My Play Connection

 The Barie Doll-many hours were spend dressing up, fixing the imaginary house with washcloths for beds and hand towels rolled for the furniture.  The happiest times of my life were spent on the living room floor with my dolls all laid out and ready for play.

The beloved kitchen set-royal dinners were cooked in the kitchen and served on the very best of fine china.

The box-many hours spent in a box.  The box could be transformed into anything you could think of.  It could be a house one day, a space ship to Mars the next, or even an evac helicopter over the Pacific.  There was no limit to what a box could be.

Favorite Childhood Quotes

When we play, we are engaged in the purest expression of our humanity, the truest expression of our individuality.

—Stuart Brown, M.D., researcher, psychiatrist, and play advocate

I have worlds to explore and things to uncover, give me my sandwich I am busy. 

            -----Kenzie Turner-brother

“The ability to play is one of the principal criteria of mental health.”

—Ashley Montagu, anthropologist 

My Support System

My grandmother gave us everyday items to make into props to use in our play.  We were given few tips or suggestions on how to use the items.  We were not allowed to spend all day in the house in front of the tv, but were “encouraged” to be outdoors and involved in an activity.

My mother always encouraged us to use our imagination to make our own fun, she would make puppets and castles with us and help me to find “princess” clothing when needed.

I don’t feel that play is the same now as it was when I was younger.  Maybe I feel that way because I was raised in a small town with no water parks or large recreation parks.  Maybe it was that I was raised by two parents and a grandmother who were all teachers.  I do know that I did not have access all the video games and internet access in which to use.  My parents did not feel the need to buy expensive or excessive amounts of toys.  I used what I could find for my play time.  A good mud puddle and grandma’s best roses made for a great mud pie party.  Imagination was the key component for my play.  Children today do not seem to have a well-developed imagination in which they rely on.  They want easy premade fun at their fingertips.  I would not give up my afternoons under grandma’s crabapple tree for all the video games in the world.  I treasure my adventures in my backyard.

The Role of Play in my life

My thoughts on play throughout my life-I treasure each and every minute of the play time I had.  I have a wealth of knowledge from the books I read and the time I spent acting out the adventures of The Boxcar Children, Pippy Longstocking, and such others.  Through play I was able to make sense of my world and the events in it.  Play helped a child with anxiety unwind and feel at peace with her world.  Even as an adult I do love to play, it just looks a little different.  It still helps with anxiety and to give peace and refreshment to my world.  Now I value the time I spend playing with my son.  We build tents to go camping, dig in the sandbox for lost treasure, and race our cars in derbies.

Relationship Reflection

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important for support and guidance.  People were not meant to wander this earth alone.  We are social beings who need others around.  We also need others to guide us in decision making and to listen.  It is often helpful for me to have someone who is a sounding board.  I may think ideas sound great in my head but when others listen to them they pose questions that make me rethink and evaluate my ideas.  They help me to clarify and solidify programs and decisions.

My support team

Mother-She supported me throughout my childhood and adult hood.  She has guided me emotionally and educationally in every way she could have, even if I did not agree with it.  She helped me by listening and questioning when things did not sound just right.

Diane- She is a colleague who has experience in the field as well as in life.  She can look at a situation from the perspective of a community member, parent, and teacher.  She helps me to look at my life as a professional and where I can make adjustments and refine my skills.  She is also willing to have me look at her professional skills and critique her as well.  We both understand the process and know that we are being objective observers.   

Donna-She is a good friend who gives emotional support.  She can be objective and is really good about listening to the whole idea before asking questions or finding the “holes” in the plan.  She helps me to back away from a situation and look at all the parts before jumping back into it.

Relationship challenges

Insights that I have gained from maintaining relationships over the past decade or so have been:

·         Life happens-people get married, move, have children, die

·         When one person moves on in life the others may not follow and that is hard

In my experiences I have realized that when you grow as a person whether professionally or emotionally not everyone accepts it.  You have to decide if that relationship is really meant to go anywhere.  When you grow some people get jealous or don’t understand why you would want to move in that direction.  I hope that as I grow and learn I will be accepting of others paths.

I hope that my experiences with others would make me more understanding and accepting of others.  I would like to think that I have become a reflective individual and I can look at myself as a person and professional and be objective.  I would like to take that reflection and use the information to become a stronger more educated professional in hopes to share my experience and insights with others who are willing to listen as well.  I would also like to listen to what they have learned and apply it as well.

I would also like to take this experience and work with parents who may not have the life experience that I have and guide them through some of the pitfalls that I have landed in.  I would like to help them avoid some of the hardships and hurt if at all possible.  I understand that a certain amount of pain is necessary in order for us to learn and I will be there to hold their hands and lend a shoulder when needed.