Physical Fitness

When promoting early child care education one is not just of ABC, 123’s, and colors, but also physical development like gross and fine motor skills. This development helps students develop healthy active habits and avoid issues like obesity and other health issues. A healthy diet alone is not enough to develop a strong and healthy body and maintain a healthy weight and size. Diet alone also cannot provide the energy needed to learn and develop skills.

Skills developed from a healthy active life

-Running

-Jumping

-Skipping

-Hopping

-Walking

Mastering these skills helps children learn other skills such as

-Throwing

-Kicking

-Catching

Lack of physical education can lead to

-Obesity

-Diabetes

-Heart problems

-Learning disabilities

-Under development and growth

Unhealthy and overweight children may experience

-Depression

-Low self esteem

-Low self-worth

Adults can help children avoid the issues that come with a lack of physical fitness and exercise. Action is the best way for an adult to help demonstrate how important physical fitness and exercise is. Sharing information with the families such as articles or web based videos can help adults and children learn how to improve their physical fitness.

There are many indoor and outdoor activities that can be done to help promote the development of locomotors skills (gross motor skills) and fine motor skills. These activities can be simple and easy for example Red Light, Green Light. An adult calls out random red light (meaning stop), yellow light (meaning walk), and green light (meaning run). This is a great activity to do outside where there is room for the children to move around. This activity promotes locomotors skills and body control.

A good indoor activity is called Clean that Room. This is where an adult divides the play area in half. Soft items like cotton balls are scattered on both sides of the room. Each side has the same amount of children. When the time starts the children are trying to keep the cotton balls off their side of the room. When two minutes have passed the students will stop and count the amount of items left on their side of the room. The side with the least amount wins. This activity also promotes locomotors skills and fine motor skills like hand eye coordination by picking up the items with their hands and throwing them.

Without the proper health habits including physical fitness and exercise children are at risk for health problems, obesity, and in some cases self- worth. It is our responsibility as adults to teach children healthy physical and exercise habits. Time for some action!!

Food for thought: Action is eloquence. - Shakespeare

Reference

"Inspirational Thoughts About Action, Inspirational Sayings On Action." Inspirational, Motivational Thoughts, Quotes, Proverbs, Sayings and Pictures. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. <http://www.picture-thoughts.com/Action_thoughts.html>.

Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (4th ed.). Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Healthy Food and Nutrition

For adults, having healthy eating habits are important, but for children it is very critical. Healthy eating habits result in a healthy body that is able to fight off illnesses and disease. Healthy eating habit is important from infancy to adulthood. Adults must be positive role models for healthy eating habits.

Infancy to Toddler

·         Important for infants to get the proper nutrition for development and growth

·         Breast milk is a common way for babies to get the vitamins and nutrients needed to develop internal and external body parts for their first year

·          Once introduce to solid foods it is important for the child to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

·         Vegetables like peas and green beans are high in iron, which is used for energy

·         Fruits are also a great way to get iron, but also a great source for vitamins like C and E

·         Use small foods big enough for a toddler to grab, yet small enough to chew

Preschoolers

·         Important that preschoolers get an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals to continue to grow and develop physically and mentally

·         Because preschoolers are more active it is important that they have a higher food intake than infants and toddler

·         At this age children are developing a sense of like and dislikes of foods

·         It is important for adults to encourage help in preparing and meals and mealtime, makes meals more appealing and children are more likely to make positive food selections

School agers

·         Appetite should have increased, yet growth reduces

·         Activity level has increased so the demand of good nutrition is needed for support

·         More independent in selecting nutritious snacks and meals

·         Important to discuss healthy eating habits often to help educate and help make better snack choices

Lack of knowledge is the reason there are many children and adults that practice negative eating habits. Mealtimes are a great time to discuss and educate children of different foods and the nutrition they get from them. This is also a great time to get a child to try different fruits and vegetables.

Teachers can give students and their family literature to read and discuss during dinner. Bringing parents aware of different snack ideas and recipes is a great way to introduce new foods and snacking tips and strategies. These tips and recipes can be as simple as the following.

