My Supports

*Emotional- I receive daily emotional support from my family, friends, and colleagues. Anytime I am feeling overwhelmed or stressed, I know I can always count on my parents and sister to be there for me. Although my friends and colleagues may not be there as much as my family, I know I can always count on them to give me support and advice when needed.

*Practical- Obviously, my job provides me with daily practical support in the form of a paycheck. Without my job, I would not be able to financially support myself and my interests. I am also a list person. At any given time, there are probably at least 3 different task lists that I am working from. It may sound crazy to some, but these lists keep me sane. J

*Physical- My body is a daily support system that allows me to be a good teacher, friend, family member, and learner. Keeping my body healthy is important in being able to complete the tasks at hand.

All of these supports are very important to me, and without any of them I would be a different person. I lean on my family and friends when I am feeling not at my best, and I count on those lists to make sure everything is done on time. If I was not healthy, it would be a daily struggle to live the busy and exciting life that I have.

 The challenge I chose to imagine is one I have not experienced yet, but hope to in the near future. I chose to think about the types of support I would need being pregnant and caring for an infant.

*Emotional- I would imagine being pregnant and caring for your first child would be a happy time, but also a very stressful and anxious time. Positive emotional support I would hope to have would be from my parents (who have gone through this before), my significant other (to calm me down in times of stress or feeling overwhelmed), and friends (to give me all of the scary details and also provide me with the blessings that come with these details).

*Practical- Being a list person, I’m sure these will get out of control when trying to prepare for a child! At the same time, they will keep me calm and focused. More practical support will come in the form of registering for things the baby needs, and setting up his/her nursery.

*Physical- My body will be going through a lot of changes being pregnant, so I will rely on my Doctor to give me support and let me know the things I can and can’t do, and also vitamins that I would need to make sure the baby stays healthy.

My Connection to Play

*Quotes about play:

“We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything, than when we are at play.”  -Charles Schaefer

“It is a happy talent to know how to play.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

“A child loves his play, not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard.” -Benjamin Spock

 

*Essential play items for my younger self:

 

*Reflection on play:

Play was something that was very important to me growing up. I remember spending hours upon hours outside just exploring and having fun. My parents encouraged us to play with things we could find, and not rely on material things. I would take my mom’s pots outside and make “soup” out of mud, grass, and sticks, and my friends and I would climb trees, ride bikes, or build forts in the woods by my house. You very rarely found me inside in front of the TV on a nice day.

I thank my parents everyday for raising me the way they did. They placed an emphasis on being creative and exploring. I see too many kids these days who really don’t know how to play, and it’s sad. When given a task to be creative and create whatever they want, I hear “I don’t know how,” “is this ok,” or “I’m bored.” They aren’t given enough opportunity, or encouraged enough, to just play with what they have or what they can find.

I encourage my students to be creative on a daily basis, and my hopes is that when they go home they can use the tools I give them and maybe choose to go outside and make “soup” instead of sitting in front of the TV playing video games all night.