My Connections to Play

                              
Both photos retrieved from google images


Two essential items I would need for play would be rather simple but mean absolutely everything:
 Hands and Feet

Back in my childhood, play was not with different items or different games, it was simply our imagination, running wild in the woods, and exploring new things. We would find new things, go places our parents told us not to go but yet we still did it because we were interested in the unknown, we were curious. Our parents would always tell us to go outside and play and we had so many things to do that we stayed outside all day doing what a grown up would maybe see as much of nothing but to us we were learning so much. I can recall going to a small river stream and seeing tadpoles for the first time. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. My dad told us not to go but we went anyways. Just exploring and finding anything that looked halfway interesting.
    Play now, compared to play back then is completely different. There is so many technological advances that causes kids to do all that exploring in doors now. It is a lot more scripted and you're practically held within a box because outside of the resources that the games that children play bring about the child is not able to explore things outside of that. My hope for younger kids is that even their parents will promote and encourage more exploratory type play inside as well as outside the home.
    I do believe that play had an impact on my life through childhood as well as adulthood. I feel as though play contributed to my ability to have hands on experience with some of the things that I learned about at school, I feel as though play is a contributing factor to me analyzing situation far beyond the surface.

Relationship Reflection

     When it comes to relationships/partnerships they are very important to me because in life you need a support system. Whether it is different people or one person, relationships are important to foster a successful life. There have even been studies that have shown that someone in a healthy marriage for instance is a lot more focused and successful in the work place as a result of that relationship.
     First and foremost the most important relationship I have is one with God. I believe that all of my other relationships are a direct result of my relationship with God first.If this relationship is not right, I believe ultimately no relationship will be right. After the relationship with God I believe the next relationship in MY life is the relationship I have with myself. Yes , I said myself. There is no way that I can establish a relationship with others if I do not first admire myself as the person that I am. Once I am at a place that I can be successful for myself, the third most important relationship surfaces and that is with my husband. My husband is my best friend and we talk about everything with each other. If I have a concern at work, at home, or anywhere else, I may talk to others, but most importantly (aside from God that is) I talk to my husband.
      The next relationship that I have is with my family, which in addition to my husband includes my daughter who aside from my husband is the most important person in my life and then the rest of my family which includes but not limited to: My sisters, my nieces and nephews, my mom and dad, grandparents, and every one else respectably. Lastly, my friends. Which this area, I tend to keep a bit limited due to the fact that I feel that it is always best that way to keep "Friends" limited to avoid too many conflicts.
      When it comes to maintaining these relationships, all of these relationships are maintained by one key word: Communication. Communicating with all these people some on a daily basis and some on a week to week basis are the way that these relationships are maintained. When my sister and I talk, we share laughs and "opinions" about different situations our family may be encountering. When it comes to my husband, as I stated, we are best friends so we go out to movies, bowling, out to eat, vacationing, or what have you. Those are the thing that keeps up positive.
     Just seeing how important these relationships in my life are and how if one of these relationships do not go so well in a day then it has a major impact on my cognitive ability to stay focused while at work. Seeing this, gives me an idea of how important the idea of relationships the children have could be.

 My Husband

Me

My Sister & I 

Great Friends

My Daughter

My Parents