Physical fitness is important for kids. There are many reasons why kids need regular exercise every day. When the activity of choice is for a child to run around the backyard or watch a television program, the best bet for the average child is the physical exercise. Children that participate in daily physical fitness activities will be able to maintain the right weight, will be ready to learn in school, will have better self- esteem and self- image, build healthy bones, muscles and joints, and will sleep better at night.
Each child should get at least an hour of exercise each day. This includes Physical Education class and recess. If they do not get recess or Physical Education (mainly the preschool children), then they need to get their fitness from home. This can include walking around the neighborhood with a trusted adult, playing outside, playing in the park, riding their bicycle, swimming, playing sports, or jumping rope. The exercises that the children do should be appropriate for their age. A four year old should not try to go swimming without a life jacket or supervision. They should stay in the children’s pool and not go to the four or five foot side just because they can swim. There will be time for each child to grow into deeper levels. If the children participate in sports, they must have the proper padding and protective wear (Mojica, 2009).
Getting involved with your children does not have to cost money and it does not have to be time consuming. It will only replace the time that children spend on watching television. They are not getting any exercise by sitting in front of the television. It is a good way for family bonding. If the child has brothers and sisters, get them involved as well. Make it an everyday thing. I guarantee it will bring the family closer.
When my son was younger, we would go to the park almost every day. We would get a group together and play tag on the play boosters. This was a wonderful way to get all the exercise that was needed for all. One person would stay under the play booster and have to tag everyone else on the play boosters. Some of the boosters got really high so we would have to crawl, jump, climb, hop, and run. These activities are fundamental; motor skills that are needed in a child’s physical fitness routine. These also are loco motor skills which involves moving the body from one point to another.
Another activity we were involved in a lot was playing kickball. When we kicked or caught the ball, we were working on our manipulative skills. When we ran we were working our Locomotor skills. Today, my son loves to play basketball and spending time with him when he was very young has helped him develop these skills. These skills are not learned automatically they are taught to them. Parents being involved in their child’s life will help them to master these skills (Goodway, Robinson, 2006).
Children must have some sort of physical fitness every day. If they start now, they will have a healthy lifestyle later in life. If a child wants to play a particular sport, such as soccer or basketball, they must understand the basic foundations of movement. If they do not have the skills then it is difficult for them to excel in the sport and they may be injured. Sports are a culmination of many specific and highly specialized movement patterns. They are not dangerous; the body just needs to be ready to play before they try (Chessen 2008).
References
Cleeson E. (2008). Moving On, Moving Up. Why Physical Fitness is essential for
Children with special needs. Parent Guide News. Retrieved on January 10, 2010
From http://www.parentguidenews.com/Catalog/SpecialNeeds/MovingOnMovingUp/
Goodway, J. D., & Robinson, L. E. (2006, March). SKIPing toward an active start:
Promoting physical activity in preschoolers. Beyond the Journal: Young Children on
the Web. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200605/GoodwayBTJ.pdf
Mojica S. ( 2009). Why is Physical Fitness So Important for Kids? Bright Hub. Retrieved
On January 10, 2010 from http://www.brighthub.com/health/fitness/articles/33382.aspx
Thursday, January 14, 2010
CPR and other Choking Emergencies
It was a nice day out and the preschool kids, staff, and I decided to have a picnic outside on the picnic tables. While we were eating Jonathan (three) jumped up and before any of us could do anything he ran to the playground. Becca, my assistant, got up to get him when all of a sudden he started choking. I got up and ran to his side immediately. While staying calm I had Becca go to the other students and keep them calm. Jonathan is gagging so I know his airway is only partially blocked. The first thing I would do is try to get him to cough. If he can not clear it out by coughing then I will ask Becca to call 911 while I do back blows and chest thrusts.
Next, I need to kneel behind him and provide support by placing one arm diagonally across his chest and lean him forward. Then I’ll firmly strike him between the shoulder blades with the heel of my other hand to give five back blows. Then I wrap my arms around his waist. Next I make a fist with one hand and place the thumb side against the middle of his abdomen, just above the navel and well below the lower tip of his breastbone. Then I grab my fist with my other hand and give five quick thrusts into the abdomen. I continue alternating five back blows and five abdominal thrusts until the object is dislodged (babycenter.com).
Since I am not supposed to move him, I sit with him until emergency personnel shows up. While they are with Jonathan, I will call his parents and talk about a plan of action. I will then call for a backup teacher and meet where the parents want to meet. His parents want to meet at the hospital but my backup teacher has not shown up yet so I have to stay with my students. I reassure Jonathan that he will be alright and that the EMT’s are going to take care of him and when he gets to the hospital his mom and dad will be there. When the incident is all over and I am free to fill it out, I need to fill out an accident report. I will study it to see if there was anything that could have been avoided through better safety practices.
