Connections to Play

Quotes about childhood play:

Play for young children is not recreation activity,... It is not leisure-time activity nor
escape activity.... Play is thinking time for young children. It is language time. Problem-
solving time. It is memory time, planning time, investigating time. It is organization-of-
ideas time, when the young child uses his mind and body and his social skills and all his
powers in response to the stimuli he has met.

                                                                        --James L. Hymes, Jr., child development specialist, author

It is a happy talent to know how to play.

                                                                     --Ralph Waldo Emerson, philosopher, poet, essayist

         

    









These three things were essentials when I was a child.  I always had a jump rope and still do.  Cabbage Patch kids were the only dolls I would play with and I treated them like they were my children.  And a kickball was essential because all the kids that lived on our block would come together for games of kickball and dodge ball.  Kickball was a neighborhood favorite.

My mother is an early childhood teacher so she always understood the importance of play.  As a child all I remember doing was playing, whether it was inside, outside, or at the ball park.  My brother and I always played.

The only way I think play is similar is that all children like to play.  They may not play the same games as we did growing up but they still want to play.  I grew up in the 80's and all I can remember is wanting to play outside.  My brother and I would get up on Saturday mornings, do our chores as quickly as possible and get outside to play.  Children these days only want to be involved in electronics.  Whether it's a game system, computer or some sort of music device.  Cell phones are even becoming big with children at a young age.  I grew up with all boys so I was a tomboy.  I could run faster and play sports better than a lot of the boys and I enjoyed it.  Now girls want to be cute all the time.  I miss the games of kickball, hide and seek, kick the can and dodgeball.

The role of play is very important because it teaches so many things.  I think adults forget how to play.  Adults need a little playtime here and there also.  We as adults and educators need to encourage play as much as we can.

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding

I chose the topic breastfeeding because I believe it is the best thing for a baby.  I tried to breastfeed and was quite disappointed when it did not work out.  I try to promote breastfeeding to anyone I talk to who is pregnant.  Here in the United States it is more common to give our babies formula instead of breastfeeding. Many women don't even give it a try.  They don't want to go though the pain.  I was going through a lot of pain but I was trying everything to give my baby the best thing for him.  I read that in Kenya breastfeeding is a priority.  A woman who does not breastfeed is frowned upon.  It is nothing for women in Kenya to whip out a boob whenever and where ever to feet their baby.  It is so common that the mothers don't even use a cover up.  No one pays a breastfeeding mother any mind when she is feeding her baby.  If a mother in the United States tried to breastfeed in public with no cover up or anything, she would be frowned upon and maybe arrested for indecent exposure.  I think it is ridiculous that a lot of the poorer countries have enough sense to encourage breastfeeding but women in the United States just think of themselves instead of the baby.  I believe a lot of mothers in the United States are being selfish in a sense.  One goal of mine is to give workshops to parents to help better themselves and the life of their children.  Breastfeeding would be a great topic for one of my workshops.  I would show how mothers around the world don't have a choice but to breastfeed and all of the positives of breastfeeding.