My Connections to Play

"Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities."Stuart Brown, MD
Contemporary American psychiatrist

"A child loves his play, not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard."Benjamin Spock
American pediatrician
1903–1998

When I was a little girl. I wanted to be a doctor. I wasn't sure what type of doctor I wanted to be but I wanted to be one. My grandmother was very suppportive. She used to let me "work on her" with my play doctor tools. I used to love giving her shots! lol Her feet and ankles used to swell so I would "help" her make the swelling go down with my medical expertise!

I loved playing Nintendo too. And since I wanted to be a doctor so bad, I enjoyed playing Dr. Mario, which is a very strategic game. Matching the pills was a fun concept to me! I believe it helped my brain develop in a more creative way.

To me, play is different for children these days due to technology. Granted, smaller children still play amongst each other but it seems that older children are leaning towards more computer games and game systems. When I was growing up, I played outside with my friends and did a lot of physical activities. Granted I had a game system too but I still enjoyed being outside. I have noticed that a lot children rather play indoors, which to me, limits them to only one type of play. Children should have a variety of play. Being versatile comes with being creative in my eyes. We should encourage children to have an open mind and be willing to try new things indoors and outdoors so they can experience play at all levels with no boundaries...

I believe play has benefitted me throughout my childhood because not only was it a chance for me to be creative, but it was a coping strategy as well. I experienced a lot as a child and play helped me to "escape reality". And now as an adult, when I am "going through something" I find myself doing things such as playing games or "acting silly" in order to take my mind off things. I believe play helps because you have to come up with a strategy to "conquer" or "win", whether it's a game on the computer or a game with friends. And I believe that helps us deal with life better because when we run into a problem, we have to come up with a plan of action to solve it. I also believe play helps children to discover what and who they want to do in life. Look at some of the celebrities who sing. Some of them used to put on concerts for their stuffed animals and/or their friends. Now look at them. They are living out their dreams! Therefore, play not only benefits us as children, but it also benefits us as adults...play is a necessity for all!

Quotes retrieved from: http://www.thestrong.org/about-play/play-quotes

Relationship Reflection

Relationships and partnerships are important to me because I do not like travelling life's journey all by myself. Don't get me wrong, I have my moments when I want to be by myself, not bothered by anyone. However, I have learned many lessons and have heard the best life stories from people. I cannot imagine my life without people. They have played a major part in who I am today.

At this present time, the positive relationships I have in my life are with my Aunt Dorothy, my cousins Michael, Damon, Daishawn and D'cari, my best friend Kim and an old co-worker named Demetrius. All of these relationships are positive to me because all of them display a great deal of reciprocity. We all get something from each other and it is amazing. My Aunt is my support, period. And anything that she asks of me, I try to do. Just because she sacrifices so much for me while taking care of her 4 grandchildren (my cousins). As for Michael and I, I am his mentor basically. But I get a lot from that because I receive positive reinforcement for myself as I give it to him. Damon is like the little brother I never had, only because he is in college now and I get to share my knowledge with him. He works at Mcdonald's as well so I get the hookups on BigMacs and stuff (lol joking). But I get a lot from doing that for him because it feels good to give back, even if it is within my family. This brings me to my other cousin, Daishawn. I tutor him in math. And that alone, makes me feel awesome because I am teaching; again, more reciprocity. And D'cari is the baby of the family. I just love him. He gives me a hard time but I love it. We crack on each other all the time, but we get a kick out of it. He makes me feel young...

Kim is my homegirl. She has been there for me in my times of trouble. I actually ran into a situation today at my home and I had to leave for a while; she was able to come get help me. And in other situations I have been in, she was there for me. We had a small break in our friendship at one point in time but we were able to mend it back together. She gives me good advice and I try to do the same for her. As for Demetruis, I truly believe he is a God send. He is going to help me start my daycare. I think that speaks for itself...

All relationships take work. It is a two-way street. In order for them to be good relationships, it takes effort from both people. For example, Michael and I had a little bit of a dispute recently. And we were really mad at each other. But we were able to talk things out and now we are cool again. You have to make compromises at times.

These relationships I believe are preparing me the business world because I am learning to negotiate and communicate as well as teach and forgive. I believe that all of these characteristics will help me form partnerships, especially in the business world and in my personal life. I do plan to be married one day...

I believe that these relationships and experiences will help me a great deal in the early childhood field because they have caused me to be more open-minded and unbiased. Dealing with people period can be a challenge, regardless of age. We have to learn how to compromise and communicate in order to keep the relationships that we consider to be worth something. And that's what we have to do with the relationships we build in the early childhood field. And this is all for the kids. Just like a mother/father relationship, we have to come together for the children. These experiences have also taught me to be more selfless as well. And we all have to be selfless when it comes to dealing with children. All people and all things are supposed to work together for their betterment and the future...