make dolls out of clay and paper, plan extravagant trips for our toys, pretend the living room table was a spaceship.... Anything. I played for a long time, when most people were turning away from toys my Christmas list was still full of requests.

     Play today is much different because parents today seem to think kids are fragile. I hope I'm able to explain that correctly.  I remember going to the park, climbing over rocks, falling down skinning my knee, getting back up and making friends. What I've seen recently is parents limiting play locations to playgrounds and indoor play spaces. There's not as much leeway to go exploring as I remember growing up, then again the world is crazier than it used to be so I understand the need to be safe and contained.  There's also a lot of playing on IPADS, which upsets me. Apps are not substitutes for running around outside, socializing, and playing. It's infuriating that so many parents have given up on letting their kids be kids and have settled for plopping them in front of an iPad to get their daily dose of playtime. 

     I've always loved play. My parents encouraged it when I was younger and they're both still playful now. We played dodgeball in my house last thanksgiving! I play scrabble with my mom occasionally, we all take turns playing with younger generations.  My brother lets my younger cousins play games where he's the "bad guy" and needs to be captured.  I'm thankful I was born into such a playful family. I play basketball with my godson and video games by myself, play will always be apart of my life. The parents of my students always always always make comments about how much fun I am and how they love watching me play with their kids because you can't tell us apart (myself at age 26 and 3-4 year olds ha). Play is important for all ages, whether you have access to toys or need to get creative, you need play to flourish and learn. 

References 

http://www.oneperfectdayblog.net/2013/02/21/quotes-about-the-importance-of-play/

http://www.museumofplay.org/education/education-and-play-resources/play-quotes

RELATIONSHIP REFLECTION

Relationships are important to me because they help you gain a better understanding of who you are and what your place is in the world.  A relationship can help build you up or knock you down, you can learn about skills you didn't know you embodied or you could learn about your weaknesses.  Everyone that you have a relationship with is important, from the family you are given to the friends you choose.  Every relationship that I maintain is important to me.  I don't make a habit of keeping anyone around me that does not have a positive effect on my life.  Along my personal journey I have had to let go of family and friends alike that brought me down.  Sometimes people use their relationship with you to manipulate you and see how much they can take, which is horrible, but that journey is also one I appreciate because it helps to build strength in character. 
 My most important relationships are the ones with my family.  Over the years I have added friends to that list as well, but I'm referring to my immediate family.  My mom is one of 22 and one of them I include in my immediate family as well because she helped my parents raise me since they both worked full time.  I could not imagine not being able to communicate with them, they provide everything from advice to support on a daily basis.  Even though my brother only answers his phone once in a blue moon, I appreciate him as well.  It took me awhile to realize how important family was, I had a long stage where I thought that I only needed my friends.  Boy am I glad that I grew out of that!  Especially now that I live alone, I spend more time bothering my family than I do any of my friends.
I met my best friend when I was eight years old.  Her version of our meeting starts at age ten, in fifth grade, but that's something I've been working on letting go... Even though she is wrong haha.  I love my best friend! She was the reason I initially realized I was interested in the early childhood education field, despite my mother telling me for years to become a teacher.  I could talk to my best friend about everything and nothing at the same time for hours.  She's also married and has a son, and the relationships I have with her new family (as well as her old family) are ones that I cherish as well!
My friends from undergrad have also turned into my family as well.  I started school early during the summer before fall semester and was apart of a science program where I was able to meet some really great people.  The lessons learned from age 17 through graduation at 22 were incomparable to anything I've ever experienced.  My roommates have taught me more than I could have ever imagined learning from anyone, my friends I speak to on a daily basis.  Every once in a while I'll even get a random text or email from someone with a random memory or simply checking in on how I'm doing.  I appreciate my undergrad relationships.  It's amazing to have gone through the early stages of adulthood and finding myself with such great people. 
I've also gone to a ton of concerts, my friends that I've made concert hopping are also considered family now.  We've road tripped, had amazing luck stories, hung out with stars, lived backstage at concerts, and experienced a slew of other extremely rad moments that nobody else would ever understand or believe.  We're a group of misfits that found each other one by one and we all love each other.  
I also appreciate my relationships with my coworkers.  Both in school and at the hospital.  The wealth of information I learn from them is overwhelming.  Living in New York City it has been impossible for me to live and only have one job, so I spend most of my time working.  Between teaching, overnights in a hospital, tutoring, and babysitting, I am always busy.  Being around my coworkers for most of my week has been a joy for the most part.  When they aren't being crazy and letting work get to them, they are all amazing people.  I have one in particular that knows literally everything about everything and inspired me to finally get my masters! 
My biggest challenge is making time to maintain these relationships.  Everyone above (minus my family and best friend) is constantly upset with me because I put work first.  As much as I would like it to, catching up and not working does not pay my bills and a lot of the people in my life don't understand my dedication.  I love them, I know that they love me, but I have to do what makes sense.  These relationships will change if I end up being in a position where I need more than a conversation because I chose to hang out instead of work and lost my job & home.  That's my biggest problem with relationships and partnerships, there aren't enough hours in a day to please everyone.  I try, I really do try, but I can't keep up most of the time.  
Having a partnership, to me, means you are working towards a common goal.  Everyone in my life wants each other to do and have better than they do.  One thing about the relationships that I have is that, while they may seem selfish when they don't receive enough attention, they want whats is best for me and they remain supportive.   
Being an early childcare professional has helped to develop and enhance my patience.  I believe that has helped my relationships in life more than I could have every imagined.  I'm able to problem solve and listen better, I don't get upset as easily...  If you can solve a dispute between three year olds, watch a four year old learn how to read, and spend a year preparing young minds for kindergarten while paying attention to all problems and maintaining a relationship with their families your chosen relationships and family relationships become much easier.  I love all of the classes that I've been apart of, I even keep in contact with some of the families till this day.  I went to a birthday party upstate a week ago, I babysit previous students, and tutor others.  I'm thankful for those relationships as well.