My Connections to Play

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing”

-          George Bernard Shaw

As I read through many quotes related to play I had a difficult time finding one that related to me at this point in my life, then I read this one and immediately knew it summarized what I felt.  I try to include play, recreation, leisure time activity however you want to label, in my life whenever possible.  Some of the things that are important to me have been part of my life for years.  My favorite place that comes to mind when I think of play is the beach, add some palm trees and I am happy.  We took summer vacations at the beach when I was a child. It was something I always looked forward.  I enjoyed building castles, searching for shells and sea glass and watching the birds.  Strange as it may seem, as an adult, I continue to enjoy doing those same things. 

As a child, we spent our time outside of school and the summers outside.  We played traditional games of hop-scotch and jump rope. Through these activities I was able to stay physically fit.  I grew up in a neighborhood with lots of children my age so there was always someone around to play with.  We made our own fun with very simple things.  Growing up, nothing beat a good game of flash light tag during the summer. 

Sadly, I don’t see children today participating in these simple games or just playing outside. Children today seem to have forgotten how to entertain themselves in many cases.  Instead, they sit in front of the TV or computer.  As a child the pretend games we played added to my level of creativity.  I must admit, neighborhoods were safer back then.  It was safe for children to play in the alley behind their homes.  In many neighborhoods in my community today, that is not the case.       

The other quote I decided to use is as follows:

                                   Play is the highest form of research.

-          Albert Einstein

For children play provides opportunities to explore, try new things and be self directed in their choices. Einstein puts it so simply yet the notion is powerful.  Play is children’s research in many ways.  Play opportunities change as children grow and their abilities change.   Throughout my life, I was fortunate to live in a safe neighborhood with many peers.  I also lived close to a playground that had swings and slides as well as open ball fields.  I think my love of the outdoors stems from the amount of time I spent outdoors growing up. 

 

References:

http://planningwithkids.com/2009/04/14/10-quotes -on-the importance-of-play

http://www.childsplaymagazine.com/quotes

Relationship Refelction

When I think of relationships in my life I immediatly think of my immediate family.  In May, my husband and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary.  We have two children that are both married and  we are expecting our first grand child in May. As I began to reflect on these special relationships , I found myself thinking about how the relationships have changed over the years and also how constant some elements of these relationships have been.  My husband and I had a very brief courtship before he entered the Marine Corps. We got married when he completed boot camp and then moved across the country to California.  I had never lived on my own.  Those early years were truly a time that provided an opportunity to build a solid foundation for our marriage.  We learned to work together in all aspects of our relationship.  After his discharge from the military we returned to Pennsylvania and both of our families.  Our relationship changed again as we found ourselves experiencing new demands having parents and extended family around.  Seven years later we had our son.  Again, the dynamics of our relationship changed.  We realized that we needed to make a conscious effort to be connected as a couple.  We had our daughter four years later. We found the dynamics changing again being a family of four.  We loved every minute of being parents as our children were growing up. Our lives revolved  them. Both  were involved in many activities in school and outside of school.  The next tweny years our relationship grew in a different way as parents.  It became difficult at times to keep sight of ourselves as a couple.  The years went by very quickly and we found ourselves "empy nesters".  That was an adjustment for both of us. We enjoyed reconnecting and having the freedom to do the things we enjoyed early in our marriage.  Now we are about to move into another phase of our relationships as a family as we are about to become grandparents.  It is all very exciting.  As I reflect on the things that remained constant through our forty  years, it was our committment to each other that was the positive element in our relationship growing and strengthening. It was alos having a strong faith  and committment to Christian values.
My relationship with my son and daughter  has also evolved over the years. As they have grown, our relationship moved from being the parent as their first teacher, to the parent that allowed them freedom to grow as individuals and now to the parent  that they come to for advice as  adults.  My son and his wife are about to become parents.  They both share their ideas about becoming parents and look to us for advice in many ways.  Our daughter and her husband come to us for advice about decisions they are facing as they consider career changes.  My point in all of this is that the elements of the relationships may change but  the bond that we have as a family is a strong  one built over time.
Family relationships take committment and  input form all members.  A sense of respect  and acceptance for each other is so important. Having adult children, I do see our relationships as partnerships. We support each other in many ways.

My experiences as a parent have been influencial in my work as an early childhood professional.  All that I have learned over the years raising our two children  has helped me understand the family dynamics of others.   I also have learned through friendships and involvement with other families that all families are unique in their relationships.  Even though I have my own family relationships that are the foundation of how I think about relationships, it is my responsibilty as early childhood professional who can influence families to remain open-minded , respectful and accepting of each family and their unique qualities.