My Connections to Play

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play then in a year of conversation." -Plato

That quote was certainly true of me since I was a relatively quiet child unless I was involved in play.  I am an only child so my play involved imaginary friends as well as real friends.  I loved make-believe play and could play house or restaurant or mommy or school for hours alone or with a friend.  I took this photo today.  Yes, I still have my favorite doll, Maddie and my rocking chair used to rock her to sleep.  The Wizard of Oz album I played over and over, acting out all the parts and singing all the songs - one of my absolutely favorite things to do. 

Here I am engaged in another of my favorite play activities - playing in the cold Wisconsin snow, rolling snowballs into snowmen with my dad or flying down a hill on my saucer or building a snow fort!

I grew up in the 60's when it was safe to spend a lot of time outside playing with neighborhood friends.  If we weren't swinging on swings, playing hide and seek and tag, or doing cartwheels, we brought dress up clothes and dolls outside and made our play house under the big tree.

You can see from my expression that I loved to play and as I recall I filled my days with it.  That is why I think this quote describes my state of mind when I was playing:
"It's a happy talent to know how to play." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

My parents had different roles in my play.  My dad was more active in play when it came to outdoors activities or any sports I attempted as I grew older.  My mom played cards and table games with me.  She was the one who made sure I didn't get frostbite - calling me in to warm up and put dry clothes on during the snowy play sessions.  They were wonderful facilitators in helping me find props for dress up and dramatic play.  They gave me the freedom to enjoy free play with the boundaries I needed for safety.

I see some similarities in the play I experienced in the 60's and play today in the basic desire to experience life through play, whether it is dramatic play, blocks, drawing and painting, or running and swinging.  The difference I see is that children sometimes struggle to keep themselves engaged for any extended amount of time.  They also need more prompting by adults to get their imaginations started.  Now children have computer games and electronics which were not even around when I was growing up. I hope advocates for play in the early education setting make their voices heard so children have that opportunity to learn through play.  Children are not as safe as they once were to play outside and enjoy nature.  Hopefully, parents will see the value in finding ways for their children to enjoy playing outdoors and exploring nature. 

Dr. Stuart Brown pointed out in his discussion of play that throughout life is essential to play in order to become resilient people.  I agree with his conclusion that play keeps us young, no matter what our age.  As a preschool director and teacher I am blessed with the opportunity to experience play with the children in our care.  I know that keeps me young at heart! 

Microsoft Research. (Producer). (2009). Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates the soul  [Video file].  Retrieved from
http://research.microsoft.com/apps/video/default.aspx?id=103479   

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important because they offer support and encouragement.  They keep me accountable.  They make me a better person by giving me the opportunity to love and be loved.  Making relationships work requires commitment, give and take, sharing of time and space, unconditional love, and forgiveness.  God refines me through my relationships.

The relationship with my husband, Ken, is my most significant relationship at this time in my life.  We share life's ups and downs.  He is a good listener when I need him to be and offers honest opinions.    He is my biggest support system for this Walden journey.  He travels for a living so our relationship depends heavily on daily phone calls so we can keep up with each other's lives.  Communication is key to keeping close. Laughter is important, too!

My dog, Abby, is my constant companion and is great company when my husband is gone.  She is earning her Master's degree along with me!  Much of the time she is sitting on my lap as I work on Walden homework at the computer.  She gives me unconditional love and I recipricate.
  I am blessed to have many friends; but, I have two or three that I can share concerns and struggles with and know they will give sound advice, pray for me, and love me, and I do the same for them.  We do not see each other on a regular basis, so we make a point of getting together for lunch every so often which is hard to do with busy schedules.  We keep up with each other's lives by e mailing.  Again, communication is what keeps the relationships going.                                                          

I think commitment, acceptance, forgiveness, and unselfishness are important to maintaining lasting relationships.  All of those are hard to do at times; but, the security good relationships bring where you can be yourself, be supported, and be heard is worth the effort.

One of my favorite Bible verses is "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry..." (James 1:19).  That advice has served me well with personal relationships and certainly does as an early childhood professional.  Listening to families as well as to children shows them you value them.  I also have found that relationships are built on trust.  When information is shared in confidence, it remains confidential.  Just as I pray for my family and friends, I pray for my preschool families if they have shared a need with me.  It is a way of letting them know you care about what is going on their life.