Monica is eighteen months old and she is fairly new to my preschool. She has separation issues from her parents. Every time they drop her off she screams and has a tantrum. I have heard from a doctor before that if they have tantrums and they turn blue and stop breathing to just let them go and they will come back on their own. Well this one time, she did not. I rushed to Monica’s side immediately. She fell to the floor from passing out from not breathing. I had Becca sit with the other kids and keep them calm while I worked on Monica.
First I gently tapped on her shoulder and called out her name and she did not respond so I had Becca call 911. I checked to make sure she was not bleeding anywhere from hitting the floor then I tilted her head back with one hand and lifted her chin slightly with the other. This opened her airway. I checked for signs of life for about ten seconds. Then I check her breathing by putting my head down close to her mouth with my face towards her feet. I do not see her chest rising and she still is not breathing so I give her two gentle breath, about one second a piece. Then I pinch her nose shut, place my mouth over hers, and exhale into her lungs until I see her chest rise. I give her two breaths in a row, pausing between rescue breaths to let the air flow back out.
Next I place the heel of one of my hands on her sternum at the center of her chest. I place my other hand directly on top of the first hand and try to keep my fingers off her chest by interlacing them or holding them upward. Next I give her 30 chest compressions at the rate of one hundred per minute. Then give her two rescue breaths. If this does not work then I repeat the sequence of 30 chest compressions and two breaths and continue the cycle until she breaths or emergency personnel show up (babycenter.com). While the EMT’s are with Monica, I call her parents to talk about a plan of action ( Robertson, 2010). They want to meet us at the school and ride to the hospital with their daughter. I sit with Monica until they arrive. I call for a backup teacher and accompany them to the hospital. When all is well at the hospital I fill out a report and study it to see if the incident could have been avoided through better safety practices. I realize that this was one mistake I would never do again. It was a simple mistake that should never have happened.
I believe that advanced planning is imperative in preschool and daycare because you never know when an emergency is going to occur. It can happen at any time and being prepared is beneficial. Just like the examples that I gave, if I did not have the training that was needed, I would not have been able to save Jonathan or Monica’s life. Every teacher or aide needs to know the steps to take to save a child’s life if the time ever comes.
It is also important that parents know about safety and they should have an emergency plan for their children as well. They should have a place for them to meet in case of a fire, or any other emergency. They should have emergency contacts next to the phone at all times just like teachers should. You may need a number right away and if you do it will be right there for you to find.
References
BabyCenter (2008), First aid for choking and CPR: An illustrated guide for age 12
Months and older, Retrieved December 27, 2009 from
http://www.babycenter.com/0_first-aid-for-choking-and-cpr-an-illustrated-guide-for-age-1_11241.bc
Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (4th ed.).
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.
Next, I need to kneel behind him and provide support by placing one arm diagonally across his chest and lean him forward. Then I’ll firmly strike him between the shoulder blades with the heel of my other hand to give five back blows. Then I wrap my arms around his waist. Next I make a fist with one hand and place the thumb side against the middle of his abdomen, just above the navel and well below the lower tip of his breastbone. Then I grab my fist with my other hand and give five quick thrusts into the abdomen. I continue alternating five back blows and five abdominal thrusts until the object is dislodged (babycenter.com).
Since I am not supposed to move him, I sit with him until emergency personnel shows up. While they are with Jonathan, I will call his parents and talk about a plan of action. I will then call for a backup teacher and meet where the parents want to meet. His parents want to meet at the hospital but my backup teacher has not shown up yet so I have to stay with my students. I reassure Jonathan that he will be alright and that the EMT’s are going to take care of him and when he gets to the hospital his mom and dad will be there. When the incident is all over and I am free to fill it out, I need to fill out an accident report. I will study it to see if there was anything that could have been avoided through better safety practices.
Monica is eighteen months old and she is fairly new to my preschool. She has separation issues from her parents. Every time they drop her off she screams and has a tantrum. I have heard from a doctor before that if they have tantrums and they turn blue and stop breathing to just let them go and they will come back on their own. Well this one time, she did not. I rushed to Monica’s side immediately. She fell to the floor from passing out from not breathing. I had Becca sit with the other kids and keep them calm while I worked on Monica.
