My Supports

I have many supports available and given to me each and every day. Without these supports, life would be very difficult and I imagine that I would try to find alternate supports for them. My biggest emotional supports are my husband, my mom, and my sister. Most of our interactions are over the phone but they play a big role in helping to support me. Some practical supports would be monetary, as my husband and I both work. We also have a couple of family members that watch my daughter for us. This is a huge support as we can rest easy that she is being cared for by people that love her and will put her needs first. Many of my physical and practical supports are one in the same as I am pregnant and many things are difficult to complete. My husband is fantastic and does so many of the chores inside and outside of the house. He also gives me the time I need to complete school work by watching our daughter when he can.

            Without all of these supports it would be very difficult to exist but I think we would manage. It would be a much lower quality of life than we have currently, but we would make it work. If certain supports were gone, the impact would be devastating, some more than others. Loss of monetary supports could cause the loss of our home, and loss of emotional supports would change so much about me as a person. It is hard to imagine my life without the supports that are already in place and I hope that I do not lose any of them anytime soon.

            If I had a challenge, perhaps deafness, I would still want many of the same supports, but altered slightly. For communication, I would need to do more emailing and written communication. My family would hopefully learn to sign along with me. I would need help from others with my daughter perhaps to decode the type of noise or cry she is making. At this point, I would still need many of the same supports at home but at work, I am not sure how I would continue to teach kindergarten unless I moved to a different setting. All of these things would be supporting me with my everyday life as well as giving me emotional support.  Without these supports, life would definitely be difficult, and at times, unsafe (danger if I cannot hear certain things).

My Connections to Play

And at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes sparkling. –Shanti

Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity. – Kay Redfield Jamison

Here are a few essential play items for my younger self:

Sand toys

Sprinkler

Barbie

Play, for me as a child, was constant. I played alone, with friends, and also with my older siblings. I had the freedom to play outside with my older siblings supervising me but always knew that my mom was watching and nearby in case anything should go wrong. My older siblings showed me what it meant to get dirty! Getting dirty while playing is something that I think really made me into who I am. I am never afraid to get my hands dirty or do hard work! I learned how to dig for worms, pick honeysuckles, and run through a sprinkler to cool off on scorching days! Sprinkler days were always a treat and all of us enjoyed it! 

Play today seems to have taken a huge turn towards technology. While convenient and at times helpful, I do not think that technology should replace playing outdoors or even with toys. Many children that I have taught in the past many years have no desire to get dirty, play with water, or sand. While I might be happy to not have to clean up a mess in my classroom, I welcome the mess as it means that they are exploring and learning through play. I hope that as my own little one grows up that she will want to play outside and get messy. I hope that she will build in the sand and make creations in the mud. 

As I continued throughout childhood, I still loved to be outside but shifted a lot of my focus to playing sports. This gave me friendship, exercise, and a sense of belonging. As an adult, I still enjoy exploring and still like to make a sand castle or two in the summer! I am definitely looking forward to  playing with my little one in the sand at the beach this summer!