‘I’ll Play With you’ - The ultimate book on child’s play

A little book that teaches how to bring immense joy to children. This is the book “I’ll Play With You” by Adelina Gotera, and it’s a sure-fire sensation.

It’s filled with down-to-earth wisdom that will captivate the hearts of parents, grandparents, teachers and caregivers of children.

The book is the memoir of Ms Adelina Gotera, an early childhood educator based in Vancouver, Canada.

In his latest work – which will soon be distributed worldwide – Ms. Adelina explains how to bring out the best in every child through the best medium possible – play.

In Ms. Adelina’s world populated with smiling babies and toddlers, play becomes magic. The preschool children’s brainpower levels up as their bodies ooze with energy and vitality. They learn and develop new skills using their hands, and sometimes their feet as well.

Ms. Adelina’s easily comprehensible narrative guides the reader to the various forms of play best suited for young children. They include pretend play, music and movements, dress up or dramatic play, cooperative games, science fun play, sensory play, and indoor/outdoor fun plays.

The author says the book does not only explain how to provide entertainment to young children but also how to develop their motor, creative, cognitive and social skills.

“I'll Play With You” is scheduled to be published on or before September this year. Readers may visit the author’s website, www.readadream.com, for updates.

Here are excerpts from the book:

“One day in our afternoon outside play, five year old Jonathan was quietly sitting on a bench, watching the children played “hide and seek” with me.

I went to him and asked, “Do you want to join us, Jonathan?”

He looked at me seriously and said, “Kids do not play with adults. Kids play with kids.”

“Well, Jonathan, we are having so much fun playing. I am sure you will have much fun too if you join us.”

“No!” Jonathan said angrily. I smiled at him and left.

The next day during our outdoor play time, Jonathan approached me while I was making paper airplanes for some of our preschoolers.

“Teacher, please make me a paper airplane too.”

“Sure,” I answered smiling.

Jonathan’s paper airplane flew up high but it got stuck on one branch of the apple tree. He ran to me.

“Teacher, please get my paper airplane.”

Stamping my feet and slowly walking towards the tree, I pretended to be a giant.

“Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump……” In a big, deep voice, I chanted.

“I am a giant! I am a giant! I am a giant! My big hands can get a stuck airplane on a branch of a tree.”

I got the paper airplane, made faces, pretending it was very heavy…and gave it to Jonathan. He was laughing heartily and happily shouting

“You be the giant again teacher! I will be the driver of the airplane.”

“The driver of an airplane is called a pilot,” I explained.

“Yes, teacher, I am the pilot. My airplane was flying high and suddenly went down…. down a mountain and got broken. Then the giant helped me. He fixed my airplane.”

The dramatic play with Jonathan was repeated about five times with some changes in the plot as suggested by the child. He was happily smiling each time we ended the outdoor play for the day.

After a number of play episodes with Jonathan, I’ve observed that he became more approachable and friendly with his peers in contrast to his quiet and aloof attitude in the past. Gradually, he was listening and expressing his thoughts verbally with his peers. He showed self-confidence in communicating verbally with them. My play episodes with Jonathan functioned as fun practice training and prepared him for social interactions with his peers.

“Being good through play”

Max, a 4-year old boy, demonstrated a series of violent interactions with his peers. He was usually quiet and played alone. Most often, he grabbed toys, threw them, and hit any child near him.

My special friendship with Max started one day during our outdoor morning play. He was surely not in a good mood. He was walking alone and looked sad and angry. The teachers were closely watching him, anticipating a violent outburst. I came near, looked at him and sang “I’m going to catch you”. He looked straight to my eyes and after some quiet moments, he ran, climbed up our tree-house and shouted, “Catch me if you can teacher!” I chased him, ran and climbed up the tree-house too. Soon the other children joined the chasing game. It was a tiring morning but surely a satisfying one with the joy and laughter shared with the children, particularly Max.

The chasing game with Max continued each day that we were outside. Max could change the plot but chasing or catching each other was a significant part of the game.

The fun continued indoor. Max liked to mold shapes of animals and sea creatures with play dough. With play dough cutters, Max and the other children molded the dough into shapes of snakes, rabbits, sea horse, starfish, crabs, etc. Holding their creations, the children creatively expressed their imaginations in a dramatic play. It was spontaneous and fun.

Max was beginning to interact positively with his friends. He began to show enthusiasm in arts. One day, he painted a colorful picture of a house with a big door. With pride, he showed it to me. Looking at the picture with excitement, I said. “Max, please give me the key to the door. It is such a beautiful house and I must go inside!” He laughed and climbed on me. Whenever he climbed on me, it was time for me to hold him and play “peek-a-boo, which was moving his head sidewards while I moved my head in opposite sidewards direction alternately. It was a joy to see him laughing heartily and happily.

