Let's Play

           My Connections to Play

“The most effective kind of education is that a child should

play amongst lovely things.”

~ Plato

"If you are a dreamer come in 
If you are a dreamer a wisher a liar 
A hoper a pray-er a magic-bean-buyer 
If youre a pretender com sit by my fire 
For we have some flax golden tales to spin 
Come in! 
Come in!" 
— Shel Silverstein

n  I always felt there was something more to what I wanted to do as a child; I wanted to engage in play that opened my imagination; I wanted to create. I wanted to play with friends that were willing to play beyond what was available to us.  Our thoughts and our mind was our playground and we could spend time doing just that, dreaming possibilities in pretend play. 

"There is a voice inside of you 
That whispers all day long, 
'I feel that this is right for me, 
I know that this is wrong.' 
No teacher, preacher, parent, friend 
Or wise man can decide 
What's right for you--just listen to 
The voice that speaks inside." 
— Shel Silverstein

n  Expressing myself in a creative manner was very important.  I believed there was something inside of me pushing me to think, and explore other worlds, other people, and other experiences so as to create my own stories.  I wondered if anyone understood what I was doing, engaged in private conversations, assuming many roles and personalities. 

Growing up, I have to admit I spent a great deal of time watching television-I was the television queen, watching episodes of “I Love Lucy”, “Bugs Bunny”, “Leave it to Beaver” to name a few.  While inside, television was my play and I created skits based on the shows I watched.  Television was simpler in the ‘70’s and it did engage my imagination, my sense of creativity and my sense of how I pictured things.  Television watching lead me to my first job as a television director, which I did for over 25 years.  (Early childhood education is a new passion for me, that I have been involved in for 3 years).  I always sought a creative outlet, but play was rather elusive for me growing up.

Learning, studying, getting good grades was the focus in my young life.  My parents were immigrants, and believed strongly that academic success was the key to success in American life.  Luckily, I loved school and homework was not a chore so I did not give my parents any trouble.

  

When I did play, I played with my brother, and he was in charge of what we did, how we played, and what we played with.  I felt stifled when we played, but I enjoyed his company so I endured.  My most vivid memories of play other than my own pretend, private play was the time I spent outside playing.  The playground for me was a carnival of excitement with endless possibilities to loose yourself.  Whether I was on the swing, legs up in the air, head dropped back with my long hair slapping my back, or on the monkey bars hanging upside down looking at the world, I knew I could loose myself in imagination.  The physical experiences of the playground could be repeated over and over again, providing me a new sensation every time. No matter how high I went on the swing, it took different degrees of body strength to project my feet in the air.  I still remember the colors I could see when I finished spinning and the peripheral shouts, and laughing of my friends as I tried to keep my balance.  The playground gave me control, and offered me so many different experiences; I could stay on the playground for hours. 

Play today is not so reckless and free.  If children are outside, they are engaged in organized activities that are adult driven; soccer, football, cheer-leading, baseball.  Play of this type is not based on personal fun, but on competition; competition to win and be the best.  Play is very much scheduled and sandwiched in between academics.  Unfortunately we live in a society that no longer permits free play where kids get on their bikes and ride around the neighborhood coming back only because it was time for dinner.  I don’t think I have seen a child climb a tree in ages, nor have I seen children on the playground near my house engaged on the equipment like I used to be.  More avenues for self-directed play need to be carved out for children.  

                                                  

The world looks different when you play…. it is endless and full of promise

                                                                  

                                                

Play keeps you fresh, play gives you power and a sense of accomplishment.

  

True Relationships

A loving relationship is one in which the loved one is free to be himself -- to laugh with me, but never at me; to cry with me, but never because of me; to love life, to love himself, to love being loved. Such a relationship is based upon freedom and can never grow in a jealous heart.

~ Leo F. Buscaglia

A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails.

