My Connections to Play

One of the greatest joys of growing up in a small town, finding adventure outside everyday. 

I grew up in the 1970's without computers, smart phones, etc. much less cable television. Spending time inside was really only allowed when the weather wasn't nice (think thunderstorms, blizzards, etc.) and even then we were encouraged to try and be outside. 

This was my grandfather for me when I was a child and hopefully it is me for my child today

I'm bored is a phrase we never used in my house growing up because if my mom heard it she would hand you a dust rag or vacuum. We spent hours wandering around our backyard, resting under the lilac trees, riding bikes to the swimming pool, home to throw the towels over the clothes line, bedrooms to change and then back outside to dig in the dirt. I never had "nothing" to do in my home. 

Art supplies were a staple in our home and we were never told no when we asked for new supplies

I loved to explore in my mom's jewelry box, she had a mixture of things from my great-grandma and grandma. Every time I went through it she would share stories with me about the pieces and the people they came from and the meaning they held for her. 

A sheet, spread out over the living room floor, the dining room table, the couch, hung with clothespins from the trees and bushes in the backyard, made the playhouses of my youth. The smell of a crisp sheet fresh from the laundry reminds me of summer days drowsy under the sun. 

In my youth and in my small town it was no big deal for younger kids to be outside all day without an adult right there, to be able to have the "run" of your block, visiting neighbors, playing with friends, exploring the block as long as you checked in with your mom or caretaker. Now I am uncomfortable leaving my child outside to play without checking on him every two minutes. I don't know the neighbors the way my parents did, there is more traffic on the roads in my neighborhood now and the guidelines of my town home complex states that children can't be "unattended" at any time. I am sad that as carefree as my childhood and young adulthood was that I can be this "hovering" parent when I know that my child needs some freedom to thrive. I do take him for walks on the nearby nature paths and allow him to lead as we wander through the river reeds and "fish" in the river. I think that he needs these adventures to balance out the amount of time he has to sit still in school activities or in front of electronic devices. So, is play important? Absolutely!! He can't learn without it. 

Relationship Reflection

We engage in relationships everyday, encounters with cashiers, fellow parents at school drop-off, co-workers, and our own family. Every relationship involves a give and take of verbal and non-verbal communication. To me, relationships are all based on communication. Some of my most important relationships are described below:

My son:
Ryan is my daily dose of sunshine, my reason for pushing through the long and busy days, we talk, snuggle, read, laugh, argue, smile, frown and smile some more.

My mom:
My mom is my best friend, my daily phone call, my free therapist, we share everything including the bad days, the bad words, the joys, the ups and downs. She was my first relationship, my strongest and longest lasting.

My soulmate:
Michael is Michael. He knows me in ways that no one else can or ever will, he makes my heart flutter with love, my stomach churn with anger and brightens my day with a simple look. We may not always be in the same place much less the same state but we will always be connected.

My current co-workers:

I consider them the A-Team, we work well together, share war stories, cry on each other's shoulders and sometimes blow off steam together. I feel lucky to be in this mix. 

Relationships come and go, the simple ones of daily encounters only take a second, a smile and a bit of conversation to maintain a positive spin, the longer term relationships take more work, give and take with the other person along with the unsaid knowledge that this is a long term relationship and it will take work on both individual's part. 

Examining Codes of Ethics

The Code of Ethics for the Division for Early Childhood

Professional Collaboration

2. We shall honor and respect the rights, knowledge, and skills of the multidisciplinary colleagues with whom we work recognizing their unique contributions to children, families and the field of early childhood special education.

Professional Development

4. We shall support professionals new to the field by mentoring them in the practice of evidence and ethically based services.

NAEYC

Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment   Revised April 2005

Principles

P-3A.1

We shall recognize the contributions of colleagues to our program and not participate in practices that diminish their reputations or impair their effectiveness in working with children and families.

What do those words mean to me as a new professional? They are the glue that holds my day together and sometimes the reason it falls apart. I am a new Early Childhood Special Education teacher, I work with primarily Birth to 6 years and I travel within 5 districts to see children on my caseload. I do not have my own classroom therefore I am a “guest” in every classroom where I work, every day is a new situation and every home is something new. I rely upon the related service providers I work with in the homes and the other classroom teachers to help me navigate my way through these visits and sessions as I get to know the system, children and families. I also have to remember that as a professional the individuals I work with are people too and they sometimes like to “gossip around the water cooler” at work so I have to remember my code of ethics to keep confidentiality, privacy and family information not related to each case private.  This can prove tricky when others do not feel the “information” is all that private and it makes it tricky to walk that fine line being a new professional. 

Inspirations and Inspiring Quotes

“Kids who are in school just visit life sometimes, and then they have to stop to do homework or go to sleep early or get to school on time. They're constantly reminded they are preparing "for real life," while being isolated from it.”

—Sandra Dodd

  

“Learning first occurs as a part of emotional interactions; it involves the split-second initiatives that children take as they try to engage other people, interact with them, communicate and reason with them.”

---Dr. Stanley Greenspan

“A family's responses to crisis or to a new situation mirror those of a child. That is to say, the way a small child deals with a new challenge (for instance, learning to walk) has certain predictable stages: regression, anxiety, mastery, new energy, growth, and feedback for future achievement. These stages can also be seen in adults coping with new life events, whether positive or negative.”

----T. Beery Brazelton

Personal Childhood Web

This section is dedicated to those who have influenced, nurtured and cared about me in my early years and now. They cared for me when my parent's drove over-the-road semi-truck and continued when they were home too. First up are my grandparents Larry and Vi.

From the moment I was born they were in my life, we stayed with them when my parents went on long work trips, they lived down the block from us so it was a normal part of life to walk back and forth several times a day. During school we walked there for lunch and one of my favorite memories is of Grandpa coming home from work and eating cornflakes and cold hotdogs.  He was never too busy to take a moment to listen to our stories, took us with him on weekends in the tractor and cattle trucks and as I got older he drove school bus and whenever I climbed on he would announce "How's my Tigger-two today?" He was one of the most generous and truly caring individuals ever, even after his death people would stop me on the street or while reminicsing they would comment how much they missed "Grandpa Larry". I think of him everyday and whenever I get into a tense situation I think about what he would do and I do the same. Now my grandma was the rock of the family, she raised 6 kids and so many of the grandkids floated in and out of her house on a daily basis that she joked she raised about a dozen more. My grandma is still around today and she continues to be the rock of the family, the one that ties us all together, offers us love when we feel unloveable, supports us during hard times and always has a fantastic smile. She read to me as a child and still continues to this day with reading to my son. Without them my life would never have been as steady, secure nor as full of love as it is to this day.

What I love and what I believe

I could post a thousand pictures of my child participating in activities, playing, laughing, grumping, etc. but the picture that touched my heart recently was this drawing that he did for me....

 It's my son and I walking together on an adventure. We love to go exploring in our neighborhood, trekking through the woods by the bike paths, picking up stones and sticks for his collection and spending time "fishing".  I have always been the mom that will pick up a worm or a bug even though on the inside I am screaming Yuck!! so for him to give me a picture like this knows that what I am doing is forming wonderful memories. I also love how this picture mirrors the image one of my favorite quotes (posted below):

This is something that I believe completely, children do not need expensive toys or even lots of toys, they would enjoy life just spending time with the people who love them.

And on that note I leave you with this last statement--

Then and Now

I had a simple childhood.....

And I try to live a simple life but with a five-year-old boy it's hard