My Supports

Factors within my daily environment that are supportive to me are: My daughter/husband, my family, friends, school/classmates/my instructor, writing/paper/pen, movies, and even the computer.

 My daughter brings me so much happiness and joy. She is my best friend, my whole heart, my everything. When I'm having a rough day all I have to do is look at her beautiful smile and ask her for a hug and my day automatically gets better. As long as I have her, I'm happy! She supports me by just being her wonderful little self and knowing that I have her everyday even if she is only 17 months old. We have a very close bond that can never be broken. I'm so proud of her for all of her accomplishments thus far and I'm PROUD to be her Mommy! Without my daughter I would not be the person I am today. She has made me want to become a better person and because of her I feel complete.

My husband is also my best friend. He is my rock, he supports me by working a lot of works to ensure that me and his daughter are taken care of, the bills are paid, and we have money to do things as a family. Without him, I don't know where we would be. It's a great feeling to know that I can call him anytime during the day and he will be there for whatever I need, even if I just need to talk/vent. He is my biggest supporter when things go wrong. Without my husband, my life would be turned upside down. Who would take care of my daughter and I? Who would pay the bills? Without him, would I ever be able to love again? I can't imagine my life without my husband.

I'm very close to my family, especially my Mother in law who is the only Mother figure I have in my life. My Dad always knows how to make me laugh. My family are some of my biggest supporters! They are there when I need anything! Without family I would be very depressed and sad. Who would I turn to when I need advice or need a favor? Who would I trust?

Of course I have some friends that I can rely on and who would be there for me anytime of the day/night. This is important to me because not everyone has friends and some people go through life trying to find a best friend for a whole lifetime and I have one so I feel very lucky! Without my friends I would feel very lonely and unloved. They make me feel special! I can't imagine going through this life without family and friends. It would be a boring life, very lonely, and depressing. I would never want to live in a world where I didn't have friends/family to rely on.

School/classmates/and my instructors are big supports in my daily environment. School gives me something to look forward too. My classmates are great and I learn a lot from them. A lot of them become friends at some point. My instructors are a guide for when I have questions and need help with assignments. They are great supporters! Without school, I wouldn't have an education and I wouldn't have school to look forward too. How could I ever expect my daughter to go to college if I didn't? I'm very thankful to have been given the opportunity to take college courses online.

Writing has always been an outlet for me. It's how I release my inner thoughts and feelings. It helps me to heal and It's my way of venting.  Without writing, who knows how I would deal/control my feelings. Writing is my hobby, it's one way I keep in touch with friends/family. If I wasn't able to do that, I think I'd go crazy!

Movies play a major role in my life. I'm a huge movie fan and enjoy many different types of movies. Without movies, life wouldn't be as enjoyable.

The computer is a BIG factor to my daily environment because it allows me to keep in contact with my friends and family, do research, complete my schooling, etc. Without the computer, I don't know what I would do. It allows me to do so much. I couldn't live without it.
 

My Connections to Play

Two quotes that I feel summarize what play represented for me in my childhood. 

This quote is very meaningful to me. Not just because it comes from one of my favorite movies "A Cinderella Story" but because it has true meaning. To me, this quote means not letting anything get in the way of your dreams, hopes, and aspirations. We will always have fears in life but we can't let them stop us from accomplishing our goals. We have a plan set in mind for things we want to do in life and we have to go for it and not allow anything to get in our way.

  Always jump in the puddles!  Always skip alongside the flowers.  The only fights worth fighting are the pillow and food varieties.  ~Terri Guillemets

This quote simply means to enjoy the simple things in life. Let your children be little. Always jump in the puddles, let them play in a bed of roses, and let them live life to the fullest!

Three pictures of required/necessary play items for younger children:

ABC BUILDING BLOCKS

BOOKS

RIDE ON TOYS

When I was younger, people supported play by buying me toys that helped me to use my imagination, they let me have free play, I was encouraged to play with my siblings which helped to promote my social skills, my Dad would play kick ball with me often which helped advance my physical development. My Grandpa's would make time to come over and spend time with me. They would involve their self in whatever I wanted to do. " Parents can support their child’s development by choosing activities at home which gives them a chance to explore and use their imaginations." (Learning Through Play, 2003) I feel that my role of playing as a child consisted of playing not only indoors but outdoors as well. I think that parents play a big role in their child's play. Parents are their children's biggest role models, supporters, and encourager. I was never involved with any after school activities but I had a lot to do at home. My Dad built me and my siblings a tree fort, we had a lot of property to play on, and we had a lot of toys to play with. Play is essential to development because it contributes to physical, emotional, social, and cognitive well being of children and youth. Play is a good opportunity for parents to engage fully with their children.