~Donna Robertsp, the

What I find most interesting about various relationships in my life is the ease with which both I and the other party are able to slip in and out of the relationship and we are able to pick up just where we left off.  Life at times turns us and pulls us in various directions, whether it is children, work, family issues that require our full attention and therefore I am not able to spend time with the relationship.  I have very close friendships that the above description fits.  One might say that this is a very self-centered approach to relationships, however the friendships don’t have anything to do with self-centeredness, but have everything to do with understanding and respect for the other person.  When we are together we nurture each other, take care of each other, share secrets together, empathize with one another and place no judgment on the others behavior or choices.  I am treated as an individual with unique characteristic and I too treat my friend the say way.   In addition, we also share similar likes and dislikes; we share a common ground and understanding of the world around us.  We both know the other is a phone call away. 

Other relationships that I have shared have been linked to the friendships and relationships of my children; play dates, school functions, and sports provided me a path to relationships I would have not otherwise shared.  These relationships developed over time with the secret ingredient being the children; we talked about the kids, we talked about how the kids were doing in school, and we talked about the behavior of the children.  As the children grew older, developed different interests or even grew out of a particular friendship was when I too outgrew the relationship as well.   If I reconnect with

any of these relationships, again the common theme is the children.

The most significant relationship in my life is the relationship I have with my cousin Georgia (we were both named after our grandmother, our dad’s mother).  She is five years younger than me and we first met when she as infant.  Surrounded by a family of male cousins, we had not choice but to stick together.  As we grew together, I helped her with homework, shared outgrown clothes with her, and shared lots of “firsts” with her (being 5 years older, I was able try things first, and then introduce her).  I took her to her first concert, took her to her first bar, and shared my fake ID with her and introduced her to smoking.  We were good for each other and we were bad for each other, we cried with each other and we laughed with each other—with each experience bringing us closer together creating a strong connection that to this day no one has been able to penetrate or understand.  We shared more than just a name we shared everything.  We were in each other’s wedding and shortly after we both got married we both were pregnant, sharing married life and pregnancy together.  Our daughters were born a month apart, bringing our lives even closer.  Those who know us feel we were separated at birth, or that perhaps we share a brain, and ironically our daughters who are now both 21 have the same relationship as we do; they are the younger version of us.  We know each other inside out and we trust that the other will be there thick and thin (and we have tested that theory to be true).  

My successful relationships have been based on trust and understanding and I believe that is what must be brought to early childhood education of children, families and co-workers.  An environment that has those attributes of trust and understanding becomes an environment where individuals want to be themselves as well as sharing of themselves.  When children are in such an environment, they can be successful students.  

Children's Quote

“This bridge will only take you halfway there, to those mysterious lands you long to see. Through gypsy camps and swirling Arab fair, and moonlit woods where unicorns run free.  So come and walk awhile with me and share the twisting trails and wondrous worlds I’ve known.  But this bridge will only take you halfway there.  The last few steps you have to take alone”

n  Shel Silverstein

I chose this quote because I believe if we as educators do our job well providing children not only appropriate resources, but opportunity for exploration and discovery, we will have prepared them for the moment they begin their journey alone.  We must open doors that bring children to new worlds where they desire to learn from. We must stand beside them, holding their hand, sharing what we know while building and expanding not only their mind, but supporting their social well being.  We are the bridge, strong and available that helps scaffold children to the next level of discovery.  As the bridge, we need to remember not to give children the answers, but we must instead give them questions that will ignite their thinking and imagination.  

Thank you to all of you—I feel as if all of you have helped contribute to my growth.  The exchange has been enlightening and I feel I have been provided a venue to express my views openly.  All of you provided me with many opportunities to gather new knowledge pushing me to be a better student and a more inquisitive researcher.  I wish all of you the best, and I hope we can once again share in a learning experience down the road.  

The Whole Child

According to Maria Montessori, “Each child is born with a unique potential to be revealed” (http://www.montessori.edu/).    When viewing children, one cannot break the child down into pieces; one must examine all aspects of the child to fully understand him and therefore be able to provide the best and most successful avenue for learning and growth.  The whole child, the physical; body shape and function, the cognitive; abilities to learn, the family; whether he is being raised in a nuclear family or a differing family unit such as a blended family, the social; how he views himself as compared to others, or the stressors in his life and his ability to adapt to stress, and the culture; how family views him and educational success, must all be taken into consideration as these factors all contribute to how the child interacts and grows within the world around him (Berger, 2009).  One thing is true; all children have the same needs for healthy development, however all children are not the same (Berger, 2009).  As educators we must learn to “follow the child” (http://www.montessori.edu/ ), creating environments for exploration and discovery that respects the child and his work, whether the work is a scribble on a page or a Picasso masterpiece.  When the whole child is considered, he is more likely to grow academically, as well as grow into a caring individual (Berger, 2009).

