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| My hero, my Dad |
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| My daughter, Tabitha, me, and my son, Erik |
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| Ms. Kitty Annette Cat |
Relationships are important to me because I need people and pets in my life which, in turn, are good for my physical, spiritual, and emotional health. We are all social beings and have the need to feel a sense of belonging. Relationships also cultivate shared experiences, socialization, laughter, and stimulation which sometimes inspire every emotion on the spectrum. What I think, feel, and actually do affects my relationships. I have a special relationship with both of my adult children. My daughter, Tabitha, and I work together as she is the assistant director at my center. Sometimes we do have issues with crossing that fine line of the employer/employee and mother/daughter relationship, but we have enough respect for each other to communicate our feelings and stresses. We both have a commitment to work through conflicts and disagreements in a respectful manner. My son, Erik, and I also work together but only on a part time basis as he is finishing his Bachelors Degree and has a few other jobs. My children and I have the same philosophy of life which includes our values and traditions, and it makes me proud that my children live what I have taught them. I would like to think that some contributing factors that aid in maintaining our positive relationships are that I listen to my adult children, give advice to them only when they ask, let them make their own mistakes, and yet I am still there to pick up the pieces as a "mother" when necessary. Another factor in our relationship is the humor that keeps things in perspective. We treat each other with respect, never taking each other for granted.
My dad is my hero; always has been, always will be. The relationship that I have with him is caring and respectful. He is my rock when I'm feeling overwhelmed with anything, especially school. My relationship with my dad validates my self-worth and has a huge influence on me. Because of my dad, I feel safe and supported which gives me the confidence to explore "my world" and finish my Masters Program. I want to think that I have instilled the same confidences in my two children that my dad instilled in me. The major factor in maintaining my positive relationship with my dad is healthy communication; we talk all the time.
The other picture is Ms. Kitty who, for the past five years, is my center's pet therapist and helps to sell the daycare to families. Research suggests that people who have animals live a longer and happier life. Some animals need a lot of social interaction and attention to be happy, and Ms. Kitty is one of those animals. She is such a people person and many of my daycare parents will stop to pet and talk with Ms. Kitty before picking up their child. I have a special relationship with Ms. Kitty as she makes her home in my office and follows me around everywhere I go. If a child is crying, she will rub her body next to them and the child will quite down. A frustrating issue during the day becomes better when Ms. Kitty sits on my desk in front of my computer "telling" me to slow down and smell the roses, or that its time to pet her! It is easy to maintain my partnership with Ms. Kitty; just feed, love, and talk to her.
One challenge I find when developing and maintaining relationships would be the concept of time management. These days, it seems as if everyone is busy juggling the day-to-day responsibilities of meeting obligations such as work and family life, and finding the time to manage other relationships or even creating new ones can be difficult. Another challenge would be that new relationships contain a lot of projection and fantasy. Disappointment can be experienced when the fantasy does not become reality. Things that can help to maintain a relationship are to take time to listen or to put yourself in the other person's shoes. With all the technology in our life, it is far easier to stay in touch with our relationships, but actually making the time to talk with someone face to face is critical in maintaining successful and meaningful relationships.
In my profession, establishing and maintaining healthy relationships is an essential part of the job. As an early childhood professional, I must stay involved with and current on the different family situations for each child in my care. When I self reflect on my own ability to maintain relationships, I sometimes draw upon my experiences listening to and guiding my own children with advice and care, and I translate those experiences into building blocks for successful communication with those families. By strengthening these relationships, I can develop a stronger sense of trust and work with the families to ensure the children are getting the most out of their early education as possible. I believe that the ability to relate to people and share experiences is important to my line of work.