I feel that there are a few slight differences in how play is different from when I was a young child compared to how it is now. I feel that we have more toys, more technology ,and more educational things to play with. Back then, they didn't have as many toys as we do now.  The price of toys back then were extremely reasonable whereas in today's society, toys seem to be much more expensive where some families can not afford them unless they are given to them or they find them as second hand thrift stores. I feel that children in today's society are very lucky because back when my parents were born they didn't have much. I grew up with a decent amount of toys to play with. My Dad worked two jobs and my mom worked one job, they did everything they could to make sure we had everything we needed, including toys and things to play with. My hope for young children in regards to play is that their parents will involve themselves when their children play. It's a good time for parents to bond with their children and it's amazing how much a child can learn when their parents spend time with them and teach them things. I hope that they are given educational toys, toys that will help promote the appropriate skills they need as they get older. Most of all, I hope for them to have fun and perhaps they can teach another child something they have learned. I know a lot of what I have learned has been from other people. I always like to share my knowledge with others. 

The role of play throughout my life has helped to shape me into the person I am. I feel a lot of what I was given to play with taught me a lot about life and I learned a lot about myself too. I gained a lot of skills needed in order to grow up into an adult. The role of music and writing played a big role in my life. I enjoyed singing and writing. Children learn the most between birth and five years of age. It's important for children's minds to be stimulated so they do learn. Interactions with others is a necessary part of life.

References:

Learning through play. (2003). Retrieved from https://www.pre-school.org.uk/parents/support-advice/420/learning-through-play

Wallace, K. (2011, January 28). How your child benefits from play. Retrieved from http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-your-child-benefits-from-play_64065.bc 

Relationship Reflection

       Relationships and partnerships are important to me because I feel that every person I have met in my life has impacted me in either a negative or positive way and regardless has helped to shape me into the person I am today. As I have grown up and matured, I have realized just how important it is to have positive people and healthy relationships. Life is rough without having family and friends by your side to support you in your decisions, give you advice when you need it, and a shoulder to cry on when necessary. No one should have to go through life alone. Relationships and partnerships have brought me a great deal of stress but they have also brought me a lot of happiness and joy. We all have a want to feel loved and needed and we are all deserving of love. One thing that I have learned about relationships and friendships over the years is that I have a different relationship with each of my friends. I have those friends who are more like acquaintances who I say hello to every now and then but who I would never share my deepest secrets with, then I have very close/best friends who I share everything with and go to for advice, then I have good friends who I enjoy spending time with but perhaps wouldn’t tell them anything private or personal, and then I have long-distance friendships that I take very seriously. Some of my long-distance friendships are some of the most genuine and loyal relationships I have with friends and for that I’m thankful. Not a lot of people can appreciate having a friend that lives far away but I do. Friendships often lead to finding true love is another reason why relationships are important. “Healthy relationships are a vital component of health. There is strong evidence that healthy relationships relate strongly to people's health and well-being.” (2009) Relationships help us to build emotions. Relationships and partnerships are also important because they help us to learn more about ourselves and the type of person we are and who we want to be in life. I have learned so much about relationships over the years but more importantly by experiencing good and bad relationships and partnerships, I have learned so much about myself.

            Some of the current people that I have positive relationships/partnerships with are my husband, my sixteen month old daughter, my angel baby in heaven, my father, my step Mom, my Mother in law, My Father in law, and some friends which include: Amber and Ann.

 My husband is not only my husband but he’s also my best friend. He’s someone I can rely on to be there for me when I need him, he listens to me, and he’s a great provider for our family. We communicate on a daily basis and I feel that is why we have such a strong marriage. We don’t keep secrets from each other, we’re very open and honest about things, and we are always complimenting each other. We are more in love today then we were when we got married. He’s my soul mate and I’m proud to call him my life partner. 

We have a sixteen month old daughter who is the light of my life. She is truly a miracle baby and I could not live this life without her in it. She is my ultimate joy in life and I’m enjoying watching her grow and learn new things every day. She is so full of love and laughter and she has made me want to better myself in every way I can. I spend a lot of time with my daughter, communicate with her and I feel this helps to promote a healthy and positive relationship with her.

I lost a baby at 11 weeks pregnant yet but from the moment of conception, I became a mother and even though I lost my child I will always love him/her and have a special bond with him/her. I still feel a special/close bond with my child even though he/she is not here on Earth with me. I gave my child a name (Angel Sky), created a memory box for him/her, and I do special things on his/her expected due date every year. I like to keep the memory of my pregnancy alive. I also write letters to my unborn baby in a journal as if he/she were here with me.  All of these things have helped me to heal from my loss although I’ll never 100% be healed from my loss. I think this type of relationship promotes healthy relationships just because I tend to not take people in my life for granted. It allows me to have an even close-knit relationship with my daughter and a close bond with the baby that is growing in my belly. I am forever grateful to have been given the opportunity to get pregnant when it was such a struggle and when I know there are millions of people out there that struggle to get pregnant themselves and a lot of women out there who are unable to have a baby.

