Health,_Hygiene_&_Nutrition_in__Early_Years

As early year’s practitioners working with young children, do you feel that early years settings have the responsibility to ensure that the children in their care meet the recommended level of physical activity a day' Health, Hygiene and Nutrition Introduction According to the National Guidelines on Physical Activity for Ireland, 2009, all children from 2 years to 18 years of age should be active at a moderate to vigorous level, for at least 60 minutes every day. (DOHC,HSE,2009).This essay will discuss the role that physical activity has in promoting children’s mental health and wellbeing as well as the general health benefits associated with physical activity in young children. The author will discuss the challenges faced by early year’s practitioners in providing the recommended level of physical activity on a daily basis. This essay will also look at the various government initiatives, introduced in recent years, to help promote physical activity in the early years. The writer will research an early year’s curriculum policy that promotes physical activity, and encourages parental and community participation. Health Benefits associated with physical activity in young children. Current statistics prove that childhood obesity in Ireland has reached epidemic levels. Research shows that six out of ten children who are overweight before puberty will carry the problem on into adulthood. Obesity is caused by a combination of factors, however the primary reason is that today children are simply eating too much and not getting enough exercise. The immediate health benefits for children are improved concentration levels, stronger immune systems, and a healthy musculoskeletal growth. The long term benefits are reduced risk of chronic conditions such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and increased life expectancy. Promoting physical activity in early childhood will provide children with lifelong coping skills for dealing with stressful situations and may help to combat physical and mental stress which can result in emotional behavioural problems, depression and suicide in young people. Children who develop a love of sport in childhood are more likely to continue with sporting activities as they grow up. Research shows that these young adults perform better academically and are less likely to become involved in crime, drug or alcohol abuse. Challenges faced in providing physical activity in Early Years Setting. In the past children’s play was essentially their physical activity, much of their play took place outdoors in the fresh air. Free play, football, running and chasing games made up a large proportion of their day, so there was little need to be concerned with whether they were getting enough exercise or not. In today’s society this is no longer the case; parents no longer feel it is safe to allow children play freely outside. Many parents do not have the time to simply play outdoors with their children, take them for walks or to the playground. Children are increasingly being raised in an environment where a sedentary lifestyle with television, computers and video games is customary, this has resulted in a generation of children who rely on visual media for the entertainment and stimulation that earlier generations derived from physical and outdoor activities. The children are likely to adapt these habits and carry them into adulthood. Early years services are often limited in what physical activities they can offer due to space limitations, safety regulations and time constraints and cost. Until recently there were very few public play facilities which would encourage physical activity. Merchant et al (2007) states that “access to play spaces, facilities and availability of equipment has also been positively related to physical activity among children”. The issue of availability and accessibility is a social policy issue that should ensure that equal opportunities and facilities are available to all communities. Stereotyping can also provide a challenge when creating opportunities for physical activity. A study by Williams et al Growing up in Ireland (2009) found that boys were more likely to meet the World Health Organisation recommendation of 60 minutes vigorous physical activity per day. 29% of boys compared to 21% of girls currently meet this requirement. This question of inequality needs to be looked at with more opportunities for physical activity being created and made available to girls. Government Initiatives Play is a child’s work, they learn and develop through play, and much of their play consists of physical activity. The health benefits of play have only recently been recognised at a legislative level. The National Play Policy (2004) ‘Ready, Steady, Play!’ Was published as part of the National Children’s Strategy, this policy supports the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the child Article 32 ‘All Children have a right to play’. Its aim was to raise awareness of the importance of play for children. ‘Ready, Steady, Play!’ came about as a result of consultation with children. In 2001 over 2000 children wrote to the, then, Minister for children and Youth affairs commenting on how they had nowhere to play , how adults often stopped them from playing and how adults did not realise how important play was to them. The National Play policy encouraged local authorities to build and refurbish playgrounds and provided funding to improve play facilities in schools and the early years sector. These facilities and playgrounds provide valuable opportunities for children to get together, to get active and enjoy physical activities such as climbing, running, jumping, bouncing and swinging in the community. The Pre-School Regulations do not specify physical activity or exercise for young children Article 28 of the Child Care (Pre-school Service) Regulations 2006 states: ‘A person carrying on a preschool