In Italy, it would seem children are given ample opportunity to grow in academic areas, and although testing and assessment seems more stringent, children are prepared to advance to the next level.  At the elementary level, children are required to test in order to be admitted to academic secondary schools; testing is a part of the academic process and although intimidating for a child, it does foster a sense of drive and motivation to advance.  To make the process easier, children are given a pretest to determine their strengths and weaknesses and teachers are aware of content that has been mastered.  The children are also given a diagnostic test at the beginning of the year to determine areas where the children need assistance.  The results of such tests allow teachers insight into the content areas; math, science, etc where there are deficiencies and the teachers then plan their lessons to focus on improving the deficiencies (http://rome.angloinfo.com/).  I thought this a welcome method for teaching and planing as opposed to the standardized testing in our country where teachers may be aware of deficiencies, but they must teach the standard curriculum as mandated by the state.  It would seem we as American educators do not look at the whole child, especially in terms of academic development. 

During the discussion board, I became interested in how other countries view and treat children with disabilities.  My perception was that European systems especially those in Italy would be somewhat antiquated as compared to the United States systems.    I was rather surprised at what I found; Italy takes the strongest position on inclusion, requiring all schools to provide for children with disabilities; the inclusive education policy has been in place since 1970 (McGrath, 1999).  In the United States, PL 91-230 recognized learning disabilities as part of special education; before that time there were no special education services (Berger, 2009).  In 1975 PL 94-142 mandated education for all handicapped children in the least restrictive environment (LRE) (Berger, 2009).  Clearly the U.S. view is far different from that of Italy.  The Italian Communist Pray created reforms to integrate “the handicapped, minorities, the poor into mainstream Italian life” (McGrath, 1999).  In Italy there is a sense of equality for all students with an arena that doesn’t discriminate.  Students with special educational needs are not a separate group, but individuals with “something unique to offer” that all can learn from (Berrigan).  Integrated classrooms in Italy are composed of 20 students with a maximum of 2 students with disabilities.  In addition, special services are integrated into the classroom with special education teachers working alongside regular education teaches (Berrigan). 

A system such as this would bring about attitudinal changes towards students with disabilities.  With such prevailing positive redefinition of disability, one can look at the person and his abilities for definition.  This type of innovative thought will help “create a society where everyone belongs” (Snow, 2003-2009) in the United States. 

References:

Berger, K. S. (2009).  The Developing Person Through Childhood.  New York, NY: Worth

     Publishers

Berrigan, C. Schools In Italy: A National Policy Made Actual.  Retrieved from http://thechp.syr.edu/italy.htm

McGrath, B. (1999).  National Policy on Inclusion of Students with Special Educational Needs in  

     Italy, Ireland, and the United States. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED436875&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED436875

Maria Montessori.   Retrieved from http://www.montessori.edu/

Snow, K. (2003-2009). Redefining Disability. Retrieved

     from http://www.disabilityvisnatural.com/images/PDF/redefindis.pdf


http://rome.angloinfo.com/countries/italy/schooling.asp

What's war got to do with it...

