Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important to me because they are what help get through the tough times in life and they are who I celebrate the good times with.

Several people I have positive relationships with include my parents, my children, and my siblings.

The relationship with my parents has always been a positive one mainly because of the deep religious background that I was raised. I also believe that being the youngest of so many had helped my relationship with my parents because they were “pros” by the time I came along. They were strict but fair and our relationship followed our religious beliefs so I was always told reasons for being able to do things and for not being able to do things. My parents used a lot of humor with raising me which also contributed to our positive relationship. Growing up with 9 sisters and 6 brothers was great for the most part. We did so much together, we were more than family, we were each other’s friends, and still are. We share our hopes and dreams and our defeats. We pull together in tough times and we understand each other without even speaking. All of these things and my relationship with my parents and siblings led me to be able to create the same type of relationship with my own children. I am close with them, but still their mother. We celebrate the good times and cry together through the tough times. They can talk to me about anything, even if they know I will be disappointed.

Challenges to developing and maintaining positive relationships include maybe not agreeing with everything but being able to listen and understand where the other person is coming from. My parents and I may not have seen eye to eye on everything, but they did listen to me and they did try to understand what I was going through. Because I am the youngest of 16, my parents were older when they had me. Even with that gap, they still tried to understand especially my father.

Honesty and acceptance are two special characteristics that made all my relationships partnerships, even with my parents. Honesty was very important to them and so was instilling honesty in their children. As long as I was honest, they listened to me and would work with me. I am not saying that if I were honest I could do anything and get away with it, but being honest with them allowed them to treat me as a partner in times when needed not just a parent. They also accepted me for who I am and allowed me, helped me be myself. These things help me build the same type of relationships/partnerships with my own children.

The fact that I have had positive relationships all my life with my family has impacted my work as an effective early childhood professional because the positive relationships and influences allowed me to be the outgoing, positive, creative person I am today. All of these things are important working with children and they also help me build better relationships with my children and their families. I was taught to listen and not judge, see everyone as a child of God, and respect their cultures and values.