Physical Fitness

Physical Fitness
Physical fitness is very important for everyone but especially for children. “Childhood obesity is now the most prevalent nutritional disease in children 18 years and younger.” (Robertson, 2010) Food enters the body as energy and if it does not exit the body in energy, it will turn to fat. Children need to be taught to choose healthy physical activity of sedentary activity. Project Skip says that having “regular physical activity into early childhood education environments, emphasizes competency in fundamental motor skills.” (Robertson, 2010) At the preschool age, children are learning how to balance more. They are learning their strength and range of motion. Different types of activities can help promote different areas of development. Gymnastics can help promote flexibility and range of motion. Soccer can teach them their strength with kicking a ball. They can also learn how to start and stop quickly or change directions while still in motion.
There are many problems that can arise from children not being active. The main one is that they could become obese. If they do not produce enough energy to use the food they took in, it will turn to fat and sit on their body. Children that are overweight also can develop diabetes. This in itself has long lasting problems. Heart disease is also common in overweight children. Besides health problems, children can become very self conscious. Other children could pick at them and make fun of them because of their size or inability to do things the other children can do.
To promote good physical fitness the first thing adults can do is model good physical fitness. Children like to mock adults. If they see you being active they will want to be active. If you are playing computer games all the time or watching TV, they will want to do the same thing. A great activity for children to do that focuses on their gross-motor skills is tag. They are running around trying not to get caught. The person that is it is trying to catch someone so they can be it. It is fun for them and they are running around. A great activity to focus on fine-motor skills would be catch. It teaches the child to be able to catch a ball or other objects that are thrown at them. This activity can help them be able to play sports later such as baseball, softball or football. (Goodway & Robinson, 2006)
“Active children in early childhood education programs should be encouraged to remain that way.” (Robertson, 2010) Many time parents or teacher complain that a child is too active, but there is no such thing. The more active the child is the better. Sweating is also very important. By being active and working up a sweat, your body is able to rid itself of harmful toxins.
It seems that at this point in time, physical activity has not been as important as it used to be. I remember when I was in elementary school; we had to take a physical fitness test every year. We had to run, do sit ups, sit and reach, and climb a peg board. There was a standard of where everyone should fall in. They gave us awards if we were better than the standard. They do not do that now. We had recess at least twice a day and now they are lucky if they get it once a day. Many schools are being forced to have children make certain grades on standardized tests, so recess gets pushed out of the way so they can work more. It is very sad that it has come to that. If you look at many playgrounds at schools in my county, they look run down and old. They are not used very much at all any more.
One of my favorite things when I was in elementary school was Jump Rope For Heart. It was a fundraiser where we jump roped for a certain amount of time. The kids that jumped the longest won prizes. It was done after school and it was great for promoting physical activity. I also remember when I was little being involved in community sports. I did cheerleading and dance all the time. Back then, it did not cost my parents very much for us to participate. Now the prices are extremely high. There should not be a price on activities that are good for our children’s health. Just like with good nutrition, you have to have lots of money to participate in extra activities that are fun for the kids to do.

Works Cited
Goodway, J., & Robinson, L. E. (2006). Skiping Towards and Active Start. National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Early Childhood Education. Belmont: Wadsworth.

http://www.the-parenting-magazine.com/tag/vitamins/

Healthy Food and Nutrition

Healthy Food and Nutrition
Proper nutrition and eating habits are important as early as birth. In infants, they double their birth weight in the first four months of their life. All of the internal organs are still growing and developing at this age. Due to the systems still developing, there are stages in an infant’s life when they eat certain types of food. For up to six months they can only have breast mild or formula. Their stomachs are still too sensitive and they do not have teeth to chew or the muscles to chew and digest harder foods. Since they are still developing they can acquire many food allergies if they are introduced to foods too early.
Toddlers are trying to become very independent little human beings. They want to have control over what they are doing at all times. The less opportunity for battles the better the eating situations will be. As the adult, do not have food around for the child to want that is not good for them. Only give them options that you approve of. Be understanding that they will not always be hungry or want to eat. All you can do is at the same times every day, give them their meals. If they eat great, if not, do not make a big deal about it. Try again at the next meal. Also, do not make a child eat everything you give them. Their body tells them when they are done. If you make them eat until their food is gone, you are taking away their ability to know their internal signals that tell them to stop. Always show the child the behavior you expect when eating. They model behaviors they see.
Preschoolers like to learn. When they are learning about the foods they are eating, they are more likely to try them. They are also easily influenced. “Often a preschooler may eat a food at school that she would not eat at home. This willingness to eat at school but not at home may be a result of negative messages about a particular food.” (Robertson, 2010) If children hear negative messages on food, they do not want to try them. If they are with their friends that are eating something and enjoy it, they are more likely to try it. A great way to help promote good nutrition in this age group is to allow them to help with the meals. Let them help make the food, or set the table. Helping gives them something meaningful to do and at the same time, they can learn about the different food you are making.
It is the responsibility of the adult in the child’s life to teach them good nutrition and eating habits. “Modeling healthy eating to children of all ages can help children develop healthy eating habits themselves.” (Robertson, 2010) What and how a child eats throughout their life determines how they will eat and grow. If children are constantly given “Bad” foods that taste good and sweet, they are not going to want to eat the “Good” foods. Hamburgers and fries are more appealing than fruits and vegetables if that is all the child knows. If the child is never given sugary or fat foods, they will not choose to eat them on their own. If they do, it will be in low moderations since they are not used to them. Food seems to be a comfort thing; we eat what we are comfortable with. Give children the opportunity to try different kinds of foods. There are many kinds of fruits and vegetables I am scared to try, because I was never exposed to them as a child. I am a very picky eater because my mom openly voiced her opinion about her dislike of foods to me. She regrets it, and I do not say anything about not liking foods to my children. They actually eat things that I would never put near my mouth.
I think a great way to get kids to understand good nutrition is to let them know what different types of food does for them. Something that stands out in my memory is always being told that if I ate carrots, I could see at night. Children like to know everything about everything. Help them learn where the food comes from. Why is it the color it is? What does it do for them? The best way too is to learn different ways the food can be eaten. If they do not like a certain food cooked one way, try another. Different types of preparation sometimes give different tastes and textures.

Technicolor Vegetable Pizzas
Preparation time: 20 minutes
3 cups frozen mixed vegetables with mushrooms
5 slices Italian bread (1 oz. slices; each ~ 1” thick and 5” long)
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup prepared pizza sauce
1 cup finely chopped tomato
½ cup very finely diced onion
1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 ½ tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions: Pre-heat oven to 350º F and place oven rack in middle-high position. Microwave frozen vegetables, then pat dry. Brush all bread slices lightly with oil and spread each with ~ 1½ tablespoons sauce. Combine all vegetables in a medium-sized bowl. Carefully spoon vegetable mixture equally onto bread slices. Sprinkle with oregano and garlic powder and then with cheese. Bake about 5-7 minutes, until bread is brown on the edges and all vegetables are piping hot. Serve immediately.
Serves: 5
1 Cup of Vegetables per Serving
Fruit and/or Veggie Colors: Green, White, Yellow, Orange, Red
Nutrition Information per Serving: calories: 182, total fat: 5.0g, saturated fat: 1.1g, % calories from fat: 24%, % calories from saturated fat: 5%, protein: 6g, carbohydrates: 29g, cholesterol: 2mg, dietary fiber: 5g, sodium: 339 mg
Each serving provides: An excellent source of vitamin A and a good source of vitamin C, folate and fiber.
Recipe was developed for Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) by Chef Carmen I. Jones, CCP. This recipe meets PBH and Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) nutrition standards that maintain fruits and vegetables as healthy foods.
Recipe from the Cool Fuel for Kids cookbook.

