Post 5;

Physical Fitness

Victoria Salinas

EDUC-1005

April 7, 2013

Physical fitness is so important to teach at a young age because it lets children know how that exercise can be fun. It is also something that if we start at a young age we can get the children to stick with it and will continue to do it. Some children don’t get the exercise because their parents just by them toys so they tend to stay inside. Having at least 60 minutes of physical/outside play is the best. Everyday should be like this, there are websites that offer different activities to do with children to encourage physical fitness. Another thing is extracurricular activities which can help with the exercise and fitness of children.

Explain what can happen when children do not engage in healthy fitness activities. Be sure to consider the impact on children of being overweight or obese, including implications for health and self-esteem.

            When children do not get active they can become overweight or obese. This can be a danger to them because it can cause health problems and it makes their heart work harder which can lead to a heart attack. Even at a young age children should know why we need to exercise and the factors of not exercising. It can cause the children to have low-self-esteem because of other children making fun of them and being teased because of their weight.

            Being teased can lead to children doing poorly in school, dropping out, eating more, or even committing suicide. “A study from Stanford University found that a father's attitudes and comments about his little girl's weight can put her at risk for developing eating disorders in adolescence.” http://www.myoverweightchild.com/dos-donts-for-parents.html

Indicate how adults can help children develop good fitness habits. Describe at least two activities, such as specific games or movements, which are appropriate and enjoyable for children of this age. At least one of the activities should involve gross-motor (locomotor) skills, and another should involve fine-motor (manipulative) skills. Remember, the activities you recommend should be developmentally appropriate, which includes noncompetitive.

                The first activity is having the children do as I do, it’s a game were the children copy what the teacher does. They enjoy this because it can be from running, skipping, hopping, leap frog, to bear crawl, running backwards and just about anything you can think of. At work the children do this every day before getting the chance to run and play on the toys. We do it for about 5-10 minutes. Then they can play on the toys and ride the bikes or whatever they please.

            The second activity is musical chairs. It uses their legs and hands. The children enjoy this and once they learn the game it becomes a game they want to play all the time. They don’t even realize that they are exercising while doing it. So it is enjoyable unless you lose. The children laugh, play and enjoy it that sometimes when we have to stop, they cry but we reassure them we can play again either another day or the next day.

Based on your readings, include at least one inspirational, thought-provoking quote that captures your attitude and/or philosophy about fostering children's healthy growth and development.

            “The important thing is to begin to infuse regular physical activity in every classroom every day. Childhood obesity and physical inactivity are clearly major concerns these days, and everyone in the educational community needs to be part of the solution.” (Goodway, J. D., & Robinson, L. E, 2006)

For your fact sheet, draw on the information in the fitness articles from this week's Required Resources and your own research to provide evidence about the positive impact that physical activity has on children's health, both now and in the future. Be sure to cite your sources.

            According to Goodway while children are young we should teach them to be physical so they enjoy it when they get older. We should encourage it by modeling the positive eating and physical fitness we want the children to learn. By helping the children develop the physical skills it will them in the activities of sports and being competitive.

            Make the physical fitness part of the day a fun and “learning” experience for children so they can get healthy. Having them try new activities helps in this and making it a daily activity. We should do it daily and even if we have to do it inside, there should not be any excuse to why we are not doing it. Children enjoy just running and playing and we should do it with them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Post 4

Summarize why good nutrition and eating habits are so important to children in each age group. Cite evidence from Chapter 6 in your text and/or other resources to support your claims.

            Good nutrition and eating habits are so important with kids of all ages and adults too. " Good nutrition in the school age years leads to improved academic performance and helps build lifelong eating habits that contribute to a student's overall well being." http://www.k12.wa.us/ChildNutrition/NutritionForAll.aspx 

Children follow the examples of others especially adults so if we can set up good eating habits then children will have good eating habits. By adding more fruits and veggies in your diet it can help with certain diseases. Having babies eating by breast milk is healthier, then when they are allow to have them eat veggies first because fruits are sweeter. Then add in fruits but still making sure they are getting veggies. This will help children to grow.

            For preschoolers they need to have a healthy diet so letting them choose on how much to eat is best. Offer healthy choices. "Many teens may also be more active than other age groups, especially if they are playing on sports teams or exercising regularly. This exercise and activity is an important part of a teen’s health, so it is crucial that their bodies are provided with the necessary nutrients." http://www.eatinghealthy.org/diets/age-group/adolescents

Refer to Chapter 8 in your course text and explain why adults should actively help children develop healthy eating habits and at least two ways this can be accomplished.

            We are the role models of children, they tend to soak up everything we do, say and practice. So they learn by watching us. If they see us eating healthy and exercising the children will be more likely to eat healthy and exercise too. In our center one way we try to get the children to eat healthy is talking about good food vs. bad food. We do nutrition activities and have the children taste "new" things. Everyone is encourage to try the new food by taking at least three bites. Most of the children will do this and then we talk about it. We then give the parents the activity we did and encourage them to try it at home with the children. In my own home I have replaced all unhealthy snacks with snacks like carrots, celery, apples, bananas and just more fruits and veggies. My children have seen me and my husband eat more healthy and are choosing healthier items even when we go to the store to grab a bite. It's amazing how much they pick up by watching what we do.

