“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” Kay Redfield Jamison (professor of psychiatry)
I really likes this quote due to it's true nature. So many adults look at play as an "extra" time, especially as children start to get past the toddler years. As I have been learning more and more on the topic of play, I see that it is an essential part of development for every child. Playing with my dolls or playing school contributed to the person I am today.
“Play builds the kind of free-and-easy, try-it-out, do-it-yourself character that our future needs.” ~ James L. Hymes Jr. (child development specialist, author)
Children often have limits set upon them. Play is a time when children are free to make mistakes and try again without any pressure. Great thinkers can't be afraid to try something again and again and to think differently. As Ms. Frizzle always says, "Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!" When I was young, I played with Barbies non-stop! However, I loved to do their hair and I taught myself how to French braid, German braid, fishbone and rollerset my Barbies hair. I experimented on dying their hair by leaving my Crayola markers in a Dixie cup of water and then setting my doll's head in the cup overnight. No one asked me to do this or set expectations upon me. This was trial and error, but at my own pace and my own expectations.
Essential Play Items for my Younger Self:
My first play item I would have had in the woods with me would have been my Barbie doll. I was a Barbie fanatic and usually carried a case of Barbies and clothes wherever I went. I could see myself in the woods, in a quiet spot, playing all by myself (I actually did not enjoy others playing Barbies with me. I preferred to act out roles between the dolls by myself.)
I am sure I would have also carted with me, my tape player and my a Disney book on tape or two. Although this was not physical play, I would get lost in the stories and listen to them over and over again. I contribute this to my creativity and love for reading today. In fact, I had the record of It's a Small World. I always said I would go to Disneyland and see it someday. This past summer I got that opportunity. I was like a child again...just starry-eyed as I rode through that ride. I remembered so many details from my book and record. This piece of "play" has to be important to have been held in my heart for so long.
My next item would have brought into the woods with me would have been my box of Crayola 64 crayons. I LOVED my crayons. I colored-a lot. Not only did I color, but i was fascinated with the colors themselves. I would organize them by color and hue. to this day, I am very color-oriented and my favorite art project ever was when I made a color wheel.
I spent my early childhood years growing up in a single parent home. However, my mother encouraged play in the best ways. I can remember being allowed to play and be silly all the time. My mom was an avid reader, so she would read and sit on the couch and I would usually play in the living room to be near her. I was able to play without criticism and was allowed to play the way I wanted. Whether it was building an entire Barbie village out of the living room or arranging crayons across the floor, my mom didn't interrupt and never seemed to mind.
I see play as being slightly different now than it was when I was a child. We didn't have all of the electronics that children have today. Back then, to me, a Speak and Spell was high tech! I feel that I had to use my imagination a lot. I was not allowed to sit around the house for hours on end watching tv. out the door I would go and my mom would lock the screen door behind me. I'm glad she did. It made me make a game to entertain myself for hours out of a bucket and a jump rope. I became an Olympic gymnast on my swing set and I was set and determined to see how deep of a whole I could dig in my stone driveway with my plastic shovel and pail.
Too often, I notice that I have to really dig to get imagination out of my children at school. They spend so much time on video games and non-creative play that they seem lost at the idea of coming up with a new idea. I have a picture of Sponge Bob up in my room to encourage my students to "Use your imagination", as he would say. I hope for the children of today, that imagination is not an endangered species.
Relationships are an essential part of my life. I cannot imagine what life would be like without the people that are so important to me. They are what makes everyday special to me.
(John and I at the original A Christmas Story house in Cleveland.)
The first person I have a positive relationship is my husband, John. We have been married for eight years. Even though in marriages, you have ups and downs, I consider my relationship with John to be quite positive. John is always upbeat and caring. I believe that we work together to be a team. He gives me space when I need it and I do the same for him. We could not be two more different people, yet we respect and appreciate those differences in each other. Most of the time, I think it's what really makes us "work". When I get to feeling down or I am taking life too seriously, John is always there to make me smile and lift me up. We have learned together that marriage takes giving of each other, respect, patience and learning to not sweat the small stuff!
(Emilee on her 7th birthday...ready to go eat with Cinderella at Disney World)
The next relationship that I love and is probably the most special to me is the relationship I have with my daughter Emilee. She is my only child. She is 7 years old and she is in the 1st grade. Until Emilee came into my world, I had no clue that I could ever love someone so much! She is kind, giving and tender-hearted. I love that we love so many of the same things. Being able to do special things together like paint our nails, go to see the newest Chipmunk movie or just sitting down to read a book together means the world to me. At times, because I deal with children all day, I have to remind myself that her time with me is unique and special and I need to add a little extra patience to my load. I'm the only mom she has! She is EVERYTHING to me and I couldn't imagine a world without her!
A relationship that is very important to me is that of the one between my students and myself. I have the best class of second-graders that anyone could ever ask for. Over the years my students have taught me that I am not just the teacher, but a student myself, as I am learning from them. I am very big on being respectful, kind and helpful in my classroom. However, that is not just a rule for the children to follow, but one for me as well. In fact, today my daughter was sick and I was home. Obviously, I wanted to be with my daughter when she needed me, yet I had a piece of me that was quite disappointed because we learned about Harriet Tubman's childhood and the children were SOOO excited about learning more. Today they were supposed to learn about the underground railroad and more from her life. I was sad to miss out on that with them. They are one special group of children!
Emilee with Mrs. Yinger on Halloween (she invites the students to her house)
Another person I have a positive relationship with is Emilee's teacher, Mrs. Yinger. She has a "looping" classroom, so she was Emilee's kindergarten teacher, as well as her first grade teacher this year. She is a WONDERFUL teacher! Emilee was diagnosed with ADHD (non-attentive type, no hyperactivity). Mrs. yinger has been non-judgmental and has been willing to work WITH us to help Emilee succeed. She keeps parents informed on what is going on and treats the children with so much care and respect. I have found myself modeling the good relationship builders that i see Mrs. Yinger doing. She has been a wonderful influence on our family!
To me, being someone's partner means that you are willing to work with them, show respect towards them and be there when you need them. I feel that every one of these relationships are partnerships. Of course, at times, all partnerships can be challenging. My husband is my partner, but we have to work on compromising and sometimes doing what is best for the other person and not just ourselves. In my partnership with my daughter, I have to show her that I deserve respect, but by giving her respect. At times, that is easier than it sounds. In my partnership with my students, I have to be willing to understand that I don't know everything and that I will be learning from them and their parents, even if at times the lessons aren't always easy ones. In my partnership with Emilee's teacher, I have to step back, even though I am a teacher to, and realize that as Emilee's classroom teacher, that she sees Emilee in a different capacity as me. This was crucial in us seeing her ADHD and not denying it any longer.
All of these relationships are important to my life as an early childhood educator. having a caring heart, loads of patience, being able to compromise, being willing to learn from your mistakes and being willing to take a step-back are all qualities that I see important to my job as an educator.
