My Connections to Play

“The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.” ~ Plato (Greek philosopher)

“Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold.” ~ Joseph Chilton Pearce (author)

“For a small child there is no division between playing and learning; between the things he or she does ‘just for fun’ and things that are ‘educational.’ The child learns while living and any part of living that is enjoyable is also play. ~ Penelope Leach (psychologist and author)

 
 

When I was a child I remember I loved to play outdoors with my cousins. My mom tells me that before my sister was born I used to have an imaginary friend. I remember that I would play for hours on my own with my imaginary friend and the fact of playing alone didn’t bother me. But when my sister was old enough to play with me, I rarely played by myself. I always wanted a playmate. Of course, like any other 5 year old girl, I loved to play with dolls and I being the mom was the greatest feeling ever. I experienced what it was to have the control over what I wanted to do. My mom supported my play when she took us over to my cousins’ house and to the park. When we went to the store she would buy us sporting goods to use at our house with our cousins. I hardly remember her playing with us outdoors, but boy, she was mad about playing board games with us! During my childhood I played the same amount of time indoors and outdoors. But my favorite was going to my cousins’ house and play outdoors with their neighbors. Now, I rarely see a child riding a bicycle, playing soccer, playing hide and seek, or kickball. Now that I’m a mother in these times, to be honest my heart can’t let go of my daughter riding a bike on the streets because of the fast cars. She only plays outdoors in our backyard, when I take her to the park, or when we go to our ranch, but never in the streets. Play definitely is what freed my soul when I was a child, running, feeling the air in my face, my heart pounding fast, experiencing the adult world, and then going to bed thinking that I wanted to do the same things the next day. That was what play was to me, and it shaped who I’m today because I can freely express myself and feel free.    

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important to me because they make me feel supported and loved. I know that someone loves me and it gives me the necessary strength to go through hard times. We can also learn through partnerships about experiences they’ve come through or simply guidance when we can’t find our way out.

The first person that comes through my mind as a partner is my husband. I know that he will be with me through hard times, and he will have me. We rely on each other because we know that we are priority. We’ve developed these partnerships mainly because of our daughters. But besides that we’ve always thinking ahead and think about the things that we like, and do them just to make each other happy. For example I know that my husband likes chocolate ice-cream, so I always try to have in our freezer chocolate ice-cream, just as a compliment to him. The other partnership that is important in my life is my mother. I know that she will always have her unconditional love when I need it the most. There are no words for this love but I know that my mom will always be there.  

I’ve learned that in partnerships you always have to be the first one to give a helping hand, and consider the little details that are important for that person. Most of all, be true to yourself and do what you feel is right. Past experiences in partnerships help me to be an effective early childhood professional because I’ve learn that there’s need to be a 2 way communication. I’ve learned that we need to have a common vision in order for us to work at the same performance level. Both parties should know that they are pulling the rope with the same strength.