Provide three nutritious recipes that family members can prepare with preschoolers and explain the nutritional value of each. (To locate recipes, look through the various suggested Web sites or do research as needed.) Offer strategies and suggestions to make cooking together an enjoyable learning experience for children.

            The first one is a fruit kabob. This is simple and easy. First have the children pick the kind of fruit they want and go get them at the store. Then to prepare it you have the children wash the fruits. You will need skewers, and a knife (with help of adult). Cut the fruit into pieces, and then have the children put them onto the skewers in whichever order they would like. Then have them enjoy it. The Nutritional value on this is it is only about 130-150 calories (depending on the fruit you use). It is low in sugar, fat, cholesterol and is a great afterschool snack.

            The second is a breakfast burrito. This is what is needed for it,

1/2 cup chopped tomato
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1/4 cup canned corn
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 flour tortilla, 6 inches in diameter
2 tablespoons salsa

Of course you don't need to have the onions. You cook the veggies first until they are soft and the moisture is evaporated. Then add in the egg substitute. Scramble the eggs for about 3 minutes and then add to tortilla and serve. This is healthier because you eliminate the fat by not having eggs and meat in it. This is the nutritious value it has 231 calories, total fat 5g, sodium 519mg.

            The third one is quesadillas. This is simple and fun. The only ingredients you really need is tortilla and cheese. To give it a little bit of more flavor you can add in some veggies like bell peppers, onions and tomatoes. Warm up the tortilla then add cheese and veggies. Then cook on one side and turn over and cook on the other side (until cheese is melted). Be careful it may be hot. Serve and eat. This is about `100 calories, and about 3g fat.

            Let the children cut up the fruit, veggies and help in anyway. They can stir the veggies and add the eggs. Letting them add food and simple things will also help in having the children enjoy the food. They can add the little things and with help of an adult cut food up. Children enjoy to help so involving them is important.

Post 3:

Create two scenarios: one in which a child is choking and another in which a child needs CPR. In each of your scenarios, include who is involved and where it is occurring (for example, a 5-year-old in a preschool setting has stopped breathing and is apparently choking on a piece of food). Then outline the proper emergency procedures for dealing with each situation (see pages 179–180 in your text).

               Scenario 1. Four year old Ada is sitting down eating. She takes a bite of a chicken nugget and begins to choke. She begins to cough but then stops breathing.  Teacher is already checking on her and begins to start abdominal thrusts. After several minutes the nugget then comes out.  Ada bursts into tears. Teacher is comforting child. During this time the TA has gotten the supervisor and is on the phone with mom.  For this procedure I will first give 5 back blows, then 5 abdominal thrusts, and repeat steps until the object has been removed. http://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m4240176_ConsciousChokingPoster_EN.pdf

                Scenario 2. Five year old Emily is playing outside, another student runs over to teacher and says to teacher "Emily has fallen and is not breathing." Teacher then runs over to Emily and checks the scene. There is no sign of any blood. Teacher yells for someone to call 9-1-1. Teacher then begins to do CPR on Emily by tilting the head and sees that the chest is not rising. Teacher begins to  Push hard and fast in the middle of the chest 30 times. Then blows into Emily mouth by tilting the head back and giving 2 breaths. Teacher continues this until help arrives.

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/CPRAndECC/HandsOnlyCPR/Hands-Only-CPR_UCM_440559_SubHomePage.jsp

Next, summarize why advance planning is often the best way to respond to or prevent an emergency situation and the kinds of training (e.g., CPR or first aid training) you believe are needed in order to prevent or positively resolve such emergencies.

              Advance planning is important because then we all at the center will know what to do, who should be calling, who should be handling the children, and  who should be getting the supervisor. This will work better and for some reason if there is people not there then you can point to someone and say call 9-1-1, and so on. It is mandatory for us to have our CPR/first aid trainings at our center and we retake the classes when needed. In my class I always have the children take their time in eating and talk about why we don't stuff our mouths with food. I explain to them that little bites are best and not to play while eating. By playing the children can actually be more at risk to choke on their food.

Finally, describe any other steps adults must take to ensure they are prepared to handle these kinds of crises, including such information as first aid supplies, family emergency contact information, and so on.

 

            At our center each classroom has a packet that has the children's information on it and emergency contact information for each child. It is on a clipboard and bright neon orange. Everybody that is in the class should know where it is located. This way for any emergency we have it. Each classroom has a cell phone and the teachers are required to have each of the parent's numbers in the phone. We carry the phone where ever we go. As well we carry the first aid kit too. Each mobile kit and first aid kit in the class is checked monthly by the janitor and he replaces whatever we need. If we use something such as a ice pack we notify him right away so he can replace it.

Post 2:

Describe each of the disaster scenarios you have chosen (such as a hurricane that has quickly developed in your area) and a real or hypothetical early childhood setting (such as a Head Start program housed on a university campus near the coast). What are the main dangers posed by these situations? Who is at risk?

