Saturday, November 9, 2013

Relationship Reflection


            This week is about the importance of supportive relationships and partnerships. I have learned a lot about the worth of creating these strong partnerships with families and parents of the children I teach. Everyone has something to gain when the parents, teachers and caregivers involved in a child’s life come together for the whole child. It involves working towards the same goals and seeing eye-to-eye. In this blog post, I will share some of the most important relationships currently in my life.







            The relationship I will start with is the one with my husband, Chris. We just celebrated our one year anniversary on October 11th. He is the only person I have ever imagined spending my whole life with. We challenge each other all the time and grow as a couple with each day and with each spat. It hasn’t been a piece of cake developing a good working partnership but we have a good one and we are still learning. We have known each other for five years. He has taught me how to be more giving, thoughtful and a better person in general.  We get each other and more importantly, we respect each other. We try our best to listen to each other and understand the gray area of give and take. One of the hardest challenges for us throughout our five years of knowing each other is communicating effectively. We have learned a lot and made many strides towards this skill but we will always be improving. A marriage takes patience, understanding, and openness. I love my partnership with him and I look forward to learning much more with him!

            Secondly, the relationship I have with my Mom, Susan, is a very special one. She is my best friend and understands me to a “T”. I can go to her about anything and I know she will help me through it and teach me something about life in the process. She has given me unconditional love and support which I am truly grateful for. I’m so blessed to have such a wonderful relationship with the only woman whom I call Mom. Because of her, I am a confident, secure and responsible woman. She has been a great example for me by practicing what she preaches and giving me wonderful advice; habits and traits that I will carry on to my children. I can’t thank her enough for all she has done and continues to do. We have a strong bond and partnership that works well.

            My dad is also my best friend and I am his only child. I know I can count on him to be there when I need him or when I need an ear to talk to. We have a strong, stable relationship because of his commitment to my happiness and growth. When I think back to my childhood with him, the first thing I think of is how often we played games together. That was one our favorite activities to do together whether it was playing outside or playing chess and doing puzzles. He taught me how to have fun, laugh and stay young for as long as I can. That is something that has always stuck with me and stays in the back of my mind as I "grow". At the same time, he also never let me get out of line. He made sure I knew how to follow rules and stay in check. He set appropriate boundaries for me and showed me that actions have consequences. He has been a great example of how a great man is suppose to be and continues to do so. Not to mention he his hilarious and makes me laugh all the time. I am forever thankful for my dad's continued guidance, love, sense of humor and support.
            I am also very grateful for the relationship with my stepmother, Laura pictured above. She has treated and loved me like a daughter from the beginning. She and my Dad married 14 years ago. I was her maid of honor. There have been times where I did not know what I was going to do without her. She knows that when she needs me, I will be there for her and vice versa. We understand each other and truly care about each others concerns and well-being. We relate to each other in our love for animals. We have a string relationship built on trust and honesty. I’m very grateful for her.

            Last but not least is my pitbull/boxer mix, Baby. I rescued her 6 years ago when she was 4 months old. She had a couple of problems from a spider bite she got as a puppy. I took care of her bite and made her fat, healthy, and happy. She is very loyal and smart! She stays close to me and loves to cuddle. She has a sharp mind and loves to learn tricks. I feel safe with her around. I’m very grateful for her friendship and protection. She is my sweet Baby.

           
             I definitely take what I learn in my personal life into my work life and vice versa. When I learn a new way to be a better partner and contributor, I carry that new knowledge with me everywhere. This week, I have learned more in depth about the importance and value of developing positive and supportive partnerships. I look forward to seeing this mew knowledge in action as I interact with children and their families. Although it can be hard at times, I will try harder at planning classroom activities where parents can be involved in the classroom. The topic of introspect, partnerships, and relationships is good knowledge for early childhood and in life.

No comments:

Post a Comment