Playful Memories
My Connections to Play
“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.”
~Kay Redfield Jamison
“For a small child there is no division between playing and learning; between the things he or she does ‘just for fun’ and things that are ‘educational.’ The child learns while living and any part of living that is enjoyable is also play. ~ Penelope Leach
When I was younger I loved playing with my teddy bear and to this day I still have him. One of my fondest kindergarten memories was riding a purple tricycle in the school hallway. When I got older I watched my sisters play jacks and other games and eventually I learned how to play myself. Coming from a large family, my parents equipped us with lots of toys:
Slinky, Silly Putty, Board Games (trouble & monopoly), Pogo Sticks, Uno, Jump Rope, View Master, Tinker Toys, Paper Dolls, Spiro Graph, Crayons Coloring Books and Bikes (without training wheels).
On any given day, my mother could be spotted with a hula hoop and my dad bouncing down the street on a pogo stick, play was universal and every member of the family took part in the activities. The toys allowed us to build fine/gross motor skills, explore our creative abilities and mimic the actions of other through play. We learned through play and we maintained a healthy weight because we were always active. Play is truly essential!
Today, children do not have manipulative games and toys to help them stay active, they have technological devices that keep them sedentary; this is truly a disadvantage. It is a disadvantage because they are not being challenged to be creative or explore basic objects for pleasure. I dream of a day when the “retro” toys of the past are reintroduced to youth so that they can learn in the same manner that we learned in the past. I also dream of the day that recess is reintroduce to school yards across the nation.
As an adult, I find myself pulling out the old board games with my children and having quality family time. When I get overwhelmed, I grab a coloring book and crayons and sit on the floor and color and draw for hours at a time. I find this action to be very relaxing, it allows me to channel all of my energy and concentration on my work of art and once I have completed my masterpiece, I can get back to the task of being an adult. Play is not only educational, it can also be a form of meditation.
“Human relationships, and the effects of relationships on relationships, are the building blocks of healthy development” (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000, p. 4).
Having strong relationships in life are an important part of intrapersonal and interpersonal growth. From my experience, negative relationships (maltreatment) made me a fighter and more resilient to handle negative actions or incidents. But, the true growth and development was built around the love of family and close friends. Through those relationships, I learned to care for others, listen, communicate and support others and I learned to understand and come into my own way of thinking. I became an individual because, I gained a true understanding of self.
I come from a very large family, I am 1 of 9 daughters, my mother is 1 of 11 children and my father is 1 of 16; with that being said family is very important and the diverse relationships that they yield are extremely essential. The relationship that I had with my oldest sister Connie was very inspiring. She feed me, taught me how to walk, gave me my first book and my first car. She has always been a good listener and has provided feedback that has inspired me through
My relationship with my husband Vincent, has provided me with a different outlook on life. He was not part of my biological lifeline and he saw things from a different viewpoint. He helped me deal with emotional turmoil that halted my dreams and he encouraged me to keep moving when everything that I knew seem to dissipate. He has given me positive motivation and pushed me when I stopped trying and I don’t believe that there is anyone in my life that challenges me in the way that he challenges me to keep moving, keep trying and never give up on life. He is the shoulder that I lean on and he wipes away my tears and protects me from my fears. He inspires me to be compassionate towards others and look beyond the obvious. He is my life partner and he does not try to change me but allows me to be unique in the same way that I allow children to be distinctive as they grow and develop.
Connie is one of my oldest siblings. As a little girl I looked up to her because, she was very affectionate and attentive to my needs, she was nurturing, witty and very outgoing. What she wanted for me was a future of happiness and security. Connie inspired me to read, she was always reading and for my 10th birthday she bought me my very own book: Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren. The bond that my sister and I establish as children is still very strong today, she still listens when I need her and she still provides sound advice; our relationship is a lifelong friendship. The values that she instilled in me as a child have assisted me throughout my life in many ways. Because of her I am self-resilient, understanding, caring, an avid reader and a good listener. More importantly, I am a strong wife and devoted mother and educator; following in my sisters footsteps.
My Aunt Jean “Koolaide” is loving, caring, nurturing, trustworthy and always honest. She would take me for long rides in the summer and we would go to the park, the zoo and out for ice cream. Whenever we went to Belle Isle in Detroit, MI, she would pay $0.25 and we ride the giant slide. Riding that slide helped me overcome my fear of heights. Koolaide has an infectious smile and loves to entertain others. In life, she was an example of the perfect humanitarian in my eyes because she was always helping someone. Her hopes for me was that I was successful no matter what I decided to do in life as long as that success did not cause me to be unhappy. Koolaide’s motto “leave all negative energy at the door and never let it cross her threshold.” She taught me that life no matter how complicated did not have to be miserable.
