Robin's Early Childhood Studies Blog: October 2011

Friday, October 14, 2011

MY SUPPORTS

I have found as I grow older (age in years not in spirit) the various supports in my life change. These supports can be social/emotional in nature; practical; physical or just daily things needed to help with the multiple of hats I wear each day (as so many of us do). These supports also can change minute by minute; daily; etc… all dependent on how the day is going.

An example of social/emotional supports would be when I need to vent or ask advice and know that my friends and family are there for me. The best example of this would be when my husband passed away in a motor vehicle accident. It seemed as if everyone we knew came out to lend their support in some way or form. These are also the same individuals which I know I can still count on for support no matter what is happening.

Examples of practical supports/physical supports on a daily basis can range anywhere from my day planner; computer working correctly; support from my peers; hoping I get paid by all the parents for the weeks’ childcare so I can pay my own bills; to support from my children such as taking the air conditioners out, etc…; my grocery list; and curriculum plans for the week.

There are plenty more supports in which I receive/need/or supply to others on a daily basis but these were a few examples of them. When I imagine having all my supports taken away, it is not a pleasant thought at all. Life would definitely be much harder if the supports I have come to rely on just disappeared. I will admit that I am spoiled by technology and extremely fortunate to have great children and friends which allow me to keep my little part of the world on a pretty even level for the most part. Though these supports may not be needed each day, it is always great to know they are here when they are needed.

So a great big THANK YOU for all the supports I have in my life!

PERSONAL CHILDHOOD WEB

When constructing my personal childhood web I needed to remember those who contributed to a feeling of being loved, left me feeling special in some way, and cared about. This was a difficult task as my memories of my childhood, especially from the years of ten and up, were more of surviving this time instead of enjoyment.

Those individuals who did leave a positive impression in some way during the course of my early childhood and middle childhood are: my maternal step-grandfather; my mother; my father; my sister; and my mother's long-term boyfriend and father figure in later years.

My maternal step-grandfather, Monty Crytzer, was the one person in my childhood that I could always count on the keep me laughing and see the fun part of childhood. Even though we are not biologically related, I attribute my sense of humor and how I look at life to him. When times get tough, I always remember how he taught me the importance of being a kid at heart. One specific memory is of him pushing my sister and me around K-Mart in a shopping cart telling us to yell for our mom and grandmother. We had fun, they were totally embarrassed. I have many wonderful memories of my time spent with him.

My mother, Sarah, had her ups and downs as a parent. Most of my memories are not of fun times but to give her credit she did the best she could under the circumstances she found herself in during my later early childhood and middle childhood years. She took care of the basics in order for us to be healthy. She made sure we ate, had clothes, got up for school, etc... It was in the department of showing love that she had a tough time in. I always assumed she loved us but just did not know how to show it.

My father, Eddie, was a great father when we were little whenever he was around (which was not often because of work). He was very interested in technology and I credit him with my interest in all types of gizmos, gadgets, and computers of any type. The times I remember the most fondly were spent in his workroom as a young child being instructed on how to use his Ham Radio setup. Unfortunately, he slowly disappeared out of my life when I was around ten or so.

My sister, Wendy, is older than I am but we always shared a room. We were close later in early childhood and in early middle childhood due to the environment we lived in. Specific memories are painful to remember, but it was and is important that she was there when times were tough. We went through a rough time in later childhood but are now as close as ever.

My mom's long-term boyfriend, Ralph, was and still is a father figure for me. Since the age of fifteen, he has been the person who pretty much took on that role in my life. We never lived in the same house but do live only two houses apart. Aside from taking on some of the roles as father figure, he is a great listener as well as full of information that he loves to share.

There were others who had an impact as I progressed into adulthood but these are the five that came to mind for my early childhood and middle childhood. I do believe we are a product of our environment in so many ways and even though three of the five mentioned are no longer alive, the impact they had on my life is still present today.

Robin's Early Childhood Studies Blog

Friday, October 14, 2011

MY SUPPORTS

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