My Supports

Having supports within one’s environment is very important. I have always been lucky to have such great supporters around me. I have a wonderful husband who emotionally supports me as well as physically helps by cleaning the house, cooking, etc. I also have wonderful parents who do the same things. I also have support from the staff at the school where I work and some amazing grade mates that help me get through the day. I also use a personal support of making lists for myself that include anything from what I have to do today, a grocery list, a homework list, to a menu of all the meals I am going to make this week. Having these supports make my life more Zen. It helps me feel secure and helps me to do my best at anything.

I know that some individuals are not as lucky as I am though. I came to the inclusion by watching the news, reading articles online, checking Facebook and seeing some horrible situations that my friends are going through. Yesterday I was flipping through channels and landed on MTV’s “16 and Pregnant”. I was thinking that if I was 16 and pregnant I do not think I would have all these supports and “the perfect life” that I have now. I know I would not of had supporting parents of myself getting pregnant. They would be disappointed and that would of made me feel bad about myself. I also might not be married today and have the support of my husband. Or on the flip side, I might have married my husband early (we have been together since I was a freshman in high school) but our relationship might not have matured as it has and we could be very miserable. I do not know what I would do about losing these two main support systems in my life. I would feel incomplete, sad, and depressed. I think that in the world maybe this is why we have so many people that are depressed. Maybe they do not have a great support system and in retrospect do not support themselves then.

It is important for every human being to have some type of support. It could be the support of working out and feeling good about them, it could be the support that a therapist gives; it could be the support and idea of knowing that when you get home your dog is going to cuddle up with you. Anything that gives a person drive and motivation I think is a support within their life. 

My Connections to Play

This week at Walden University we have been discussing play and the benefits to play. It made me think of myself playing when I was a child, and boy do I miss it! Not a care in the world, out all day all summer, and making up the most outrageous games with my sister and friends.

Here are two quotes that I think sum up play in ways that I could not say:

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” 
― Plato

“If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play” 
― John Cleese

When I was growing up I had my certain play toys that I love!  I feel that these twos things were essential for me growing up! Those would be Beanie Babies (first generation child here!) and any type of playground. I can remember spending hours and hours with my Beanie Babies!

                                                   

                                       

                When I was little playing was so different than it is today. My parents would encourage me to play all day basically. The only exceptions were during meal times and in public places like a mall or restaurant. They would let me ride my bike down the street to my friend’s house and stay there all day. They would give me and my sister big boxes and anything that we wanted to play in. My dad also created games for us to play with him and was very creative. My dad was the biggest part of encouragement for my sister and I for playing. When he got home from work every day he would play with us no matter how tired he was. He was always there and I looked forward to him coming home every day.

                Today play is different because of how parents act and how our society is now. Parents rarely let their children play outside without supervisor when as a child I could remember playing without my parents watching me. Parent’s schedules now are also different. They are busier with longer hours and more stress in the work place. Coming home sometimes parents do not want to play with their children and encourage solitary play for their child. Playing needs to have interaction because socially that is how a child learns.  Solitary play does have it benefits, but I believe most playing should be done at least with another person. I feel that without the play time that I had growing up with my friends and family members I would not be the person I am today. My creative playtime as a child has turned me into a creative person today. I hope in the future children are given the same opportunities for playtime as I was when I was a child. 

Relationship Reflection

Earlier this year I reflected on relationships and partnerships that are important to me. Now it is time to reflect again.

The first relationship I am going to talk about is my relationship with my Husband. My Husband’s name is Patrick and we have been together for 8 ½ years and have just passed our one year marriage anniversary. I have been with him through high school and college and our relationship has had its turn of ups and downs. It has also grown and matured as we have. Our relationship is a positive because of the support and love that we give one another. Patrick is always there to help me out in a tough times and not so tough times whether it is cleaning the house, grading papers, supporting me with my many hobbies, or being there when I need someone to talk to. He was a great friend, boyfriend, fiancé, and now husband. Our relationship had to grow and mature because of how we were growing. Being 14 with someone is different than being 23 with someone. We have experienced a lot together and I cannot wait to experience more with him.

The second relationship I would like to share with you would be my relationship with my mother-in-law. She is like a second mother to me. She is caring and supportive with everything that Patrick and I do along with everything that I do personally. She is a great support in my family and is always ready to help. Throughout our relationship we have grown closer and have bonded in many different ways. She is a great and strong person and I am thankful to have her in my life.

The last relationship I would like to share is not a relationship with a person. It is a relationship with my cat named Aspen. I have had animals in the past when I was growing up but I have never had a connection with an animal like I do with her. She makes me feel so comfortable and in her own way communicates to help me. She is my cuddle buddy and helps me release my inner child. She is even more special to me because this is the first animal that my husband and I have adopted together. She is like our child and gets us through the days with laughter and love.

I feel that all these relationships help my work as an effective early childhood professional in many ways. First, all of them are there for me in different ways. My husband is there for the active part when I have a billion different papers to grade and write a newsletter and plan the next field trip all before I have to go to bed. He helps out with a lot of “chores” and without him; it would make my life very stressful. My mother-in-law is there to listen to my stories and give me ideas on things to do with the kids. She helps out in many ways and supports me in my graduate school work while teaching. My cat is there is cuddle when you just need a hug type of day. She makes me calm and realizes that the small things should not be stressed over but the big picture is what matters. She brings me back to reality.

Positive relationships help out every individual. It is important to have many positive individuals in your life as a friend, guide, and companion through this thing we call everyday life.