My Dad and Step Mom are two people I know that I can count on for anything. My Dad is very special to me for many reasons. He’s a good father but more importantly he’s a good person who has a good heart and a wonderful Grandpa to my daughter. We've been through a lot & I love him very much. He always knows how to make me laugh and always tries his best to direct me in the right direction when I get lost on occasion. My Step Mom has never tried taking my Mom's place. Instead, she's just been a supportive person in my life and has been there when my Mom wasn't there for me. She's perfect for my Dad & treats him like he deserves to be treated. I love her for that. My little brother John who is almost eight years old is one of my best friends. I love him dearly & hope that he looks up to me as a good role model. I've watched him grow over the past five years & it's been amazing to experience that. I have a great family and I’m very thankful for that! 

I have the greatest in-laws anyone could ever ask for. They have been there for my husband and I in ways that no one else has and they have been very supportive of our decisions and of our life together. I know I can call them anytime and that they will always be there for us. They are wonderful in so many ways and I just adore them. They are such a big part of my life. They live in New York but always make sure to come visit us and their granddaughter at least twice a year, sometimes more! It means a lot that they always take the time, money, and effort to come visit even though they live fourteen hours away. They don’t let the distance be an excuse as to why we don’t have a special relationship. The relationship I have with my Mother in law is special. She is more like a Mother to me. She has been there for events when my real Mother should have been there but instead she was there. (My wedding, my pregnancy, the birth of my daughter, etc) I’m thankful for the relationship I have with her because I know not every girl gets to have a wonderful relationship with their Mother in law like I do.

Amber is my best friend that I have known since high school. Our friendship is very unique. She lives in Florida so we have a long-distance friendship but we always make time for each other, keep in touch on a daily basis, and don’t have to live close by to know that we love each other. She has stuck by me through everything, never leaving my side. She's been there to guide me, advise me, and she has loved me unconditionally even though I have many obvious faults & flaws. She accepts me for who I am and I feel blessed to be such a big part of her life and to have her in mine. Although I'm not religious, my husband and I decided that we wanted our child to have a God-Mother (In a non-religious kind of way) and she knows exactly what I'm talking about. She accepted our offer & we can't imagine anyone else being our child's God-Mother. I just recently became her children’s god Mommy too and I couldn’t be happier! I love her and her three boys. Thank you for loving me the way that you do and for accepting me who I am on the inside. You're the greatest friend anyone could ever ask for and I love that we share a best friend/sister bond. I love that our friendship grows stronger and stronger with each passing day! I think Amber and I have a positive partnership just because we don’t let the distance be excuses as to why we can’t be friends, we always make time for each other, communicate often, and involve each other in our live. We always complement each other and remind each other how special we are to each other. Just like in a relationship, I feel it’s important that friendships have that re-kindling spark and Amber and I have that in our friendship. “Friends can pick up where they left off, regardless of the time and distance that separates them. Real friends can go months without speaking, but when they do, it seems like yesterday. It doesn't matter who calls who, or who called who last, they are just glad to hear from each other. Time and distance can't separate real friends.” This is Amber and I. (Coach, 2010)

Ann and I have known each other for seven years. We met on a social networking website called Netfriendships.com that is no longer online or accessible. The website shut down. We have gotten to know each other through quite a bit over the years by speaking on the phone and spending many countless hours online chatting and texting. She lives in Missouri so this is another long-distance friendship but I cherish what we share and feel blessed to have her in my life. We keep in contact on a daily basis and write each other through mail often. I’m hoping one day we’ll be able to meet in person but until then I will enjoy having her in my life. She’s a dear friend and I love her dearly! I think Ann and I have a positive healthy friendship/partnership because we respect each other, make time for each other, and listen to each other. These traits help to promote healthy friendships. 

Growing up, I have endured many challenges to developing and maintaining relationships that I have learned from my experiences overtime. Some of the challenges that I have faced regarding relationships/partnerships have been communication, maturity, age, acceptance, distance, bias, sincerity, forgiveness, and time.

The special characteristics of these relationships that make some, if any, partnerships are honesty, sincerity, loyalty, love, caring, respectfulness, knowing how to forgive and apologize when needed, making an effort and making time for those that are important to you, and knowing how to communicate.

My experiences with my relationships/partnerships, including my ability to be an active reflective contributor, could impact my work as an effective early childhood professional because I already have experience having relationships with people so making friends will be easy, I’ll appreciate the friendships I make and have, I will have good social skills and know the importance of helping others, and doing my job. I know I already have a passion for working with children but having the ability to do so would make me appreciate my job even more and the opportunity to work with children. I think everything I have learned from my relationships/partnerships will result to me being a good, strong, and appreciative worker in the early childhood field.