            There are many disasters that can happen all around the world. Here in Washington state we have our own. The first is wildfires this can happen more in the spring/summer times but is still dangerous. Wildfires can spread easily and we should be ready in the case of a wildfire. If we get a call of a wildfire we should place the students all into one room and be ready to leave or evacuate at a moment's notice. So having the children with their stuff ready would be the best thing. Make sure we have all the windows close and that the air quality in the room is good. Also, keep in mind of the children who have asthma. Keep their medicine handy.  There might be road closures and parents might not be able to get through, so remembering keeping the children calm is important.  Everyone is at risk because of how quickly a wildfire can spread. Not only should we be prepared at school, but also at home.

            The second disaster is volcanoes which here in Washington our biggest threats of this is Mt. St Helens, Mt. Rainer, and Mt. Adams. The main dangers of this is that we have mudslides, rock slides, and ash blown all over. We are all at risk for this because of the fact that it can be reached everywhere. With the volcano eruption compare to wildfires there won't be much time to evacuate so you might most likely be stuck.

Explain why you and your colleagues should be prepared. What are the consequences of not being prepared?

 

            We at the head start are required to know the specific evacuation route and should review routes throughout the center. If we have any questions we should ask our supervisor. We should be prepared so when a disaster does hit we are not out of control and we are calm and ready for it. We should have practice drills so we know what do. If you are not prepared you might forget something that is important such as maybe the children's medical stuff (if needed), emergency contact information for the children.  Overall we want to be calm so the children don't get scared.

Summarize the appropriate steps you would take to develop a plan in advance for this disaster and how you would deal with it if it occurs.

 

            Some of the steps to plan for a wildfire or volcano disaster is to have supplies ready (at least 3 day supplies) in case we have to evacuate or stay in the center.  According to the red cross http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster

                -Water, food (3day supply)

            -Flashlight

            -Battery operated radio

            -Cell phone/chargers

            -Blankets

            -Emergency and family contact information

            -first aid kid

The plan should include where we will be staying should we have to evacuate. When would be the appropriate time to call the families of the children.  This can be done by having a tree log of numbers from the whole agency to  determine what we need to do. They will be contacted then our director who will contact the supervisor and then so on. A complication can be that the lines are down and we cannot get through with parents and family members. Maybe even having to stay longer and not having enough supplies can be a complication.

            A way to involved the families is to invited them to our trainings when we have them on the evacuation plans and what to do in case of a natural disaster. It was nice when they did the lockdown one in case of a shooting or hold up, and the parents where there to see and hear what we would be doing. So having them take part in it makes it nice so they understand that we have the best interest of the children.

References:

http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster Retrieved on March 16, 2013.

Post 1:

            I will be looking at preschoolers and the safety of the classroom and outside.  In a safe environment, children will gradually learn to protect themselves as well as looking out for others. Maintaining safety and health comes first in the eyes of the world and the families served. Having a safe and healthy environment protects the children from hazards. When the children know that both you and the environment are trustworthy, they can direct their energy to exploring and experimenting in the room.

                               To have a safe environment for children the equipment should prevent accidents. It is also important that you be aware of the programs safety. Children will get bumps and bruises but preventing serious injury are preventable with preparation and attention. Problems can be taken care of before they exist if handled effectively. Always looking for hazardous substances which can  come from something as simple as a daily safety checklist.

 

Identify at least five potentially hazardous situations/safety threats common to your age group. Describe measures that should be taken to prevent and/or deal with these situations/threats                  

 

            Some hazardous situations can be 1) Falls- this is hard to prevent because some children may not be able to balance, but by reminding them to walk and keep toys picked up can reduce the risk of falls. 2)Using non-durable furniture- If the furniture is not durable the children can tip it over and it has a chance to land on others. If it is not durable it should not be in the classroom. 3) slippery floors - if there is a spill make sure to clean it up right away to prevent any accidents. 4) Toys not picked up- Making sure children are putting toys away and teachers can also help with this by reminding students to keep toys on and in areas. 5) Running indoors- Keeping children to follow rules by walking inside and not running because they can get hurt by running into someone or something.

Summarize specific safety policies that apply to these situations/threats.

            Each class should be provided with a first-aid kit. Have training in CPR and first aid. Staff should be able to use or have training on how to use a fire extinguisher. There should be a plan for an emergency. Classrooms should have a telephone in case of an emergency as well as plans for what to do in case of emergencies as well a designed booklet or something with the children's emergency information.  

Indicate what families can do to ensure the safety of the child at home.

            Letting parents know of ways to help safety at home by having a monthly meeting and talking about different ways to help them with situations such as falls. One thing is reminding parents to keep things child-safe, add carpets/mats, reminding children to not run inside, and last even doing scenarios on how to be safe.

                       

My name is Vicki McCord (Salinas). I'm married and have 3 kids. I've been working with children since 1995. I have so much doing what I do that I rather do this then anything else. I currently teach a at a head start. I enjoy meeting the children and having them in my life even if it is for a short period. I enjoy each uniqueness that the children have. I am currently enrolled in school to get my BA in Child Development. Then I would like to move to my Master's to get my degree in Education.