My Connections to Play

Quotes About Play

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

Kay Redfield Jamison

When children pretend, they're using their imaginations to move beyond the bounds of reality.  A stick can be a magic wand.  A sock can be a puppet.  A small child can be a superhero.

Fred Rogers

My Essential Play Items

 

Doll House

Kitchen Set

Jump Rope

Play & My Childhood

When I was younger, play was a very big part of my life.  I spent a lot of my time playing and getting to know other children.  My mother was a big supporter and advocate for play for children.  She often told us that it was very important that we learn how to play with other children because working with others would be a big part of our lives.  We would often invite cousins and friends over and my mom would have several different activities for us to participate in.  A lot of the time we did things that focused on creating things and using a lot of arts and crafts.  Also, when I was younger, I started daycare at an early age in which I was exposed to play at an extremely early age.  I can remember playing at times and we were taught to share, be nice, and to make sure everyone was happy at all times.  These types of lessons and activities definitely increased my communication ability, language development, emotional development, and social development.  Therefore, I strongly believe that the role of play supported my healthy development.

My Perception of Play

I feel that when I was a child play was basically a part of life and no one really commented on whether or not it was good or bad.  It was just children learning and playing and having a good time.  I feel that now people are taking the fun out of play and debating on it too much.  Some feel that play is necessary and some feel that play is a waste of time; however, it depends on their definition of play and what is actually going on during the child’s play time.  Children need a little time to be able to express themselves and play with other children.  Play gives them the time to be independent and decide what they want to do or what activities they want to participate in where its playing dress up, being a superhero, playing school, or even playing house.  What ever the case may be adults just need to realize that play is very essential for the healthy development of children.

Play & My Adulthood

I feel that play provided me the opportunity to learn how to communicate and socialize with others in which I feel has contributed to ability to become a social butterfly.  I have people now that often come to me with their problems or just like to come around for a little chatting and fun.  The role of play in my childhood has given me the opportunity to learn how to express my feelings and emotions as well as pass it along to my children.  I love to be in places where there are big crowds and everyone is having fun together.  I also love to work on teams and in groups at work in which I often find myself as the leader.  I often allow them to have slumber parties in which they all participate in activities in which they will gain something from it and not just letting it be a waste of time.  I am basically now an advocate for children and play in which I promote it in an setting I am in that involves children. 

References

The Strong.  (2013).  Play quotes.  Retrieved from http://www.thestrong.org/about-play/play-quotes.

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are like rainbows that come and go through good times and bad times.  Relationships are what make us better at communicating and teaches us social skills and how to express our emotions and feelings.  I have had my share of relationships in which some have come and gone and some have come and stayed.  Relationships are very important to me in which they have developed me into the caring, honest, and helpful person I am today.  The relationships I have developed over the years have taught me many lessons in which I was able to learn and figure out who was for me and who was against me.  Therefore, at the end of the day, the bonds that I have developed and kept are very special to me.
As I sit and think about strong and lasting relationships I have developed, four individuals come to mind.  These are four individuals who have been with me through the good times and the bad and never have they left me alone to deal with things on my own.  I can honestly say these are four individuals who will never lead me in the wrong direction or lead me astray.  These four people are my father, Lee Dukes, my mother, Mary Dukes, my brother, Lee Hodges, and my sister, Chandra Hodges.  The relationships I have with each of these individuals are very positive.  The relationship I have with my father is very loving and special such as bond that father and daughter develops.  He often gives me advice and makes sure no one is trying to take advantage of me.  He is very open and is honest about everything.  The relationship I have with my mother is very strong.  She is my motivator and my guidance counsel in which I can go to her about anything or any problem I am experiencing.  She is my shoulder to lean on and cry on.  The relationship with my sister is very strong in which we are like best friends.  We love to spend hours talking about life and spending time together.  We are honest with each other and have promised each other to always be open regardless of the outcome.  Last, the relationship with my brother is like that of a protective big brother over a little sister.  He has been by my side since day one and I appreciate all of it.  He is the type that always asks questions and makes sure that I am always safe.  I feel that the positive aspects of all of these relationships comes from the strong bond that our parents encouraged us to have and to love each other regardless of the situation or what we were going through.  

Over the years I have definitely realized that there are challenges that come along with developing and maintaining relationships.  I feel that the reasons I only have a few strong relationships is due to the fact that a lot of people do not believe in honesty or being a person that can be trusted.  A lack of honesty is one of the main reason why a lot of my relationships ended instead of maintained.  The four individuals listed above have never been dishonest or deceptive and have always kept it real with me.  I am an individual who believes in trust and honesty and if they go against that then I feel that they are not worthy of a relationship with me.  I have also learned that no everyone has your best interest at heart and will basically try to destroy your life intentionally.  However, if honesty is not developed and kept there is absolutely no way that a partnership can be developed.    

As I reflect on my relationships, both past and present, I definitely feel that my experiences with relationships/partnerships have prepared me to be an effective early childhood professional.  I have learned that honesty is the best policy in every relationship and partnership that is developed.  When it comes to developing relationships and partnerships with families, children, and parents, you have to be honest and let them know that you are there to provide them with the services and resources needed for their child's education.  If they feel that you are a liar and have deceived them, then the possibility for a strong and lasting relationship is impossible.  I have to show the parents that I want to be an active and supportive participant educating their child and that they can trust me with the task of providing their child with a high quality education.