“Being the target of hate can be devastating and often results in tremendous sadness, grief and fear” (Coard, Wallace).  War puts the stamp of hate on innocent victims, most often than not the victims of war are children.  My own father was a victim of war.  My father lived during WWII in Cephalonia Greece during Greece’s occupation by Germany, Italy and Bulgaria.  During this time all of Greece and her people suffered immensely; the economy was in ruins, civilians died from starvation and civil war broke out among resistance guerrilla groups.  My dad was a young boy of 16, the same age as my son is today and he was the oldest among 9 children.  Continuing his education was not an option but rather supporting and aiding his family was.  My father had to protect and provide for his siblings, along with his father, he became the patriarch of his family.  I am sure fear overtook my dad’s life, but he was not given the opportunity to process those feelings of fear or grief; my dad was in survival mode especially when it came to protecting his siblings.  Instead of falling apart, my dad did everything he could to empower his brothers and sisters, providing them with an emotionally stable loving environment.  It was his job to protect them and he succeeded in doing that.  He made a bad situation seem manageable, almost hopeful.  My dad was a role model for his family, showing “that people have successfully stood up to hatred” (Coard et al.).  Did the war have an affect on my dad?  I know it did, but the only effect we ever experienced was always a positive example of caring for others, and surviving with the love of your family.  My dad never stopped caring for his siblings; he cared for them into their adult lives.  Perhaps my dad was one of the lucky one; unfortunately others are not so lucky especially Iraqi children. 

Iraqi children live in war everyday.  “The fighting is happening in the streets in front of our houses and schools…. many Iraqi children have to pass dead bodies on the street…others have seen relatives killed” (Palmer, 2007).  This is normal childhood for these children because real normalcy is being “swept away by violence and displacement (Palmer, 2007).  “Nearly 15 % of Iraq’s total population have fled their homes – 50 % of them are children (UNICEF, 2007).  The war is impacting not only the children’s mental health, but also their ability to learn and develop appropriately. The war has displaced children from their homes, closed schools and centers of education; access to quality health care is limited, and many children face life separated from their parents or as orphans.  Children that are able to access education face struggles as well, finding themselves in over crowded classrooms with limited resources (UNICEF, 2007).  The Iraqi children have lost a sense of family, a sense of community and a sense of self.  These children are suffering from sever trauma, post traumatic stress disorder, sleeping and eating disorders (Palmer, 2007), and unfortunately, there are not adequately trained professionals to deal and assist these children. Unicef has been working vigilantly to raise funds for appropriate resources to assist the war torn children of Iraq so that they may be afforded the opportunity to develop in all areas of development and lead healthy lives.

My dad was driven by a commitment to family surviving the ill effects of war; the Iraqi children sadly do not have that same luxury.   

References

Palmer, J. (2007, April 16).  Iraqis Fear War’s Long-Term Cost to Kids.  USA Today.

     Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-04-15-iraq-

     kids_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

Palmer, J. (2001, April 17).  Trauma Sever For Iraqi Children.  USA Today. Retrieved

     from http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-04-15-cover-war-  

     children_N.htm

Coard, S., Wallace, S. A. When Hurt Lead to Hate:  Preventing your Child’s Feelings of

     Anger from Leading to Actions of Bias and Hate.  Retrieved from  

     http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/war_iraq_tackling_tough_issues_kids

UNICEF. (2007), Immediate Needs for Iraqi Children in Iran and Neighboring Countries. 

     Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/media/media_39775.html

Nutrition

Since I can remember I have battled with food and I have always felt I have poor eating habits.  I have dieted all my life and have successfully lost weight and I have successfully gained weight.  In my journey to be healthier, I have become more and more aware of nutrition and the value it has to one’s longevity and quality of life.  I read labels, I try to eat more fruits and vegetables and proteins, and I avoid excessive sodium and preservatives. I try to be an informed eater as well as an individual who leads a healthy lifestyle.  Nutrition is important for all aspects of growth, both physical and mental. 

Unfortunately children and parents are ill informed about proper nutrition and exercise.  We look around and find more and more obese children.  I see it in my own program; children who are just not eating properly—we have 4 year old who will only eats crackers, chips and fruit juice.  His parents say he is just a picky eater.  I have shared information on nutrition and information on helping young children eat well, but to no avail.  In addition, many children do not have access to proper nutrition at home, “over 31 million children receive meals through the school lunch program and many children receive most, if not all, of their meals at school” (The White House [WH], 2010).  Schools and teachers alike have to take a more active role in assisting children not only with access to meals but information on proper eating habits.  Thankfully, President Obama recently signed into law the Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.  The law will allow more children to participate in the school lunch program while also providing healthier more nutritious meals (WH, 2010).