First I gently tapped on her shoulder and called out her name and she did not respond so I had Becca call 911. I checked to make sure she was not bleeding anywhere from hitting the floor then I tilted her head back with one hand and lifted her chin slightly with the other. This opened her airway. I checked for signs of life for about ten seconds. Then I check her breathing by putting my head down close to her mouth with my face towards her feet. I do not see her chest rising and she still is not breathing so I give her two gentle breath, about one second a piece. Then I pinch her nose shut, place my mouth over hers, and exhale into her lungs until I see her chest rise. I give her two breaths in a row, pausing between rescue breaths to let the air flow back out.
Next I place the heel of one of my hands on her sternum at the center of her chest. I place my other hand directly on top of the first hand and try to keep my fingers off her chest by interlacing them or holding them upward. Next I give her 30 chest compressions at the rate of one hundred per minute. Then give her two rescue breaths. If this does not work then I repeat the sequence of 30 chest compressions and two breaths and continue the cycle until she breaths or emergency personnel show up (babycenter.com). While the EMT’s are with Monica, I call her parents to talk about a plan of action ( Robertson, 2010). They want to meet us at the school and ride to the hospital with their daughter. I sit with Monica until they arrive. I call for a backup teacher and accompany them to the hospital. When all is well at the hospital I fill out a report and study it to see if the incident could have been avoided through better safety practices. I realize that this was one mistake I would never do again. It was a simple mistake that should never have happened.
I believe that advanced planning is imperative in preschool and daycare because you never know when an emergency is going to occur. It can happen at any time and being prepared is beneficial. Just like the examples that I gave, if I did not have the training that was needed, I would not have been able to save Jonathan or Monica’s life. Every teacher or aide needs to know the steps to take to save a child’s life if the time ever comes.
It is also important that parents know about safety and they should have an emergency plan for their children as well. They should have a place for them to meet in case of a fire, or any other emergency. They should have emergency contacts next to the phone at all times just like teachers should. You may need a number right away and if you do it will be right there for you to find.
References
BabyCenter (2008), First aid for choking and CPR: An illustrated guide for age 12
Months and older, Retrieved December 27, 2009 from
http://www.babycenter.com/0_first-aid-for-choking-and-cpr-an-illustrated-guide-for-age-1_11241.bc
Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (4th ed.).
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.
Natural Preparedness for Natural or Human Disasters
Suppose there is a winter storm coming. I live in Indiana and this is very likely. My head start class needs to be prepared of what can happen if it hits us. I must make sure that I have an emergency plan available. First I must stay calm because if I do not, the children will stress and be scared. If the teacher panics then the children will pick up on it and they will panic as well. Then I need to go over the plan with the children to make sure they know where to go and what to expect. I would explain to the children what is going to happen and what a snowstorm is so they will know and they will not be scared. The main dangers of a snowstorm are the intense cold, snow, ice, breakdown of transportation due to road conditions and disruption of electrical power. These conditions may incapacitate an area, making transportation difficult and disrupting utility service. If a snowstorm is on its way it is best to get the children on the bus immediately so they will be safe. If it happens while they are at school and they cannot be on the roads then we must make sure there blankets and food to keep them warm. Everyone is at risk and it is the teacher’s job to make sure the students stay safe in any way possible.
It is always best to stay prepared because it can happen at any time. Teachers should always have emergency contacts close by so that they can be contacted at any time (Robertson, 2010). Find out where the child is suppose to go and make sure that they go where they need to go. Involving the parents of the children will help as well. If the parents know where their children will be after this happens then it will be an easier task. If the parents call the school in a panic over their children then it makes everything more stressful.
The other natural disaster I chose is a fire. The dangers of fires are that they may originate within the building or threaten from without. A small fire in a rural wooded area or a built up urban area can quickly get out of control and threaten a nearby facility. Internal fires may result from anything from carelessness to arson. Explosions and resulting fires may be caused by leaking gas lines or faulty heating systems.
We must be sure that the alarm system is in good working order.
In case of a malfunction, an alternate signal should be available (cowbell,
Whistle, bull horn, etc.).Staff members and children should be familiar with the location and operation of alarms and extinguishers. All equipment (including extinguishers, sprinkler systems, fire doors, etc.) should be regularly maintained in accordance with State regulations. All staff should be thoroughly trained in the differences in the types
Of fires (electrical, oil, chemical, etc.) and the various materials and
Equipment available to combat each type of fire, including commonly
available substances and materials (baking soda, sand, water soaked
blankets, etc.).When a fire is discovered, an alarm should be sounded immediately
Evacuate the building immediately, using the building evacuation plan.
After occupants are safe, the fire department should be notified without
delay. And if there is time all the windows should be closed (http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/43026/CRS-WUPSYC6205-3820085/day_care_facilities_planning_guide.pdf).
