~~~~~~~~My Connection to Play~~~~~~~~

It is a happy talent to know how to play.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
American writer
1803–1882

The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.
Carl Jung
Swiss psychoanalyst
1875–1961

I chose the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson because it represents happiness. My memories of playing as a child are happy. I was in love with play and couldn’t wait to begin a new day of

play! I worked very hard to develop play as a talent! My dad (pictured below) provided a wealth of themes for

play. Our favorite game was to use our toy tractors and wagons to gather grass clippings - just like my dad was doing with hay. My cousins named our game, “Uncle Dom” after my dad. (My daughters, Sarah and Allie are pictured above on their "wheels")
My parents were very supportive of play in that they bought toys and games for my siblings and me. Sometimes my parents would play with us, especially board games. More times than not they allowed us to play uninterrupted. We were permitted to invite friends to our house to play - usually our cousins, and we were permitted to go to their house to play. My parents gave us permission to use two out-buildings in our yard for play houses. We designated one as “for girls only” and one “for boys only”. We would spend days cleaning and decorating and making signs such as, “No boys allowed” and “Keep Out!”. My mother didn’t interfere with our playing and always made sure we had supplies to make signs and decorate. We also had a swing set. We took the swings off and used the bars to make up and perform gymnastic tricks.
I chose the quote by Carl Jung because of the creativity and creations produced by play. When my sisters, cousins and I developed gymnastic tricks, we did it by pure play instinct and creativity. None of us had gymnastic classes. We organized our gymnastic tricks into “shows” and sold tickets for our “performances” to our parents. My uncle always bought a ticket and would compliment us on our ability. Another reason I chose this quote is because of the fun I had designing my child care center. I was very focused on an activity of my choosing. No one was directing me and I was able to use the knowledge I had gathered in college and work situations (scaffolding) in a creative and rewarding way. My memory of the fun I had is equivalent to the fun I had creating a gymnastic show as a child.
When I was a child, growing up on a farm, we did not fear strangers. I could run freely throughout our neighborhood, which consisted of about a dozen houses, and all over the farm. My parents encouraged play in the house, and especially outside. A neighbor allowed us to use his open field as a baseball field. All the neighborhood children would participate, regardless of age (as long as you were old enough to be allowed out of the yard). We all had the same instructions from our parents, “Be home by dark”. My children experienced the same freedom I had on a much smaller scale since our yard was only one acre. However, they didn’t have freedom to wonder around the neighborhood freely because I was afraid of strangers and wanted my children within sight when they played outside. When they were invited to a neighbor’s house I watched them walk until they were safely in the neighbor’s yard. I played games with my children, and allowed for them to play uninterrupted and without my input. My emphasis with my children was on creativity and self-directed play. I knew the benefits of play and had such fond memories of playing as a child I wanted my children to experience the same kind of fun.
Play has been tremendous throughout my life. My earliest and best memories are of playing. I remember playing in the dirt when I was two. The memory sticks with me because my older cousin told me I was going to be in trouble for getting dirty and I remember my fun instantly turning into fear. I associate play with laughter. My sisters, brother and I would laugh and laugh until tears ran down our cheeks. Sometimes we would laugh just because we wanted to. As an adult, laughter is still very important to me. If I find myself not laughing, I know it’s time to “regroup” and take time out to play. My play has changed over the years. Sometimes I consider shopping with one of my sisters play. We make jokes and laugh, and for that brief amount of time we become worry free.

Relationship Reflection

************No man is an island, entire of itself************

This is a quotation from John Donne (1572-1631)

Human beings do not thrive when isolated from others. Donne was a Christian but this concept is shared by other religions, principally Buddhism.

We are social beings. Our lives begin with relationships. As we grow we begin to understand connections between our actions and the way others react to us. This becomes the foundation of forming relationships and understanding how they work. When we cry and someone comforts us we feel a warm satisfaction. When we laugh, others join in and we again feel a warm satisfaction. We are learning that relationships involve give and take and that they meet our needs. We soon develop beyond forming relationships to have our immediate needs met to forming relationships on a higher level that involves companionship and camaraderie.
Reflecting on the role relationships have played in my life, the most outstanding is the relationship I have with my family. In times of joy and sorrow, my family is there to share, support and comfort me. We laugh and cry together, we work and play together. We also grow together. The relationships I have with my family taught me that maintaining relationships over time involves change and growth.
Outside of my family I have several close personal friends, friendships with co-workers, and friendships I maintain with my book club members. Each group represents a different type of relationship with different purposes and different effects on my life. All of my friendships provide companionship/fellowship and support. My friends are very important to me because we have a connection of understanding (interconnectivity) that validates us.
My closest friends are Joyce and Jacque (pictured above). Joyce, Jacque and I refer to ourselves as the three J‘s. Our friendship has stood the test of time because of our unconditional support and honesty with each other. Other important aspects of our friendship are open communication and respect for each other.
Over time I have learned that friendships take work and commitment. Forming new relationships involves creativity to build upon common interests. Sometimes people are hesitant to form a friendship due to a past negative experience or because of a time factor. Making friends with someone who is hesitant involves learning about their past and finding common ground to build upon. Flexibility, understanding, and persistence may be needed to develop new friendships. The rewards of putting forth the effort to build new friendships are great because as stated in the above quote, “we thrive from the relationships we have.” My closest friendships have stood the test of time because of the effort we each contribute.
Having positive relationship experiences will greatly contribute to my future work in the early childhood field because I am aware of the commitment involved in forming relationships and/or partnerships. I understand how to be flexible and persistent, as well as to learn about someone’s past experiences, all important ingredients needed to develop partnerships with parents. Having good communication skills, the foundation of all relationships, and the ability to be creative are other needed ingredients in forming partnerships and will enhance my future work in the early childhood field.