MY SUPPORTS

Support is a very broad word and it can mean different things to different people. For me, when I talked about my supports, I am referring to people, things: both natural and man made that provide help for me and make my life easier. A supportive person to me is somebody I can count on to help me, that cares about what happens to me, that believes in me, that sticks with me in time of challenges, that is reliable and that gives me hope. Materials I work with, that I used for instruction in my classroom are also considered to be part of my supports, equally as well and going by my perception of what my supports are, I considered the air I breath, the water I drink as part of my support.

“There is nothing better than the encouragement of a good friend.” Katharine Hathaway. My husband and children are my supports at home, with their support I am able to get on- not only at home but even with my work. My husband believes in me, my children give me hope, they all care about what happens to me. It will be extremely difficult for me to live without my husband, he is not only caring and very supportive, he is a practical person and an encourager. When I am stuck with idea to use in my classroom or face with a challenge, I know talking with my husband goes a long way to provide needed lift for me to be back on track. Even with my graduate program, he is both the initiator and my greatest support. Recently I lost my major financial support for the program but my husband has not only sustained payment he has been encouraging me and has gone round to create other avenues for provision of finance for the program.

My children are my source of inspiration and motivation. I realised with this assignment how my first daughter has been so wonderful, she ensures I have enough time to do my assignments on weekends, get the house well organised on Sundays so that I would have a good start on Mondays and have a stress free week, as she always says, “mum is at her best when she is not stressed, so folks, lets make this week stress-free for mum.” I also enjoy tremendous support form my colleagues in my school, they are people I can discuss ideas with, get positive comments from, and that I can rely on for sincere, genuine, and helpful criticism. I know without these human support, life would be a bit challenging and boring for me and I may not be able to accomplish or do some of the things I am doing.

Even with good health, good people around us, there are things provided by nature and made by man without which we may feel incomplete emotionally, physically, and practically. The roof over my head, the air I breath, and the water I drink are among numerous blessings I enjoyed and that offer support which I am thankful for. Also my computer and other electronic devices are among man made materials that offer valuable support to me. Would I have been able to do this program without my computer? Before my enrolment at Walden University, I have tried to do my graduate program in two traditional Universities but it has been met with serious challenges due to demand from work and pressure from home.

“A man wrapped up in himself makes a small bundle. ” Benjamin Franklin. Love, understanding, care, and emotional support are key elements for any human being to find strength to carry on in life. Those who cannot find emotional support from people and do not get support from nature and man made materials may be going through a lot, it will not be out of place to say they are fading away.

MY CONNECTION TO PLAY

“Play is a right of all children because it is vital for their development and well-being.”

United Nations

“Children's natural energy and enthusiasm can be channelled into experiences where they learn about their bodies, about themselves, and how to cope with others when they are sharing in movement, games, and skill based activities.”
Australian Sports Commission

PLAY is important for children because it helps them to develop physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially and spiritually in a more robust way. Through play, children have opportunities to experience delight, display their understanding of the world around them and to unleash their imagination. They may also express their feelings such as love, grief, and loss through play and come to better understand things that trouble or confuse them.

Growing up was fun for me and playing was part of it. My childhood was in a culture where children are expected to play on a daily basis because of the believe that play, especially traditional games develop fundamental skills and good character in a child. Though boys and girls were not allowed to play together, there were enough age and gender appropriate games and play types for each gender. The importance attached to play in my growing-up years can be seen in the way parents react if their child is not playing, it is taken that something is terribly amiss with that child and as such parents are worried and troubled.

I can still remember how mum will drop me off at grand ma's place and how I played with other

children that were with her, she ran a kind of charitable day care then. Apart from toys that I normally go with, grand ma's house was full of toys that most times I do not unpacked my bag to get my toys as there were enough toys for me to play with. In addition to toys, there was a big space that we used for outdoor activities such as sand plays, water games, climbing, planting, driving and so on. For my grand mother, play remains the most important tool for children's education and healthy development. I could remember how my mother will always tell her that she brought some books for me to read and she should make sure I read them and she would countered her that what I need for brain development and healthy growth is play

Though my dad and mum were working when I was growing up, they encouraged my playing by buying toys for me, albeit I have regulated time to use my toys. Dad always found time, especially on weekends to sit down and play with me, most times he initiated games and activities that we are to do. One way my dad encouraged and motivated me in playing some games was that any time I won or played well he rewarded me with a gift which used to be my favourite -chocolate.

Despite the many benefits that play offers for children as shown by research, time for play is been reduced for children. Even at schools, child centred/play-based learning is been rejected in favour of adult-directed, instruction-based learning. Bradon (2002) gave the example of a case whereby the science, art, and
dramatic play areas a public school kindergarten
teacher envisioned in her classroom were prohibited by school administrators who “expected
preschoolers” to sit all day at desks, go without
recess so that they can learn to read by year’s end.

As an adult, I found play to be of great benefits. When I play with my son, not only is he happy, he equally develops skills, discovers some things and learn some social skills. And for me, I always finds it a refreshing time, a better way to prevent boredom, and a way of reducing stress.