Play vs. Relationships/Attachments

I personally feel that both play and relationships/attachments are essential to child development and were essential to my development.  Through pretend play I learned how to do my sister’s hair, read at a young age and be very expressive (not always good when my little sister came into the picture).  On the other hand, through relationships I learned the importance of caring about another person’s feelings, trusting in individuals other than myself as well as how to be a confident, independent girl and later woman.  I came from a home environment that was always bursting through the seams with love and affection.  My parents showed me the importance of having a strong family bond and spending time with those you loved by having family worships, playing board games together, going on family vacations, and many other things.  I didn’t understand the significance of all the activities to build our bonds until I became much older and went to college.  I now respect and savor the memories and hope to build the same strong foundation for my children.