The steps for the fire are the same as for a winter storm. Make sure you can get to the emergency contacts and if the children cannot get back into the school, then send them where they are suppose to go and assure them that everything will be alright.
References
Bureau of Plans (2003) Daycare Facilities Emergency Planning Guide, Retrieved on December 20, 2009 from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/43026/CRS-WUPSYC6205-3820085/day_care_facilities_planning_guide.pdf
Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (4th ed.). Belmont,
CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.
It is always best to stay prepared because it can happen at any time. Teachers should always have emergency contacts close by so that they can be contacted at any time (Robertson, 2010). Find out where the child is suppose to go and make sure that they go where they need to go. Involving the parents of the children will help as well. If the parents know where their children will be after this happens then it will be an easier task. If the parents call the school in a panic over their children then it makes everything more stressful.
The other natural disaster I chose is a fire. The dangers of fires are that they may originate within the building or threaten from without. A small fire in a rural wooded area or a built up urban area can quickly get out of control and threaten a nearby facility. Internal fires may result from anything from carelessness to arson. Explosions and resulting fires may be caused by leaking gas lines or faulty heating systems.
We must be sure that the alarm system is in good working order.
In case of a malfunction, an alternate signal should be available (cowbell,
Whistle, bull horn, etc.).Staff members and children should be familiar with the location and operation of alarms and extinguishers. All equipment (including extinguishers, sprinkler systems, fire doors, etc.) should be regularly maintained in accordance with State regulations. All staff should be thoroughly trained in the differences in the types
Of fires (electrical, oil, chemical, etc.) and the various materials and
Equipment available to combat each type of fire, including commonly
available substances and materials (baking soda, sand, water soaked
blankets, etc.).When a fire is discovered, an alarm should be sounded immediately
Evacuate the building immediately, using the building evacuation plan.
After occupants are safe, the fire department should be notified without
delay. And if there is time all the windows should be closed (http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/43026/CRS-WUPSYC6205-3820085/day_care_facilities_planning_guide.pdf).
The steps for the fire are the same as for a winter storm. Make sure you can get to the emergency contacts and if the children cannot get back into the school, then send them where they are suppose to go and assure them that everything will be alright.
References
Bureau of Plans (2003) Daycare Facilities Emergency Planning Guide, Retrieved on December 20, 2009 from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/43026/CRS-WUPSYC6205-3820085/day_care_facilities_planning_guide.pdf
Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (4th ed.). Belmont,
CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.
Safety Practices and Policies
Safety policies should be planned in case of injuries, to protect children, and to promote safe practices in early childhood education indoor environment (Robertson, 2010).There are many causes of injuries in daycares. Some of the most common are falls, choking, burns, drowning, and poisoning. Since children spend most of their time indoors while at daycare, there should be a screening that includes environmental hazards such as secondhand smoke, lead, asbestos, chemicals, and anything else that might be a risk in their environment (Robertson, 2010).
One thing you can do to keep a child from falling is to put toddler gates on stairways and lock all doors to cellar, attic, and porches. It would also help to keep all sharp edged furniture from areas where they play the most. Have handrails available on the stairs and show the children how to use them properly while going up or down the stairs ( Robertson, 2010).
Since toddlers are the developmental group with the most potential unsafe practice use, they are always on the go and trying new things. They are curious about their surroundings and they are at risk of getting hurt at all times. They always stick things in their mouths. To prevent a child from choking some safety measures to follow are to always check the floors and any other reachable area for small objects such as pins, coins, and buttons. You should always watch what you feed a child and make sure that they can swallow what you give them. Foods such as raw vegetables, nuts, hard candy, and popcorn can be given to older children but keep them away from children under one ( Robertson, 2010).
Since toddlers are curious, they like to learn so they like to watch adults with cleaning and cooking. To prevent a child from burning themselves we need to keep all pot handles to the back of stove while cooking. Keep electric cords out of reach and use shock stops to cover used and unused outlets. Teach the children what the meaning of hot is and the different types of hot ( Robertson, 2010).
Drowning can be prevented by supervising a child while they are near water at all times. To prevent children from getting poisoned just keep all the cleaning supplies, makeup, and medicines put up high, preferably in locked cabinets. Just in case, keep the poison control number next to the phone so that you can always call in an emergency. It is also a must to get the children tested for lead poisoning during their checkups at the doctor Robertson, 2010).
Parents and teachers should always stay in touch about the progress of the child. Parents should also work with the teachers at keeping the children safe. If the parents will use these safety procedures at home as well, the children will have the same safe environment at home as well. Cooperation and communication between the adults is what will keep the children safe. As long as they work together the children will learn and grow.
Reference
Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (4th ed.). Belmont,
CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.
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