NAP TIME WITH NATHAN

Nap time was noise time for three-year old Nathan. He liked to make animal sounds which disturbed the other children who were ready to rest and take a nap.

Supervising Nathan at nap time was a big job for teachers. One afternoon, I

went to him, gently rubbed his back and whispered, “Rest now, close your eyes. I’ll play with you outside if you will rest and be quiet.” He looked at me, held my hand and said, “Promise, you’ll play and chase me outside?” I nodded. We made a “pinky swear” deal by putting our little pinky fingers together. After a while, the child closed his eyes and nap.

True to my promise, I played with Nathan in our afternoon outside play. True to his promise, he did not disturb the other children anymore at nap time. He quietly rest and nap with the other children while eagerly awaiting our afternoon outdoor play.

As observed, Jonathan, Max and Nathan were able to adapt positive behaviors through play. A sad or traumatic past experience usually gives stress and negative emotion to the child which can result in misbehavior. Through fun play with an understanding and creative adult, the child becomes happy. The fun play fills him with positive emotion. He can now express himself or his inner feelings better. The more the child can express his inner feelings, the less intense the negative inner feelings become. Through repeated fun play, the negative inner feelings become positive, understanding feelings, resulting in a child adaptive and positive behavior.

As observed, Jonathan, Max and Nathan were able to adapt positive behaviors through play. A sad or traumatic past experience usually gives stress and negative emotion to the child which can result in misbehavior. Through fun play with an understanding and creative adult, the child becomes happy. The fun play fills him with positive emotion. He can now express himself or his inner feelings better. The more the child can express his inner feelings, the less intense the negative inner feelings become. Through repeated fun play, the negative inner feelings become positive, understanding feelings, resulting in a child adaptive and positive behavior.”

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Conquering a child’s fear of death

A children’s book like no other, “Grandma Lives In Us” by Adelina Gotera provides a powerful antidote to the poisonous fear of death that so often stunts a child’s behavioral growth and personality development.

It tackles the hot-potato subject of death head-on minus the hair-raising shock effect seen in horror or ghost stories.

Reading the book, a child is led to a gentle realization of how death is intertwined with life, providing him with an effective shock-absorber and learning tool in coping with such an event when it hits home.

For parents who are at a loss on how to properly introduce the subject of death to their young children without inducing fear or stoking grief, the attractive, colorfully designed and easily readable little book serves as a magical key to open their mind to the full realization of the fact that death is just like birth, a natural process of life that should not be traumatic at all.

“Grandma Lives In Us” is a book that conquers the fear of death among children.

The book was a Finalist in the Canadian Poetry Institute’s Fall 2009 short story contest and was featured in the “Golden Roads Anthology of Short Stories.”

The 30-page soft-cover book is published by the Read A Dream Publications, (ISBN 978-0-9866296-0-0).

How Adelina, the author, described her work:

“The theme of ‘Grandma Lives In Us’ is death. Although rarely uses as a theme in children’s stories, this book presents death to children in a fascinating way.

The death of a loved one can happen to anytime to a family.

How can we turn this mournful event into a coming of age moment for our children? Demonstrations of love and affection by the adult members of the family and friends are crucial to the child at these sad moments. These loving gestures encourage the child to accept the sad event gracefully knowing that the love and affection of a dear family member who passed away still exists and lives in the family.

Love is magical, transforming sad events to cherished moments.

Express love and affection to a child in all the ways you can at this difficult time. Although you are grieving too, you can do it.

Let this book help ease the pain of grieving. By reading together, you and your child can discover a more lighthearted view of this sad situation and come one step closer to full acceptance.”

What readers are saying about “Grandma Lives In Us”:

● “Adelina's book cleverly deals with the sensitive subject of death in a way children can understand and relate to. This book would be a wonderful companion to any child upon the death of a loved one.”

● “A thoughtful way to introduce children to the idea of death and dying. Lovely and expressive illustrations.”

● “A skillfully executed storybook to help a young child get through the loss of a loved family member.”

Q & A With The Author

l.

QUESTION: Why did you choose death as the central theme of your first book?

ANSWER: I work with children, and on a regular basis, I visit a nearby public library to borrow books for them. I found out that there are only few books for children which deal with death as a theme. Further, this story just came into my mind a day after my mother's death a year ago. The adult characters in the story were actually my brothers and sisters, scene one actually happened.

2.

Q: How will your story make a difference in the lives of children?

A: When a family struggles with the death of a member, the child in the family should not be taken for granted. He/she suffers too just like the adults in the family. I thought that focusing and celebrating the qualities of the deceased member and seeing them in every living member of the family would make the child accept the death of the deceased person because he/she lives on with each living member of the family, with all these similarities of qualities, characters or personal appearance.

3.

Q: What do you think is an effective approach of a parent to a child in the death of a dear and close member of the family?

