My Supports

My Supports

Daily Supports

·        My friends and family are amazing support factors in my life. Whenever I have questions or concerns or need to talk through some things or just relieve stress, I know that I can make a phone call or send a text message and any one of them are there for me. When I was a military spouse, one of the hardest things was the distance from family, close friends and the individuals I had known and grown to rely on for most of my life. Being a part of the military community eases the transition because you meet like-minded individuals who are going through the same instances and can help you through it. However, it is inevitable that those individuals (and you) will move away. Although I have kept in touch with those who I really bonded with, it is hard when I just want to meet a good friend for dinner or a day of relaxation or just a good face-to-face chat.

·        My work family is also an amazing unit. They hold me accountable, help to alleviate some of my workload when I am swamped with last-minute ‘taskers’. As time progresses, they become more of a family unit to me as well. When I moved to Ohio, I knew no one! I only had my colleagues and as time progressed, they became some of my dearest friends (family). Without them, I would not be able to get a lot of the things done that I do get done on a daily basis. Moving to Florida was a brand new experience as well. I had to start all over with getting to know (and trust) people. Choosing who to work with is never an option and it is imperative that the relationships are solid and open. The relationships that I have with my colleagues are symbiotic. As much as they help me stay accountable, I help them as well.

·        My co-parenting partner/friend/ex is also a great support. Because he is in the military and travels often for his job, the majority of the responsibilities of raising our daughter fall on me. Add to that the fact that I am still away from close family and friends (or at least the people that I consider My Village) and life can be stressful. However, I am still able to rely on him when I need to vent (we do have a preteen after all J), when I cannot figure things out and when I need to hear and see things from a different perspective.

If all of these relationships were gone, it would be a huge (difficult) adjustment. However, with most difficult situations, we all find ways to cope and grow from those experiences. Usually, the tougher experiences help us to become stronger.

Whether we realize it or not, we all need a great support system. I firmly believe that “no man is an island” and to succeed, it is important to depend on friends, family and colleagues. Just as we find that we need support systems in our daily lives as adults, children need support as well to grow in each domain. From supporting their play to inclusion of the families, we should really take time to know and understand each child as an individual and with their families, seek out those things that will support their needs.

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

"The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct." - Carl Jung

Items that were part of my daily play:

           

Cabbage Patch                                  Etch-A-Sketch

During my childhood, play was the norm.  I was able to engage in imaginative play while at school and at home.  The adults in my life supported my play by making materials available to me and  encouraging me to continue in play.  When I was younger, I would read books and watch some television but my most vivid  memories are tied to play.  I remember going into the back yard with my cousins where we would make mud pies, or walking over to the neighbors house so we could skate up and down the street.  At other times, we would play inside (dress-up, pretend to be in school, taking turns being teacher vs. student).

Play today is so different vs. when I was growing up in the 80s.  There was hardly any technology back then but today, children are more likely to pick up an electronic device as opposed to a physical, non-battery operated object for entertainment.  Items like the two above made me use my imagination and required me to engage with others to set rules and even work on conflict resolution.  I believe that if some children were given these items, they would not know where to begin and due to the lack of electricity, they would question whether or not they worked.  With the Cabbage Patch, I could play mom, teacher or best friend.  With the Etch-A-Sketch, I learned about patterns, creativity and most importantly, it was a soothing activity to engage in.

The role of play evolves over time but it is still important.  How one plays evolves over time.  When we're younger, we play with toy cars and babies and the like.  When we grow up, we have real cars and babies and we understand that playing with these items prepared us for adulthood.  Also, the way we play evolves over times.  Whether we play in a group (social time with friends, with our children, or with children within our programs) or individually (playing a round of golf, exercising), play is always necessary.  The goals may change (i.e. exercising when younger because it was a requirement for participation in school vs. doing so now to maintain a healthy lifestyle) but the need to play never dies!