Relationship Reflection

Relationships create meaning and shape everyday experiences for people of all ages. For children in particular relationships are of extreme importance. "All learning takes place in the context of relationships and is critically affected by the quality of those relationships" (Edelman, 2004 p. 1). Currently, I have many relationships that affect my daily life. When I think of healthy relationships, I think that loyalty, trust, compassion, respect, empathy, love, stability, and predictability are just a few of the things that hold them together. My husband and daughter are the most important relationships in my life right now, and they shape all of my day-to-day decisions and actions. My friends, extended family, co-workers, students and students' families are other relationships that affect my life.

Relationships are important to me because people in a relationship support each other and uplift each other. They help each other through difficult times, and they bring joy to each other in times of happiness. Relationships are not easy to maintain. Every relationship that I have ever been in takes time and effort to maintain. It takes work to make it grow, but a positive relationship is worth all the hard work. Communication and compromise have been key to maintaining my relationships.

My relationships at work and my relationships at home affect each other greatly. As much as I would like to always keep them separate, both are such a big part of my life it is impossible. My professional experience working with students, families, and co-workers has taught me patience and emotional control. I feel that it has benefitted my personal relationships at home greatly. Having positive and strong relationships at home motivates me to maintain a positive attitude at work and keep striving for improvement. I am dedicating this space on my blog to the relationships most important in my life, my husband and daughter.

Reference:

Edelman, L. (2004). A relationship-based approach to early intervention. Resources and Connections, 3(2). Retrieved fromhttp://olms.cte.jhu.edu/olms/data/resource/1144/A%20Relationship-based%20Approach%20to%20Early%20Intervention.pdf