Bookworm Apple Bark
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Grab your books and this crunchy, sweet breakfast treat as you dash off to school.
1 Granny Smith Apple
1 tablespoon peanut butter
2½ tablespoons golden or black raisins
1½ tablespoons dried sweetened cranberries
1 small bunch of fresh chives or fresh parsley (optional plate garnish)
Cut apple into four quarters, starting at the stem. Remove the core by cutting away to leave a flat surface on the apple quarter. Be careful not to cut too much of the edible portion of the apple away. Drop and slightly spread the peanut butter on apple quarters. Mix together the raisins and dried cranberries then sprinkle on peanut butter. Cut chives into one inch pieces and garnish.
Serves: 1
1 Cup of Fruit per Serving
Fruit and/or Veggie Colors: Purple, Green, Red
Nutrition Information per Serving: calories: 272, total fat: 8.1g, saturated fat: 1.5g, % calories from fat: 25%, % calories from saturated fat: 5%, protein: 5g, carbohydrates: 50g, cholesterol: 0mg, dietary fiber: 6g, sodium: 79mg
Each serving provides: An excellent source of fiber and a good source of vitamin C.
Recipe was developed for Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) by Chef Mark Goodwin, CEC, CNC. This recipe meets PBH and Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) nutrition standards that maintain fruits and vegetables as healthy foods.
Recipe from the Cool Fuel for Kids cookbook.

Raspberry Torte’s Sunrise Parfait
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Cups of Fruits and Vegetables per Serving: ½

Ingredients:
• 2 cups canned pineapple tidbits or chunks in 100% fruit juice, drained
• 1 cup (1/2 pint) raspberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1 medium banana, sliced
• 1/3 cup dates, chopped
• 1/4 cup granola
Preparation*:
Layer the pineapple, raspberries, yogurt, banana, and dates in parfait glasses. Sprinkle the granola on top and serve.

Each serving provides: An excellent source of vitamin C and fiber, and a good source of calcium and potassium.

Nutrition Information per Serving:
Calories: 206
Total Fat: 1.5g
Saturated Fat: 0.6g
% of Calories from Fat: 6%
% Calories from Saturated Fat: 3% Protein: 5g
Carbohydrates: 48g
Cholesterol: 3mg
Dietary Fiber: 5g
Sodium: 52mg

*Only make with the help of an adult!

Works Cited
Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Early Education. Belmont: Wadsworth.

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=85
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=84
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=6171

http://wellness4you.nv.gov/Training/module3_1.htm

CPR and Chocking

CPR and Choking Emergencies
There was a 4 year old that came in to the daycare with a Dumdum sucker. While his mom was signing him in, he managed to get the sucker part off of the stick and swallowed it whole. He started choking on it. In the second situation, a 7 year old was drowning in the pool in my apartment complex. He was pulled out quickly but was not breathing. In both situations, you would act immediately and remain calm. In the first situation, first try to scoop out the piece of candy, if you can not scoop it our, then perform the Heimlich maneuver. While you are performing the Heimlich maneuver assign a specific person to call 911. Either you will succeed in dislodging the candy, or you will need to work with 911 to get the child treated. Stay with the child to help arrives and reassure them that they will be ok. Do a full head to toe check to make sure child is ok. (Robertson, 2010)
In the second situation, a specific person would call 911. If there is anyone there that is certified to perform CPR they should do so. If they are not certified, have 911 walk you through it until help arrives. Do not move this child at all, since they were not breathing, they need to be examined by emergency professionals. The parents need to be notified if they are not around. If they are not someone needs to stay with the child and keep them calm until a parent arrives.
Advanced planning is very important in emergency situations. Things happen and being prepared for them can make the process go very smoothly. In all childcare situations, at least one teacher on the premises at any given time, needs to be certified in basic CPR. All teachers should be certified in basic first aid and rescue breathing. All teachers should be able to help a choking child. By knowing how to do these things, the child has a much greater chance of making it through the situation ok. If no one knows how to do any of this, and you have to wait for emergency personnel, it could be too late. They could save them, but the longer someone goes without air, the more problems they will have later. All emergency forms and records need to be easily accessible in an emergency. If a child is having an allergic reaction to something, you need to be able to get their record quickly to see what to do for them. Time is very important in emergencies.
It is also important to have all emergency contact info posted next to each phone. You also want to have any information the operator would ask for posted. You do not want to have to spend time looking for information, that could be used to save someone’s life. There should be a list of who will take over in case the teacher needs to leave the premises with the child. In case of fire, and inclement weather, there should be a preplanned and practiced exit plan. The last thing you want to do in a fire is figure out the quickest way out of the building.
Keep a fully stocked first aid kit readily available at all times. It also needs to be checked frequently in case something is old or has been used so it can be replaced. Also, verify all emergency contact information at least three or four times a year to make sure it stays current. (Robertson, 2010)
The main part of all the preparation is to always remain calm. Even if everything is planned and practiced over and over, if you can not remain calm in the real situation, everything else is for nothing. You could panic and forget very important steps. You could get frantic and not call the right people, which could cause chaos. Most of all, if the children see an adult freaking out, they will too. They read on your emotions and look to you for comfort. You may be going through the most traumatic thing you have ever gone through, but the child can not see that from you. You are the rock that makes everything ok.