A: At this sad moment in a child's life, the adults should demonstrate love and understanding. Let the child cry, let her release his/her sad emotions. I thought that the child should know the truth, that a beloved member will not be with the family anymore. If the child is ready, the qualities of the deceased person can be discussed and compared with other living members of the family. Discussion here should be light and joyful, it can also be silly as children love to listen to something silly and funny.

About The Author

The author Adelina Gotera is formerly a member of the faculty of the College of Business Administration, University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. She is a licensed Early Childhood Educator and a Special Needs Educator in British Columbia, Canada. Presently, she is a Strong Start Centre Facilitator at Brentwood Bay Elementary School in British Columbia, Canada.

Having worked with children for more than 13 years, she wrote stories and considered them as an expression of love and care for all children.

Availability/Contact/Further information

Adelina Gotera is available for radio or print interviews in Canada, USA and the Philippines.

For more information, or to receive a review copy of the book, please call Ms. Adelina Gotera at tel. no.1-250-652-6656 or email adelina.gotera@gmail.com.

To purchase online, please visit www.readadream.com/store.

Rid your home of negative energy

Have you ever been to a place where you feel uncomfortable but you can’t figure out why you’re feeling that way? If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Many people feel uncomfortable in certain places and they can’t explain why.

People could offer you various explanations for this. But consider this possibility: Perhaps that particular space where you feel ill at ease is a repository of negative energy. Maybe somebody who died or who was ill had occupied that place for quite some time.

Homes and spaces often take on the energy of their previous occupants — and you don’t have to believe in Feng Shui or any Eastern philosophy or creed to realize this.

Okay, since we’re not debating about beliefs here, let’s forget about why this difficult-to-explain thing happens.

What is important is to make your space – which could be your own home — more comfortable so you can feel more at ease.

Reiki guru and Feng Shui master Gi Santos says in this case it is wise to perform space cleansing.

Okay, you don’t have to believe everything Gi says. But some of his pointers are quite practical.

For example, he says if you have a bunch of old items and junk in your office desk which were left by previous occupants of that desk, it is possible that some negative energy is coming from these old items. Better get rid of those trash.

On a larger scale, if you have had a spate of bad luck and find that your life has been a constant struggle, it’s possible that you have some negative energies hanging around that are making your house “yin” – or negative in energy.

In this case, you really have to do a thorough space cleansing. And the best time to do that is during the Lunar New Year on Feb. 7, 2008.

Even if you are a skeptic, it would do you no harm to try these six space cleansing techniques on or before Feb. 7.

STEP 1. Clear stale energies from the house.

If you recently moved, you might be feeling some of the residual energy from past residents. If that’s your case, then consider using this technique: open everything that is closed. In short, you should open all doors, all windows, all cabinets, all boxes, anything that is closed should be open.

Then, walking from the front door and in a clockwise pattern, circle each room and go into the next while ringing a bell. Be sure to ring the bell in the corners of rooms and in closets where negative energy can remain trapped. You may want to proceed through the other five steps before closing everything up again.

STEP 2. Use salt to cleanse an area.

Another tip is to use salt to remove negative energies. You can wipe the walls with salt or sprinkle salt into the corners of the room. Be sure to sweep up the salt and throw it into the trash outside of your house afterwards.

STEP 3. Feed your ghosts rice.

If you feel extreme negative energy, you can also try sprinkling rice around the perimeter of your home beginning at the front door and walking in a clockwise fashion until you come to the door again. The rice will draw the energy outside and away from the interior of your home.

STEP 4. Scent the air to rid negative energies.

Smoke from incense or from herbs such as lavender will drive away problems. Eucalyptus scent will be conducive for healing while mint will attract prosperity. The scents of incense or herbal essential oils are all excellent ways to introduce beneficial energy.

STEP 5. Light and sound.

Light and sound are two very effective “yang” treatments that help to dispel negative energies. Tinkling windchimes and bright crystal rainbows or lit chandeliers are both excellent ways to introduce beneficial — and cleansing — energy to your space. But do not overdo!

If you have done all five steps, it’s time to close up all the doors, windows, cabinets, and drawers, and then proceed to Step 6.

STEP 6. Take a salt bath.

In the process of cleansing your home, it might also be a good idea to cleanse yourself as well. It is possible that you are bringing negative energy home from work or from the outside world. Soak in a tub with sea salt or dry-scrub with aromatic, purifying sea salt and wash your body in the shower afterwards. Salt will purify you and remove negative energies from your body. This is especially helpful if you work in a hostile or gossipy environment and will help you rid the energy from your body.

Remember: Negative energy grows and grows. That’s why it’s important to stop it immediately. To ignore it is to cause more negative energy to build and this can affect your health, your career, your finances, and your relationships.

Regardless of your beliefs, if your space doesn’t feel quite right, consider these tips to help you clear out the negative energy in your house and invite the good energy back inside.