Tip #1- Smoothies are a great way to use bits and pieces of fruits left over the week. This Smoothie is a great way to start the day or a quick snack before dinner.

Smoothie Recipe

1 cup fresh or frozen fruit (like strawberries, bananas, and even apples)

½ cup of orange

Place the fruit and orange juice into a blender. Cover, and puree until smooth. Pour into glasses to serve.

Tip #2- Allow children to help prepare meals and snacks. Whether chopping or stirring, children are more likely to eat what they have helped create.

Fruit and yogurt

1 medium red apple

1 medium green apple

1medium yellow apple

Strawberries

Grapes

Oranges

1 cup strawberry yogurt

Cut fruit into bite sizes, dip, and enjoy!

Tip #3- Not all snacks have to be sweet. Snacks like pretzels and peanut butter are a great salty combination.

Pretzel Bites

20-30 small pretzels

½ cup smooth peanut butter

Use a spoon to spread peanut butter on a pretzel top with another pretzel. Makes about 10-15 pretzel bites.

Reference: Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (4th ed.). Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

CPR and Choking Emergencies

Choking can take a life in only minutes.  Choking is a blockage of the upper airway by food or other objects, which prevents a person from breathing effectively. Choking can take place anywhere and can be happen to adults, but is more common with children. The following scenarios are examples of how students can choke and in many cases need CPR.

Choking (scenario 1)

There is a two year old girl that is choking on a piece of food. She is sitting at the table in the classroom having a coughing fit and pointing to her throat. She is unable to speak.

Emergency procedure

·                     STAY CALM

·                     As the student if they are ok. If she is unable to respond start performing thrust.

·                     To perform a thrust stand behind the person choking, wrap your hands around their waist making a fist with one hand grab with the other hand. Quickly pull  inward and upward. Repeating in reps of 5 if needed.

·                     If the person is too small lean the child over and dove back blows followed by chest thrust.

·                     Continue until object is retrieved.

Choking requiring CPR (scenario 2)

A four year old is choking in the math center of the classroom. She has swallowed a lego and is having a coughing fit and pointing to her throat.

Emergency procedure

·        -                  Check to see if the student is breathing and responsive

·         -          If not breathing and/ or responsive call 911

·         -         While waiting give 5 blows with the heel of your hand between the child’s shoulders

-          If still not breathing start thrust. To do this stand behind the student wrap hands around their waist. 
-          Grab your fist with the other hand and quickly move inward and upward.

·         -         Continue until the object is retrieved.

Being prepared can save a life. During medical emergencies like choking, every second counts when trying to save a life. Having the proper training for emergencies like choking can keep a child from experiencing major medical issues like brain damage or even death. Teachers should have proper training like the Heimlich maneuver technique and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).

Reference

choking (cont). (n.d.). emedicine health. Retrieved March 25, 2012, from www.emedicinehealth.com/choking/page2_em.htm

First Aid & Emergencies. (n.d.). web md. Retrieved March 25, 2012, from firstaid.webmd.com/choking-treatmenthttp://

Emergency Preparedness: Natural and Human-Generated Disasters

Being prepared is key in any situation, especially during extreme conditions. The Director or the person left in charge should advice staff on current conditions. This helps all the staff understand what is being expected if cautions has to be taken. Safety procedures should be posted near an exit and/or information board. Practice is another important factor in being prepared. The procedures should be practice and discussed to make the transition easier if an extreme condition does appear. Not being prepared can cause injuries and even death.

           Tornado Warning- The local news just interrupted the song on the radio in the lobby stating a tornado warning has been issued in my area

·        -            STAY CALM, KEEP CHILDREN CALM AND ENSURE THEM THAT ALL IS WELL

·         -     Grab class roster and emergency tote containing contact information file, first aid kit, flashlight, pencil and paper, books to read the children  
·         -    Take the children away from all windows

·         Management must check all  classrooms and restrooms for children and staff

·         Once in designated area and way from danger attendance check is necessary to ensure that all children and staff are accounted for

·         Children and staff are not to return to the classroom until instructed by a member of management

·         Once approved to return to class another attendance check must be conducted to make sure all children and staff has returned to class safely

During emergency situations potential complications like  power outage, falling trees or other big and tall object like light or flag poles. This too can create an extremely dangerous condition making the situation worse. Teacher should discuss precautions and possible conditions with the students and their families.