Being open-minded did not come easy and it is sometimes a challenge for me. My husband, my sister and my aunt, have taught me to give anything and everyone at least one chance. This has inspired me to see the good even in the worse situation, while the obvious is not always clear it is often challenging to look behind the blinders and find the silver lining.
In each one of these relationships, there is an unwritten rule of forgiveness, understanding and trust. Because there is a certain level of trust the partnerships that have been forged allow each entity to be a pillar of support for the other; always having a system of support helps me maintain inner peace and understanding. Because I understand the ability to trust and how to build a system of trust, I can be more effective with the children and families that I service in the early childhood sector.
Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligence
As educators, it is common knowledge that not all children learn in the same manner. Accordingly, Theorist Howard Gardner believes that each child learns in a unique way. Gardner (1983), believes that there are eight multiple intelligences, they include Logical-mathematical, body-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, musical-rhythmic, verbal-linguistic, visual-spatial and naturalistic. Gardner contends that while each individual has a dominant intelligence, they can possess more than on intelligence. In order to determine how each child learns, the utilization of Gardner’s multiple intelligence test. If educators focus on how children learn, the outcomes in my opinion would improve. In viewing the information on the website and reading Frames of Mind (1983) I believe that children could possibly gain more knowledge if the material presented by educators, held their interest. In order to hold the interest of a child, the point of interest must be something that the child can relate to. To learn more about the use of Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence view the following link:
www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/mi
In the United Kingdom, children receive a free education between ages 5-16 years of age. In England the curriculum is divided into four stages, referred to as Key Stages. Once a child completes a stage they are evaluated, the evaluations occur at age 7, 11and 14. Once a child reaches age 16, they can take the secondary General Certificate of Secondary Education.
One pertinent piece of information that I found very interesting was the fact that if parents fell to insure that their children attend school every day, they can be prosecuted.
To learn more about life in the United Kingdom, visit the following website:
www.lifeintheunitedkingdomtest.co.uk/?page_id=16
Reference
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books
Gardner, H. & Hatch. (1989). Multiple Intelligences go to school: Educational implications of the theory of Multiple Intelligences.
Birth Comparison
Personal Experience
Following tradition, I delivered my child in the hospital and throughout my pregnancy, I had numerous prenatal visits. My husband and I were required to attend Lamaze classes in order for him to be my labor coach in the delivery room. Because, I feared the effects of drugs on my unborn child I decided to have my child naturally. After my son was born, I was in the hospital for three days and because my son developed bacterial pneumonia from swallowing some of his amniotic fluid, he remained in the hospital for two weeks and I was on bed rest for 6 weeks. Once my son came home from the hospital, my husband and I did not accept visitors until he was 2 months. When he turned 2 months, we had a baby shower and introduced him to the family. Following family tradition, friendship bread was served as a binding of the family unit.
Japan
Schalken (2013), noted that “The majority of Japanese women make every effort to deliver their children without the use of pain medication.” Based on tradition, Japanese dogmas are that labor pains are a test of the mother’s endurance as they prepare for the true challenge of motherhood; despite the suggestion of physician’s, the ancient customs continue in modern day society. Japanese mothers deliver in area hospitals, but fathers are only permitted in the delivery room if they complete prenatal classes; this however does not guarantee that the father will be a part of the delivery process. If a caesarean section is required, fathers wait in a designated waiting area. After delivery, hospital stays range from 5 to 10 days. Accordingly, “Once the mother is released from the hospital, it is customary that both mother and bay stay with the mother’s parents for approximately one month; mother’s bond with their newborns by staying in bed with the baby for 21 days. Visitation from friends and family are tradition in order to greet the new baby and join in the celebration of life which includes osekihan (red rice with red beans)” Schalken (2013).
The similarities between childbirth in Tokyo, Japan and Detroit, Michigan are similar in many ways.
- Birth was achieved without medication
- Mothers were on bed rest for a specified amount of time after giving birth
- Access to the infant was limited
- Father’s had to participate in birthing classes in order to participate in the birthing process
- Celebratory events occurred to welcome the child into the family
Reference
http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/labor-and-delivery/childbirth-traditions-china_70703-page-2
janellamalonebarnes 