My Connections to Play

MY CHILDHOOD YEARS OF PLAY AND IMAGINATION

“The activities that are the easiest, cheapest, and most fun to do – such as singing, playing games, reading, storytelling, and just talking and listening – are also the best for child development.” By Jerome Singer (professor, Yale University)

“Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child’s soul.” Friedrich Froebel (founder of the concept of kindergarten)

“It is in playing, and only in playing, that the individual child or adult is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self.” D.W. Winnicott (British pediatrician)                                                                           

My fondest memories of play are associated with my younger sister, Becky.  Living on a small dairy farm with cows, horses (Scamp and Duchess), chickens, Midnight and Snowball (pet rabbits), Tommy Cat (our quiet and ever present black Tom cat that would let us dress him up in baby doll clothes and pretend he was our baby), and our protector Freckles (part German Shepard and part we don’t know what dog) we had the best the world had to offer.  We would venture past our milk barn and over the hill to the pasture or sage brush and there was no limit to what we could do.  The big cottonwood tree in the pasture was just right for a tree house and it had the perfect stream of water that ran beside it in a small irrigation ditch.  Although it never ended up with a house built in it, it still provided a sanctuary for our imagination as we created never ending dramas from the latest television show or book.  Over the hill and through the sagebrush was the best ditch with high sides and shallow water that barely covered rocks.  It made the pebbles shine and they became gold as we used mom’s old pie tins to pan for the precious treasure.  Becky had a little red wagon.  We would load our dolls in it and play “Wagon Train” or pretend that we were escaping from a villain. 

Our mother was our greatest supporter.  It didn’t matter how much of a mess we made, only that we were safe and happy.  It seems like we played and played some more.  Such freedom has carried through with me today.  I think that is why I love play any kind of game, love to travel, and enjoy experimenting with different food recipes.

Play then and now presents many differences.  When I was young, we played outdoors as much as we could and today children play mostly indoors with video games and X-Boxes.  The cost of play when I was young was minimal as we played dress-up in our parent’s and older sister’s clothes.  Also, we used cardboard boxes, twine from the barnyard, and other materials that were uncommon to a store.  Our essential play props and toys consisted of dolls, homemade doll clothes, a dramatic set (cupboard, table and chairs) made by our grandfather which was our mother’s when she was a little girl.  Today almost all toys are purchased from a vendor.  We did not have imagination painted for us on a computer, iPod, or video game.  We had to make up our own stories which usually came from stories our mother told us, from books she read to us, or from very few television shows we were able to watch.  My hope for children of today is for them to experience the outdoors as I did, to be excited by the little things such as an old cottonwood tree and a dog named Freckles, to learn how to roll down a hill, to run barefoot through the grass, to be supported as they use their creativity, but mostly to feel and be safe.   

When one learns how to play as a child, one will know how to play as an adult.  As a youngster, life wasn’t all play, we had responsibilities such as feeding and watering our animals, keeping our rooms clean, helping our mom with meals, gardening, canning, laundry to name a few.  I think children need to feel the joy of responsibility in order to know the pleasure that comes from play.  Work gives us the drive to enjoy and to look forward to playing.  Play is innate to a child, but becomes something we have to remember to take time for as an adult. 

It is my hope that all adults remember how wonderful it was to play and imagine and pass that on to their children responsibly. Our creative minds come from the play we enjoy as children. When we lose that we lose our innocence.

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are what make the world go around.  Without the many connections (lasting and/or momentarily) we make there would be no motivation to improve the quality life.  Of my many associations that I have developed throughout my life, I can say without a doubt my existence would be unimportant had I never taken the time to get to know their memorable characteristics.  As I continue to forge my relationships, I have to acknowledge the interdependence that comes with the alliance is what supports my being as I grow and develop into someone who values life. 

The current and lasting people in my life include my husband (LaMar), my sisters (Vicki, Sheryl, Deanna, Linda, Becky, and Shawna) and there spouses, all my extended family, my mentor teacher (Jana), the people that I work with, and many friends in Idaho and Utah.  The interesting fact about all those relationships is they each deal with children in one way or another.  They all care for, love, and work with children and families in various ways. 

Each relationship gives positives in many ways, but two stand out as the foundations for which all others are supported, trust and unconditional love.  I can say without reservation that each is a trusted family, friend, and/or colleague, and each offer unconditional support and love.  At difficult times in my life, relationships have been my saving grace.  Depending on the struggles I have faced, I knew that someone close would be there to lift and walk with me through each unique tribulation.  One such test I face now is making it through my courses and Walden and at the same time teaching a fifth grade classroom of twenty-nine (29) students.  The torment was that I added the classroom of fifth graders in the second quarter, because their first teacher had the unfortunate malady of having to retire due to Multiple Sclerosis.  I really didn’t know what I was thinking when I said that I would change from my ELL (English Language Learners) position to teaching fifth graders other than the challenge.  It has truly been a challenge, but because of supportive individuals like LaMar, Linda and Tom, Jana, Vera, parents of children in my class, and other family and co-workers, I would not be able to see the “light at the end of the tunnel”.  They have been my saving grace as I have worked, studied, and prayed for guidance and help.

Such dedicated individuals deserve reciprocal behavior from me which includes unconditional love, support, positive affirmations and whatever I can give they may stand in need of.  Let me add that I want to do what I can to assist, help, and lift them, because they are my true confidant.  When one has genuine caring relationships, one yearns to grow, develop, and succeed academically, personally, and within the work place. 

LaMar is dedicated to stopping by my classroom after he has completed his day of working with delinquent students each day and helps me correct papers, input grades, discuss issues for the day and plan remedies, and is my proof reader for my Walden coursework.  Linda volunteers in my classroom and has also helped in correcting papers and disseminated great ideas for working with students that need extra motivation.  Tom supports Linda in her giving of her time to help me.  Jana shares her great ideas for making learning valuable, gives me positive affirmations about my work with students, and keeps me on the straight and narrow concerning requirements and rules.  Vera strives to make me feel part of the team and aids me in making sure I understand and implement required daily duties, and always has time to answer my questions with a smile and positive confirmations that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing.  Wow!  How wouldn’t someone thrive with all that encouragement?  It is their consistent help that spurs me on in making my work with children valuable and rewarding. 

While doing this assignment it was refreshing to review and remind myself of all the positive influences I have in my life.  Sometimes we tend to dwell on the negatives, but when we review the positives we realize how much influence for good we have in our lives.  It also makes us realize that we must take the time to identify and thank those who are influential in our lives.  I have so much for which to be thankful, “my cup runneth over”.