RELATIONSHIP REFLECTION

      I personally hold family relationships at a high value. I am grateful for the many different relationships I have had up to this point in my life. I have had both positive and negative experiences which have helped shape my ideals about relationships. My first relationship I am compelled to talk about is with my mother. We have always had a great relationship; she developed a relationship with me that she never had with her parents. I am thankful she taught me to be “firm but friendly.” She was both mother and father for many years. I learned independence early in life.

     Next, I have always wanted a large family. While growing up it was my brother and I. I wanted children and a lot of them. I really should be more mindful of what I wish for as I got seven. My husband is my best friend; we enjoy each others company, conversation, planning our future goals and our family time with the kids. He to had a single parent upbringing and we decided for our children they would have the childhood experience we had desired. Our relationship works because we work as a unit and we work together as a whole family to accomplish goals.

     My relationship with my children there are seven and as each child has a different personality each relationship is different. The older three are young adults living independently, working or attending college. I find our relationships are stronger now than ever before. They call me for guidance, wisdom, advice and the occasional cash. I feel they value the relationship they share with me and it is mutually respected.

     My younger children still at home fall under the parental umbrella. I find we develop good relationship with them through supporting their endeavors what ever it may be. Through my husband and I being actively involved in their interests it provides us opportunities to talk.

     I feel the special characteristics that surround each of these relationships is “good communication,” even when at first the conversation was confrontational everyone has the ability to walk away be objective consider the other persons point of view and then re-approach the subject. I learned good communication from my husband early on and I am grateful now. Through our modeling a good positive relationship our children reflect our ideas.

      I feel what I have learned through interacting with my friends and family having to be flexible and objective when dealing with different situations has better prepared me for when I am working with children and parents in the early childhood profession.