In an effort to find more information on the topic of nutrition, I can across information on global malnutrition, specifically iodine deficiency.  I came to find out some startling information about iodine deficiency that affects nations worldwide and “is the world most prevalent…cause of brain damage” (World Health Organization [WHO]), and is a “threat to the health and development of…preschool children” (WHO).    More staggering is the fact that a deficiency of this nature could be detrimental to a pregnant woman, causing spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, and mental retardation, limiting a child’s ability to learn (WHO, 2004).  Great strides have been made in the elimination of iodine deficiency simply by providing and using iodized salt. 

It is fascinating to compare the two problems where the effects of both have such an impact on a child’s cognitive abilities and development. 

Sources

World Health Organization.  Micronutrient Deficiencies. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/idd/en/index.html#

World Health Organization.  (2004, December 21).  Eliminating Iodine Deficiency Worldwide is Within Reach.  Retrieved from

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2004/pr93/en/

The White House. (2010) President Obama Signs Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 Into Law. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/12/13/president-obama-signs-healthy-hunger-free-kids-act-2010-law

The White House. (2010) Child nutrition reauthorization Healthy, hunger-free kids act of 201. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/12/13/president-obama-signs-healthy-hunger-free-kids-act-2010-law

Birthing Experience

Looking back it would seem that the 9-month gestation period was preparation for the birth experience I had with my children.  Eating, exercising, attending regular office visits, pre-natal vitamins, Lamaze classes, the elimination of my Friday night glass of wine, the entire regiment was intended to prepare me, and on most levels I was prepared.  My body was well cared for, as was my baby. I even knew where I was going to deliver visiting the hospital and the labor and delivery room.  I was even prepared for the marathon of labor….I had heard stories of laborious, 16 hour labors; I had no reason to think I was any different.  My plan was to have my baby naturally without an epidural; boy was I young and naive! 

Twenty years have since past and I can honestly say I do not recall the pain; much of the experience is a blur and I guess that’s why I had another child four years later.  What sticks in my mind is the fact that my doctor was not there to greet me; the labor and delivery nurse did most of the prep work.  Once attached to the fetal monitor things began to go rather quickly.  The contractions were coming quickly and for whatever reason we were not able to keep track of the timing.  All I could do was stare up at the clock.  I was not in labor for long before the nurse announced I was at 10 centimeters and that it was time to push—I had gone from zero to sixty in about an hour and guess what, I wanted the epidural but it was too late.  The doctor came in and off we went.  While pushing it felt like my insides were going to come out, but darn if that baby seemed to be stuck.  The pushing ordeal lasted about an hour and out came my baby girl!  While delivering my daughter, the most vivid memory that I have is of who was in the room with me; the doctor and nurse didn’t register as being present, but my husband and mom were right there beside me.  My mom helped me deliver her first granddaughter; she held my hand and she even held my leg back while I pushed. 

The fact that my mom was in the room with me speaks to the importance of family in my life and to the impact my family and my culture have had and continue to have in my life and the lives of my children.  My culture shaped me and was a part of me both at home and in school.  I may have at one point tried to deny my culture, but it was always there and in some sense having my mom in the delivery room with me passed the cultural torch on to my daughter and later to my son. 

I decided to explore the birthing experience in Greece and I found some startling information.  According to an article I read, women in Greece are more likely to have a Caesarean section than women in any other European country, an average of 44% more  (Tzilivakis, 2009).   There is no medical reason for the trend, “It feels like it’s the safest and more predictable option” (Tzilivakis, 2009).  Women are certainly not properly informed about the benefits of natural childbirth and feel strongly that a C-section is much safer.  In addition, Greek women opt for a C-section so as to avoid the pain of labor.  This is a drastic difference from the American perspective on C-sections; women have them in special medical cases and work in conjunction with their doctor to pursue the best possible medical option for a safe delivery.  Contrary, doctors in Greece also opt for the Caesarean sections to avoid lawsuits over possible injuries that may occur from a vaginal birth. 

Resources

Tzilivakis, K. (2009).  The New ‘Natural’ Birth.  Retrieved from 

     http://www.athensnews.gf/old issue/13333/19101