My Connections to Play

“In our play we reveal what kind of people we are.”

 –Ovid

“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.”

–Kay Redfield Jamison

When I was younger my parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends supported me through my play. They encouraged me to go outside and play, gave me suggestions of what would be fun, or were my partner(s) in play. My brother, sister, and I had play dates almost every day with either my cousins or neighborhood friends. It was very beneficial that my mother was a stay-at-home mom which helped support my play as a child because we were able to do things that we may have no had the chance to do if it weren’t for my mom.

I believe that today I still take time to “play” whenever I have a free moment. If it is laughing with my family during a game of cards, playing tennis with my boyfriend, or playing a game with friends sitting around a campfire - I find time for play and I always will. It is essential for me to relax and take time for myself. As a child I learned the importance of taking time for myself through our homework routine every night. After I completed my homework and it was checked by my mother, I had “free-play” to do whatever I wanted to do. This set a balance in my life which I still have today. I know when it is time for work and when it is time for play.

Today’s play has similarities and differences to the play I experienced as a child. I am able to enjoy myself as I was as a young child but it is a different kind of enjoyment. I feel as if I appreciate the time I get as an adult for play more then I do as a child because I was able to play much more as a child. Now I am balancing my own life without the help from my parents. I am on my own so I have taken what I learned in the past about how if I balance my life, I will be successful. It took some down falls to realize how much I can put on my plate at once, but I truly believe that each day I learn a better way in balancing my play and work. I find time for both and I do it successfully. J

Relationship Reflection

"Human relationships, and the effects of relationships on relationships, are the building blocks of healthy development" (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000, p. 4).


Relationships are important to me because it is the people that I am surrounded by in my life who have made me into the person I am today. I lean on others as they lean on me for support through anything. I know that if I ever have a problem or need something to talk to, I have family and friends to turn to who are a phone call away. I consider myself very lucky to have the relationships that I do with the people that I love.

Rich and I ~ I have a very strong relationship with my boyfriend. We have been together for five years and I consider him one of my best friends. The relationship that we have continues to grow each and every day. I believe that our relationship is one of the strongest I have ever had with anyone and I would not change it for a thing in the world. We have trust in each other which is the most important factor in our relationship and is what makes it so strong.

My brother and sister ~ we have had a very close relationship ever since we were born. We have been through a lot together but have stuck by each other's side. We use eachother for support through the good and the bad. We know that if one of us was ever in trouble, the other would be there. I believe that our support as siblings that we have built over the years is what makes our relationship the way that it is.

My parents ~ I have such an amazing relationship with my parents. My parents have shown my brother, sister, and I how important is it to show the people in your life how much you care for them. I know that if it weren't for my parents, I would not have the opportunities that I have in my life. We have a close relationship where I can explain to my parents how I feel and they can explain to me what they think I should do but leave it up to me to make a decision. I am so incredibly lucky to have my mom and dad as my friends as well as my parents. Our relationship has continued to grow through the years. It just keeps getting better.

In order to keep relationships with people, you need to care. You need to show that you care through being there for them when they need someone to talk to. Relationships grow and strive when both you and the other person care for each other. Trust is another important factor of building a relationship. This is seen in the work place. In order to build relationships with other people in the work place, one must have trust. It is hard to give someone your trust or trust other people. It is important to always keep your guard until you feel comfortable with other people. It is easy to be fooled by people so you need to keep your grounds and the people you care about close to you.