"My Connections to Play."

Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.

Kay Redfield Jamison: Contemporary American professor of psychiatry

A child who does not play is not a child, but the man who does not play has lost forever the child who lived in him.

Pablo Neruda

As a child I enjoyed playing. Back then play to me was so much more exciting and more meaningful because we created most of it. We had toys we played with that were bought but I had for fun with the toys we created on our own. As a child my parents encouraged us to play more outside because we were not allowed to play in the house. Even in school we had more time for recess than children do now. I can remember how Mr. Carter would take us to a big field on his mother’s land and lets us play baseball during the week. I also remember on the weekends our church would allow us to participate in different activities at the park or the local gym. I had video games as a child but I preferred to play outside.

Play today for children is so much different from when I was a child. You don’t see as many children outside playing as you did when I was a child. Video games, computers, and the lack of parental encouragement are some reasons I believe play has changed.

Playing as a young child helped me define who I was and what I was good at doing. It helped me build positive relationships, gain respect for others, and how to interact with others in a positive way. I also encouraged my children to play when they were younger so they could experience what I did. My children are totally different from me when I was a child I remember playing outside beyond elementary years but they act as if they are allergic to being outside. The older they got the less time they had for outside play. They love to dance, sing, and technology, but outside play is very important in how they develop. But I now have the luxury of engaging in play with my nephews who love to play especially outside.

Relationship Reflection

     Healthy relationships are an important component of health and wellbeing. There is tons of evidence that strong relationships contribute to a healthy, happy, and long life. Relationships are designed to help fulfill important needs. They also require you to give something that someone may be lacking or longing for. Relationships are also important because they can have a long lasting effect on others. No one person can deal with all situations alone. We will face some difficult situations in life and the relationships we have with others can help us deal with them much easier than ding it alone.

   There are so many people who I rely on and have built strong relationships with. All these people help me in different ways and have made life so much easier for me.  My mother has always had a positive effect on my life. Because I was a teenage mom she helped and supported me so that I was able to be a better mom to my children and also be able to finish school. My family is the strongest support system I have. Not Just my immediate family but my entire family the Davis Family. Although we may not see each other regularly, and we may fuss and fight, we have a bond that can never be broken. My church Family has instilled in me certain values that have taken me a long way in this life. Because of this we are able to change the lives of so many people within our community. We are actively involved in outreach services that require us to work closely together which has strengthened our relationships beyond just going to church. This is what makes these relationships also partnerships. The relationship I have with my children is like no other. We are far from being perfect but what we have taught each other over the years we stay with us for a life time.

With any relationship there are challenges. These challenges come in many forms. So many people are not aware of the positive attributes that relationships bring. This unawareness can cause unnecessary strain. Jealously is one thing that can be a challenge in developing relationship. Bias opinions can also present challenges in building strong relationships.

  These relationships impact my work as an effective early childhood professional because I am familiar with how they can have a positive impact on a person’s life. They also help me to help others who may not understand why they are important. The most important thing is me knowing the affect these relationships had on my life and how they helped me to become successful. Without these relationships I may not have been able to accomplish so many things. This is also true for young children; they will need as much support as they can get to be successful. We should not take that for granted by allowing different challenges to prevent children from building positive relationships.