My Connections to Play

"Play is the beginning of knowledge."
George Dorsey
I like this quote because is emphasizes how important play is for children. Every time a child plays, they find a new way to make sense of the world and explore it more in depth. I know I still learn more when I have fun (and play) than sitting down and read about it.

You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing.  What!  Is it nothing to be happy?  Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long?  Never in his life will he be so busy again.  ~Jean-Jacques Rousseau
I can agree with this quote since I have a two year old son. He keeps me busy because we are constantly out, playing, running and skipping all day long.

Play gives children a change to practice what they are learning

Fred Rogers
This quote I like because I have seen many children who practice what their learn in play. I have seen children practice writing by pretending to play restaurant or doctor's office. I have seen children practice math by playing board games and much more. I think there is nothing more valuable than giving children knowledge and then seeing them apply it to everyday play.


These three items are important to my younger self because I miss having them in my life. I grew up in Germany and they have a stage with puppets called "Kasper Buehne." I still remember having the puppets and putting on shows for my parents. My siblings and I felt never more loved than when our parents spend time watching whatever we put on without judging us. It was fun and the only time I didn't feel judged by what I did. The second item I chose is a Lego pirate ship. My mother was working when I grew up and we a lot of time with her when we built this ship. The last item are funny looking crayons. I loved to draw and make up stories that my parents would read. I miss today having time to just sit and draw.

I think what all my examples above have in common is that play is important to me personally because it brought me closer together with the people I love most: my siblings and my parents. My parents were both working and did not always have time for us but the times we did play together were of high quality. In addition, my parents supported me because everything I or my siblings did was wonderful and amazing without judgement. Children love to play as long as they can be themselves. I am almost certain that some of the plays we put on or pictures we drew must have been mundane but our parents never let us know when they were. To this day, my mother remembers and tells me stories about the different things we liked to do or play with. It is amazing to see that our play was as important to her as it was to us. I also try to keep this mentality for my own son. I think children need to play to find themselves in it. Play provides the security to try out different roles in life without having to choose one particular one. Isn't this the reason we all like to act out on stages or role play during learning? I find that even adults giggle, laugh, and have fun when training sessions start with them being allowed to be someone else. It gives us a new perspective in life.

Child Development and Public Health

My own experience:
It was around 7 o'clock in the morning on Friday December 5, 2008. I woke up early this morning because I had an appointment in the hospital to discuss a c-section. I was full term but my little boy was still breach. I was scheduled for a c-section for Monday morning. When I woke up, I had slight cramps but I thought nothing of it. My husband and I lived in Japan and the hospital we needed to drive to was an hour away. When we got to the hospital, my cramps got stronger. I was hooked up to a monitor reading contractions. They found, I had started to go into labor. Within the next few hours, I was asked to sign several papers and the doctor decided fairly quickly that my son will be born on this day. Right before 1 o'clock pm, I was taken to a operating room and epidermal was administered. A few minutes later, the c-section started. My husband was allowed to be present in the room. At 1:35 pm, my son saw the light of day. He was taken to the side and cleaned. My husband cut the umbilical cord and brought my son over to my side for me to see. I got my own private room with a little tiny room mate. My son was allowed to stay with me during recovery.

Child Birth in China:
According to Brown (2010), there are many tradition in China that surround pregnancy in China. Be it that Chinese women read poetry or only eat certain colored foods. What I find most astonishing in the article was that "Chinese women traditionally labor in an armchair or a futon" (Brown, 2010, p.1). After birth, the women pray to their godess offering incent and meat. Chinese women also do not choose a child's name before the birth. They chose a false name after the birth to scare away evil spirits. The child is renamed when he/she is older. In fact, a child's name changed four or five times throughout their live time.

I found interesting how different childbirths can be around the world. When I think back on my own son being born, everything was very clinical. I had a support system, medical advice on what to eat and how much, and a hospital to go to to ensure a smooth childbirth. I believe that a child's development is closely connected to all aspects of pregnancy and childbirth. I believ that good nutrition is important during pregnancy and through the first years of life. When I read the article about how children are born in China and their tradition, I found that many of them seemed strange to me. I could also never imagine giving birth outside a hospital but in China homebirths are most common. I was surprised to read that a child's name changes throughout their lifes. To me, a name is a form of identity for a child and I never imagined changing my sons name, yet, I can understand why Chinese women have the tradition to protect their children from evil spirits. Reading about childbirth in China definetly opened my eyes to different traditions.

Reference

Brown, L. (2010). Childbirth tradition around the world: China. Retrieved on January 14, 2010, from

http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/labor_birth/birthing_traditions/article/childbirth-traditions-china