Bibliography
Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Early Education. Belmont: Wadsworth.

http://ffh.films.com/id/11477/

Emergency Preparedness:Natural and Human-Generated Disasters

Emergency Preparedness: Natural and Human-Generated Disasters
I live in Georgia, so the biggest natural disaster we get is tornadoes. My son’s daycare is on a main street in my town. It also happens to be right down the street from a Fire Station. Since tornadoes are a normal thing, we have sirens and drills. There are sirens at all Fire Stations and by schools. On the first Wednesday of every month in good weather, the sirens are tested. You can hear them every where. Also at this time, schools have drills that teach children how to duck and cover. This consists of having all children in areas with no windows. They will either be lined up in hallways on their knees with their hands clasped over their neck and their heads tucked down between their knees. If they are not in hallways, they are to be under tables and desk in this same position until the siren has gone off. In a childcare situation the older kids are able to be taught the drills, but the younger kids are not. In my city, there is a County Building that most day cares are assigned to go to in sever weather.
The first thing to get prepared for tornadoes would be to make sure all parents know where their children will be taken if the weather is too severe for their facility. There should be contact info for every child in the facility with the director. The facility should be equipped with weather alert radios so there is some warning before the sirens. Each staff member must be assigned a responsibility, and a group of children to be responsible for. There should be several cell phones on the premises also. If the power goes out, many land line phones will not work either. There should also be a checklist of all children at the facility. Check it off frequently to make sure all children are still there.
If there is not a set plan, there can and will be chaos. The teachers need to show the kids how to be calm. The children are going to be scared. If they see that the teachers are scared or stressed out there will be chaos. In an instance like this, many parents will try to pick up their kids immediately. Try to tell the parent that they are safe there and it could be more dangerous trying to rush and get them. Have them stay calm as well. Since this daycare is on a main road, there will be a lot of traffic. The daycare facility should be prepared to stay open later than normal. By all means in a situation like this, verify id’s of all people picking up the children. If there is chaos, a child could go missing. There may be power outages and down trees and power lines. Someone needs to access the damages to the building and surrounding area before it is cleared. If after the tornado, there is significant damage to the building, follow plan for evacuation to other facilities. At this point, all parents need to be notified that their child is at another facility.
Another big emergency takes place in the summer also. In Georgia it gets very hot and we have a lot of pollution. We are provided by our weather stations, warnings on the heat level and smog levels for each day. The director of the facility needs to be aware of this information everyday. Activities need to be planned according to this weather threat. There should also be records of every child’s health problems. Any child that has Asthma or any other respiratory problems must be monitored frequently. There should be a summer preparedness check list that the facility goes through. Prior to the hot summer months, all air units need to be checked and make sure they are in good condition. All windows and doors need to be checked to make sure they are not leaking. There should be plenty of water on site. If the children have outside time, they should be given adequate water. All staff should be trained to know warning signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. They also need to keep in mind that the hotter it is outside, the hotter the playground equipment is.
The main problems with this would be that a child or teacher gets over heated and the signs are not caught fast enough. Children could also receive burns from outside equipment if it is too hot outside. The teachers should be able to give first aid when needed and know when to call for help.

