Sunday, November 25, 2018

My Connections to Play




When I was younger the adults in my life allowed me to be a child.  They protected you from the adult issues of the world.  They sent us outside to play and out of rooms for adult conversations.  My weekends, summers and holidays were spent playing with my siblings and other children.  At the end of the day, success was your feet being dirty, your hands being a mess, and my eyes sparkling. 

As an adult and early childhood professional, I understand how important play was to me as a child.  Dolls and outdoors was my playground. It did not include fancy playgrounds and sandboxes with sand toys selected meticulously for my growth and development.  Now I know almost all creativity involves purposeful play. 


 My imagination and the great outdoors was my discovery area. The friends and neighbors were where I learned so many lessons and rules of life.  Fred Donaldson said it best “Children learn as they play.  More importantly, in play, children learn how to learn. “You wonder now as an adult how much you learned in school but what about those lessons you learned in play.  




Saturday, November 10, 2018

Relationship Reflection

Importance of Relationships

"Human relationships and the effects of relationships on relationships are the building blocks of healthy development" (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000, p. 4).

Relationships are key to success.  As the old saying goes nobody makes it alone in this world.  I am a daughter, sister, aunt, wife, mother cousin, college, supervisor the list can go on and on.  I serve in so many roles and all require me to build relationships for my own growth development and success. 
These relationships require a give and take.  They require building and cultivation.  Most of all they require time.  Relationships are not developed overnight.

All these relationships are not without issues.  Problems arise mainly when efforts are not made to maintain these relationships.  In addition to time communication is critical.  Most of all I must make sure that I’m ok and have cultivated my own physical, mental, social and spiritual wellbeing.  Self-preservation is number one.  

Take care of yourself so you can take care of others.