Fire and/or Evacuation- The fire alarm goes off while the children are at play during center time

·         STAY CALM, KEEP CHILDREN CALM AND ENSURE THEM THAT ALL IS WELL

·         Grab class roster and emergency tote containing contact information file,  first aid kit, flashlight, pencil and paper, books to read the children

·         All children and staff are to leave the building immediately

·         Management must check all classrooms and restrooms for children and staff

·         Once in designated area and way from danger attendance check is necessary to ensure that all children and staff are accounted for

·         Children and staff are not to return to the classroom until instructed by a member of management

·         Once approved to return to class another attendance check must be conducted to make sure all children and staff has returned to class safely

·         If the children and staff are not allowed to return to the building they will be taken to a designated off site location, where they will remain until they parents arrive or access to the school is granted

Safety Practices and Policies

Preschoolers are at the age where they want to experience things on their own. This leads to a lot of preventable injuries and even deaths. There are safety steps and precautions that can be performed to avoid or reduce injuries associated with working with children. Not all injuries take place in a learning environment many take place at home or while out with the family. For the age of 4 and 5 injuries like falls, faulty equipment, and poisonings are unfortunate yet common events that take occur with preschoolers.

Motor Vehicles

·         Children under the age of 8 and under must be in a booster or car seat in the rear seat

·         Children over the age of 8 are required to wear a seat belt or any form or restraint

·         Windows are not allowed to be more than half way down except the driver

·         To ensure that safety methods and rules are followed additional staff is required

·         Place needed information such as parental authorization forms, medical information, a list of all students and staff

·         Share information with parents. Ask that they discuss the information with their children and practice wearing their seat belts and other safety precautions

Falls (outdoor)

·         Playgrounds injuries are the leading cause of injury to children in child care and to children ages 5 to 14 in schools

·         For a softer surface rubber or mulch surfaces are recommended

·         Increase supervision to reduce the amount of playground injuries

·         If a playground injury takes place apply ice  to the injured area to reduce swelling or bandage to stop bleeding

·         Call for emergency attention, if needed before contacting parents

·         Ask families to set playground rules and enforce them this will help create and maintain proper outdoor play habits

Equipment

·         All equipment and furniture must be age appropriate

·         Equipment should be easy for the students to use

·         Equipment must be clean and maintained at all times

·         Objects must be checked for sharp edges, rust or chipped paint

·         If identified, necessary repairs must be made immediately after being reported

·         Have families discuss and practice proper safety skills during play

Choking

·         Choking is common during meal and snack times

·         To reduce the chance of choking serve bit size food

·         Serve chewy foods instead if hard foods

·         It is required that all staff members are CPR and Fire Safety certified and certification is up to date

·         Share up to date information with families

Poisons

·         Be mindful of poisons located on the premises and the access children may have

·         Keep out of children’s sight and reach

·         Label all poisons and store in clear containers, preferably child proof

·         Keep Poison Control Center next to every phone

·         If poisoning occurs check for breathing, contact the poison control center immediately

·         Call 911 if the victim shows further symptoms

Preventing injuries can be difficult, but it is possible. There are policies, prevention methods, and families that can help teach, demonstrate, and enforce safety rules. These rules not only apply to outside play, but also to inside play at all times. Let’s keep our children safe.

References

·  Automotive Safety Program. (n.d.). Automotive Safety Program. Retrieved March 12, 2012, from http://preventinjury.org/pdf/PLAYGROUND

Georgia Cooperative Extension Service. (n.d.). The UGA Cooperative Extension Web site has moved.. Retrieved March 12, 2012, from http://extension.caes.uga.edu/gtipi

Georgia Department of Public Health. (n.d.). Georgia Department of Public Health. Retrieved March 12, 2012, from http://health.state.ga.us/

Index of /STATES/GA. (n.d.). National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education. Retrieved March 12, 2012, from http://nrckids.org/STATES/GA

Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (4th ed.). Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.