Works Cited
Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Early Childhood Education. Belmont: Wadsworth.


http://www.nswfb.nsw.gov.au/page.php?id=579

Safety Practices and Policies

Safety Practices and Policies
I currently do not work with children, but I have 2 young children of my own. I am using my youngest for my examples since he is the one more prone to accidents. My son is 15 months old and very string willed and mischievous. He gives me a run for my money on safety and is a good reason why there should be safety rules.
First off, children at this age like to explore their surroundings. They like to open doors and see what is in them. They like to look at pretty colors and shiny stuff. One major danger from this is hazardous materials. Every facility has cleaning supplies that have to be stored somewhere. Children of this age group do not know and understand that these items are bad for them. To them it is a liquid just like their juice that they drink. To them the spray bottles are a new activity that they have not done yet. They could drink some cleaner that could seriously injure them or even kill them. All cleaning and hazardous materials should either be in high places where children can not reach them, or in locked cabinets. There are many different types of child safety locks to keep children out of cabinets and drawers.
One way to partner with parents on this would be to show them different types of locks and how they work. A great way to fix this is to use green cleaning supplies. Most are safe for children and help the environment. Make sure every parent knows how to get into contact with poison control if needed. When in doubt, call them.
The next big culprit for accidents at this age is electrical devices. They are so neat. They have little holes that small stuff fits in just right. Outlets are there to provide electrical currents to devices that we need to work. If a child puts the wrong thing in an outlet it could cause serious problems. There should be covers in all unused outlets. They should be difficult to remove plastic covers. A good way to partner with parents on this is to have a monthly checklist that they check their home every month to make sure every outlet is covered. If they are actively looking for this it will become a normal thing for them to be covered. Give them something to fill out.
Drowning at this age is very common also. Children are fascinated with water. It is cool and feels good. The texture amazes them. Bathrooms are very hazardous to young children. They could drown in the toilet, sink or bathtub. There should not be easy access to a bathroom for a child that does not use it. My 15 month old is fascinated with the toilet for some reason. Not only does the toilet lid have to be shut, but so does the bathroom door. He knows how to open the lid. Just like your pets, he will go play in the water if he can get in there quick enough. Not only is that unsanitary, but children this age carry more weight in their head then the rest of their body. If they lean down far enough, they could fall in and not be able to get out.
Choking is another big problem with children this age. They love to put things in their mouth. If a 1 year old gets a hold of a marble and puts it in his mouth he could choke on it. There should not be anything smaller than 2 inches around in reach of young children. A good thing to show parents is to have them take a toilet paper or paper towel roll. If the item they are questioning fits in that tube, it is too small for the child to play with.
Falls are a problem with all age groups, but this age group is just learning to walk and explore. Children of this age should never be left sitting on counters, beds or tables alone. They do not know how to get down. They also do not know how to catch themselves if they fall. Also, any open doorways that could lead to stairs should be closed off with a gate of some kind. The new walkers are very unstable. They fall on their own very easily and do not need added risk factors around them.
I think a great practice for partnering with parents on these things at home is to create a monthly checklist for them. Go over it with them once or twice in the classroom to show them what to look for. Then have them take it home and do an inspection of their homes every month. They may not see things that are hazardous until it is shown to them first. Their tiny independent person will show it to them also. There should be a place for the parents to add new things that are coming up as the child is growing and becoming more aware of their environments.

Works Cited
Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Early Childhood Education. Belmont: Wadsworth.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://visual.merriam-webster.com/images/society/health/first-aid-kit.jpg&imgrefurl=http://visual.merriam-webster.com/society/health/first-aid-kit.php&usg=__I97PdEsBsRLmUrRsTuCRukPq5-E=&h=384&w=550&sz=102&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=NjWjki9ugyE46M:&tbnh=159&tbnw=221&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpictures%2Bof%2Ba%2Bfirst%2Baid%2Bkit%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1276%26bih%3D564%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=119&ei=r9q1TIaAMIGdlgefqpHwBQ&oei=r9q1TIaAMIGdlgefqpHwBQ&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0&tx=138&ty=81