"My Connections to Play"

Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.

-Kay Redfield Jamison

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

-Plato

Here are some essential plau items that I had as a young child:

         Verbot                Teddy Ruxpin              Easy Bake Oven

My childhood experience was filled with a lot of play. As a young child, my parents encouraged me to go out and play with other children my age, so I could make new friends. They wanted to help me discover my strengths and interests as well as showing me how to choose the right place for me to learn social skills. Once I turned six years old my parent introduced me to team sports such as basketball, soccer, tea ball, and track. Those sports helped me to continue my growth in building my social skills.

Play is no longer a fun activity for young children these days. Parents are pushing their children to play sports instead of letting them choose for themselves. Once a child is forced to do something that they don’t want to do then it causes them to resent their parents. It’s okay to introduce your child into team sport but no parent should push their child into doing something that they don’t’ want to do.

I may be an adult, but because the role of play was shown throughout my life, it has made me a kid at heart. I love being around children and teaching them the necessity of play. A child must experience play, so they can grow and learn the necessary skills they need to be successful.

Relationship Reflection

Having positive/trust righteous people in my life is the most important thing to me, next to knowing God! My family is the most positive/important people in my life. They are always encouraging me to live life to the fullest with no regrets, to love thy neighbor, and educate myself, so I can better myself. Family brings out the best and worst in each of us. As we yield to and serve others, we learn to love them and ourselves in the process. No one can choose the family they are born into, but if I could choose, I wouldn’t change a thing about any of them. They have all played a vital role in my life that has helped me to become the successful person I am today. As for my friends, I have a small circle of friends who I can say I’m close too. For instance, I have two or three colleagues at work who influences me to become the best teacher I can be. I have two or three childhood friends who I have known all my life that I can trust and count on, and I have a few college friends who I have grown to love and trust. Therefore, the small circle of friends that I have now helps me to see the good in myself, and they allow me to grow into the person I am suppose to be in the eyes of God. Although, my circle of friends may seem a little small, they are all I need to make my life complete because the negative people that I had in my life had made me an unhappy person, and that’s not the person I wanted to become. I have learned that you can’t make everybody your friend because there are people out there, who don’t want to see you succeed. Having a healthy relationship with people will make you and them a better person. So, if you have people in your life that are making you unhappy and you don’t know why, just remember that misery loves company.
My Mother and My Godfather (Shirley and Pastor Keith Norman) are some amazing people in my life that want nothing but to see me succeed in this world. They are always encouraging me to do my best. I can talk to them about anything that is going on in my life. They are always there for me when I need them. My relationship with them has grown over the past couple of years more than ever because we stay in contact with one another, spend time with one another, and pray with one another.

My sisters and my baby brother (baby boy) are some crazy individuals, who I love and cherish with all my heart. They have always been there for me to help me grow and evolve into the incredible person I am today. They have been there through my ups and downs and my falling outs with people. I can count on them to be there for me when I need them the most. Some of their advice might not always be positive, but I know they are only looking out for my best interest. We may not see each other as much as I would like, but when we do see each other, we live life to the fullest. Lately, it has been hard not being able to spend time with them as much as I would like because I don’t live in the same state with them anymore. So, finding time for them is harder than ever, but video chat, ooVoo, and face book make it a little easier to stay in contact with them, but the most valuable thing is that they know I love them and that I will always be here for them.

To me, time, trust, and love are some main factors that play a crucial role in maintain a friendship. Without those factors, how can a person get to know one another? You have to spend time with a person in order to know who they truly are. Also, you wouldn't care to spend time with a person you don’t like or trust. The more you know about a person, and the more you like and trust them, the more you will open up to them, allowing them to see the true person you are inside. Trusting a person is easy, but once a person gives you a reason not to trust them anymore, it’s hard to keep a relationship with them.
Having trust noble friendships in my life has made a positive effect on me. For example, they have allowed me to become a person that people can count on and trust. I have also evolved into a person who is loyal, honest, faithful, and a positive role model for my students and their families. Being an effective early childhood professional, has allowed me to able to help and support my students and their families growth. People love being around people they can trust and count on in any situation. Therefore, the friendships I have lost throughout my life, has allowed me to evolve into a person that people can call a lifelong friend.