service shall ensure (b) adequate and suitable facilities for a pre-school child to play indoors and outdoors during the day’ (DOHC, 2006). In 2009 the National Guidelines on Physical Activity for Ireland were published to create awareness and encourage children to partake in more physical activities. Obesity is preventable through early intervention; therefore the regulations and the inspection process need to recognise the value of child led activities in the early years setting. Vigorous activities appropriate to age, gender and stage of physical and emotional development of the child should be freely available to all the children through the day. Sugradh is a registered charity which provides support and advice on developing play services and aims to raise awareness and understanding of the essential role which free play has in child development. Curriculum Early childhood is a significant time in the life of a child, and every child needs positive experiences in order to be active in their own learning. In September 2009 Siolta, the national quality framework for the early childhood sector, was rolled out, this framework establishes the quality standards to which all services should aspire. Together with Aistear, the new curriculum framework for children from birth to six years, these frameworks build strong links between care and education in early years and provide information for adults to help them plan for and provide enjoyable and challenging learning experiences. Ultimately early childhood care and education must support children’s sense of wellbeing; both Aistear and Siolta are based on principles of early learning and development which provide for the holistic growth of the child and focus on education through active learning and interactions with carers, parents and community. One of the principles which underpin Aistear is the partnership between parents and practitioners. Early years workers are well informed about child health and development, and are in a position to support parents in creating a healthy environment for their children at home and in the community. Practitioners have access to the relevant organisations and professionals e.g. dieticians, preschool services and HSE personnel, who can provide help and support in developing a curriculum which encourages and promotes physical activity. Early intervention through support and positive role modelling will have successful long term health and social implications for the children. Personal experience of providing for physical activity in the early years setting. In my childcare service, all staff has participated in the Buntús training .Buntús is a sports based, nationally co-ordinated programme aimed at raising the profile of physical education and sport. Buntús Start was rolled out in 2004 and targets the preschool age group two to five years, it is a child centred physical activity programme and provides opportunities for children to participate regardless of their ability, gender, ethnicity or background. This programme takes a holistic approach to physical activity for younger children by extending their physical, intellectual, language, social and emotional skill through a combination of adult-initiated and child led activities. Buntús start provides for planned play activities in the areas of basic motor skills, muscle co-ordination and control, and spatial awareness. This programme also gives children the opportunity to develop their aiming, prediction and estimation skills. Outdoor exercise and play is incorporated into our curriculum on a daily basis. We try to get the children outside, wherever the weather, this can sometimes be as much for the sanity of the staff as for the health of the children, in my experience many behavioural issues are caused by too many children of the same age, spending too much time in a confined space. Outdoors is an extra playroom where the children have the opportunity to sing louder, run faster and expend excess energy. Balancing the children’s needs with the parents requests for clean clothes, staying inside, and not getting cold can be quite challenging. There are no specific guidelines for incorporating physical activity into the childcare curriculum on a daily basis, practitioners need to be creative and encourage children to exercise at every opportunity. Promoting physical activity is critical given the fact that so many children are being diagnosed as overweight and obese. During the recent inclement weather we had great fun making snow men, snow angels, and having snowball fights. The children wanted to go out in the snow, so we did. Conclusion A childcare practitioner’s time is well spent when he or she listens to what the children want, much of the time their requests or ideas will not appear in our programmes of care, curriculums, routines or plans, however we are there to care for these children and we must start providing what they need. Being active comes naturally to young children, they do not need to be encouraged to run and jump, they need to be allowed to do so. Their natural propensity towards physical activity makes it very easy to integrate exercise into the curriculum. The National Children’s strategy states that “Children will have a voice in matters which affect them and their view will be given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity”. It is time to give them their voice and to listen when they use it. Combating obesity has become an urgent concern for the state. Given the current state of our Health Service it would make economic sense to ensure that strategy is put in place to minimise the financial impact of obesity and its treatment in the future. If we as early childcare practitioners can encourage our youngest citizens to adopt an active healthy lifestyle, the battle against obesity, depression and antipathetic feelings towards others will be a success. 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