Child Health , Safety and Nutrition

Nichole Lyon 

Child, Health, Safety and Nutrition EDUC 1005-1

            Working with children of any age there are many different policies that you follow to keep your children safe. Depending what age group you work with depends on which polices you will follow. I work with preschoolers’ ages three to five years of age.  Working with older children you watch for more safety precautions then you would with say a one year old. But safety polices are in place for all ages to help staff to keep all children safe no matter the ages.

            Working with preschoolers who are rowdy and have high energy you have to watch for all kinds of safety threats and know what polices to follow. One of the safety hazards is the playground and the equipment. For example if the slid sits directly in sun light the sun will heat up the slid which can cause burns to a child’s skin. Also if the equipment does not have proper safety fetchers such as safety guards to keep children from falling. Shock absorbing material is great to be put on the ground to help when child jump and fall to help protect them from injury. (Robertson C. 2013 pg. 150) If children, staff and parents are trained on playground safety this will help everyone stay safe while playing. Staffs with help the children understand the right and wrong way to play on equipment. But also educating parents on how to keep children say the parents can help the staff reinforce how to stay safe while playing.

            Fire safety and prevention is taught to preschoolers helping them understand what fire is and what it can do. Fire safety is taught with the local Fire Department who coordinates with our Head Start Program working to together to help teach the parents and students about fire safety and prevention. Our children are taught to Stop Drop and Roll if they are caught on fire. Fire fighters’ dress up in all their gear so the children can see what they look like if they have to come into their home to help them out of a fire. Fire routes are talked about in case exits in their homes are blocked also meeting points where to go and how to get there. Are parents are educated in the same fire prevention as our children but in a little more depth to help them have an exact plan in case of a fire in their home. In working with our parents we help them learn about the fire safety and prevention to help their families at home giving them more confidence on a plan of attack and what to do.

            Another big safety issue is safe toys wither it be at home, in the classroom or anywhere else children may play. Checking on toys to see if there are any small parts and pieces that need to be thrown away or replaced. This way choking hazards are not as likely to happen. (Robertson C. 2013 pg.105-106) Age appropriate toys are recommended so children ages three to five years of age are not playing with toys that have smaller pieces and are to mature for the young children. This way with the appropriate toys children will enjoy them and have lots of fun.  Also making sure any broken toys are thrown away to keep children safe from getting cut or choking on them. Talking with the parents and staff about what toys are safe and approved to be in the classroom is a great idea. Talking with everyone will allow everyone to be on the same page about toys and how to keep their little ones safe and sound.

            Interpersonal Safety is just a big word for meaning safety for children while playing with other children teaching children positive ways of playing is a great idea showing them how to have fun but being safe at the same time. Teaching the children about the rules of the playground and how to play safely such as if a child is hitting or throwing things what the child can do instead of getting hurt and hurting another child. (Robertson C. 2014 pg. 119) Having the parents, staff and children participate in how to play safe with others will help everyone understand what is expected of them and if there are any polices that need to be followed by everyone.  Also keeping learning fun will help the children want to learn and participate this way they are learning but also having fun to.

            There are lots of policies and practices that are needed to be followed for all different types of situations such as fire safety, equipment safety, toy safety and many more polices that need to be followed for all kinds of things while working with children of all ages. Having policies and practices in place for when there is an emergency or situation will help everyone know what they need to do wither it is a child, staff member or parent. Keeping everyone safe and healthy is the key the more awareness and information everyone knows will help keep everyone safe.

References:

Robertson, C. (2013). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning