It is very important that children are involved in physical activities because it helps to build and preserve healthy bones, muscles, and joints. Physical activities can also help to keep a child’s weight under control, helps to build lean muscle and helps to minimize fat. It can also minimize the child’s feeling of depression and anxiety. It can so give the child more energy which and enhance the child’s capacity to learn. It can also help a child whose was not very sociable to become a more social person.
http://missourifamilies.org/quick/parentingqa/parentingqa95.htm
The reason that it is so important for young children to get enough physical activity because it can help to prevent diseases like diabetes, heart disease, obesity and even high blood pressure. These types of medical problems can be prevented with just thirty minutes of moderate intensity exercise each day. Children who don’t participate in physical activities seem to have lower esteem. I know this because when I was a child I hated going to PE and I didn’t have high self esteem either I happen to be a loner. In which case I also hated school as well because I was teased all the time and that is why it is very important that children get enough exercise each day so that it can help to build their immune systems and self esteem.
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content4/promote.phyed.html
It is very important for adults to encourage children to become more physically active for their health as well as for their child’s health. Being a good example is the best way to get children involved and most children love to go on walks and just running around outside. This is also a good way to spend some family time together without sitting on the couch and watching television. Locomotor skills involving moving the body from one point to another. An example of a locomotor movement would be to put on the song “I have Been Working on the Railroad” and to pretend to be a train by making movements with your hands and feet and moving around the room in a circle. Another example would be to have a race outside where the children can run, walk, jump, or hop from one side of the playground to the other. A fine motor or manipulative activity that a child could would be to use lacing cards where children can put a string through a hole in a shape or letter.
http://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200605/GoodwayBTJ.pdf
“It takes a Village to Raise a Child.” I just love this quote because it is so true. It is not just parents raising children today it the extended family, teachers, caregivers, friends, church families and even neighbors. I say this because my children would not be as smart as they are if it wasn’t for their teachers and my children wouldn’t be a loving as they are if it wasn’t for my husband and I. My church family is also an important factor for how my children have been becoming little people that I just admire so much.
Children need as much physical activity as they can get because it gives them energy as well as it helps them to sleep better. I know this from personal experience. I will say I am one to keep the television on all the time but recently I have not been keeping the television on I rather be listening to music and reading a good book then watching television. Research has shown that children and adults who more active seem to be in overall better health and have more energy throughout the day. It has also shown that 17% of children in the age group 2 -19 during the years of 2007-2008 are obese and this number just astounds me.
http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/index.html
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Section 4: Healthy Food and Nutrition
Nutrition is very important for children of all ages as well as adults. Children also learn from adults so it is just as important for you to eat as healthy as you can because your children are watching you. The Food Guide Pyramid is a good place to start when trying to make sure that children and adults are getting the right amount of nutrients that they will need daily. The amounts that they should eat out of each group daily will differ from age to age.
As a parent and a teacher when you are making up a menu you need to take the child’s age into consideration because infants for example could choke on a snack like pretzels. Infants from 6weeks to 4 months will be drinking formula or breast milk for their meal and snack. An infant age 4 to 12 months will start eating fruits, vegetables and iron fortified cereal. From experience you should start with green vegetables first because if you start with the sweet stuff the likely hood that the child will refuse the green vegetables is higher. You should make eating time pleasant and not distracting, listen and let the infant be in control of how much he/she eats. You should also only feed the infant in small proportions and only items that are soft or become soft when moved around in child’s mouth.
With toddler’s you need to make sure that their food is cut up into small pieces to prevent choking. Another way to way to help toddlers form good and healthy eating habits is to make sure the food is at room temperature because they steer away from foods that are too hot or cold. You can also make the food fun buy cutting shapes out of sandwiches or making pancakes into funny faces. Let the child decide when they are no longer hungry and don’t force them to eat foods that they refuse. Another thing that a parent and teacher could do is to model good eating habits.
Preschoolers are at the age where they can start helping to make their own foods. Parents and teachers need to remember that they can let their preschooler’s help prepare their food with adult supervision. This way the children feel that they have some control of what they are and are not eating. If a child is hungry then give them something healthy to eat because if you tell them no when they ask for something to eat they will start to sneak food. I had this problem with my daughter because she was asking for food every five minute and I would keep telling her no. So I got rid of all the junk food and now when says she hungry I give her a healthy snack and she is no longer sneaking food.
Most children don’t get enough of their fruit and vegetables so parents and teachers can come up with new inventive ways to get their children eat their fruits and vegetables. Some parents have a hard time getting their children to eat some vegetables so take peas for example. Parents could try to give their children frozen peas instead of cooked because the texture is different. I have tried this one myself with both my kids and they like them frozen better than cooked. Children also need to make sure that they drink plenty of water because their little bodies are made up of 70% water which is also let out through their urine and skin. You could also let parents know that the nutrition label on food products will give lots of information on what is in each item as well as the serving size.
Adults should actively help children develop healthy eating habits because children learn from watching adults. Children that eat healthier seem to do a lot better in school and social settings. Another reason that adults especially teachers should help children develop good eating habit is because children are eating fast food so often it is good that children can get a balance healthy meal at school. Children are becoming obese because they are eating a lot of fast food and fatty foods. Two ways that we can help child make healthier choices would be to teach them how to make healthier choices. Make it a game so that they have fun while they make good choices and when they make good choice give them a lot praise. Another way would be to let the children be involved with picking out their food and helping cook the food that they are going to be eating.
I love to cook with my daughter and there are some easy recipes that we cook together all the time. Three recipes that I have chosen are English Muffin Pizzas, Ants on a Log, and Banana Dippers.
English Muffin Pizzas
Ingredients:
• 1 split English Muffin
pizza sauce
pizza cheese (shredded)
• Your favorite toppings such as: mushrooms, pepperoni, green pepper, pineapple, bacon...etc.
Directions:
1. Toast your English muffins.
2. Spread pizza sauce evenly on muffin halves.
3. Sprinkle cheese on top and add your toppings!
4. Put on tray and put into toaster oven set on broil. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes
Note: Mom can also help you use the broiler in the oven. Enjoy!!!!
http://www.childrensrecipes.com/english_muffin_pizza.htm
Banana Dippers
Ingredients:
• Bananas - cut in chunks
• colored sugars
• cinnamon sugar
• peanut butter
• chopped nuts
• coconut
• ice cream sprinkles
• crushed cookies
• 8 oz chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Peel the bananas and slice into several pieces.
2. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high until melted - about 1 minute, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.
3. Dip the banana slices in the chocolate, then roll them in other ingredients as desired
http://www.childrensrecipes.com/banana_dippers.htm
Sam’s Nachos
You will need:
Nacho chips
Shredded cheese
Salsa
Directions:
1. Place nacho chips on a cookie tray.
2. Put a dab of your favorite salsa on each chip.
3. Cover all chips with shredded cheddar cheese.
4. Place under boiler or just in the oven until cheese melts.
5. Remove from oven and cool just a minute.
http://www.childrensrecipes.com/easy_nachos.htm
Robertson, C. (2009). Safety, Nutrition and Health in Early Education (4 ed.). Albany:Delmar Cengage Learning.
As a parent and a teacher when you are making up a menu you need to take the child’s age into consideration because infants for example could choke on a snack like pretzels. Infants from 6weeks to 4 months will be drinking formula or breast milk for their meal and snack. An infant age 4 to 12 months will start eating fruits, vegetables and iron fortified cereal. From experience you should start with green vegetables first because if you start with the sweet stuff the likely hood that the child will refuse the green vegetables is higher. You should make eating time pleasant and not distracting, listen and let the infant be in control of how much he/she eats. You should also only feed the infant in small proportions and only items that are soft or become soft when moved around in child’s mouth.
With toddler’s you need to make sure that their food is cut up into small pieces to prevent choking. Another way to way to help toddlers form good and healthy eating habits is to make sure the food is at room temperature because they steer away from foods that are too hot or cold. You can also make the food fun buy cutting shapes out of sandwiches or making pancakes into funny faces. Let the child decide when they are no longer hungry and don’t force them to eat foods that they refuse. Another thing that a parent and teacher could do is to model good eating habits.
Preschoolers are at the age where they can start helping to make their own foods. Parents and teachers need to remember that they can let their preschooler’s help prepare their food with adult supervision. This way the children feel that they have some control of what they are and are not eating. If a child is hungry then give them something healthy to eat because if you tell them no when they ask for something to eat they will start to sneak food. I had this problem with my daughter because she was asking for food every five minute and I would keep telling her no. So I got rid of all the junk food and now when says she hungry I give her a healthy snack and she is no longer sneaking food.
Most children don’t get enough of their fruit and vegetables so parents and teachers can come up with new inventive ways to get their children eat their fruits and vegetables. Some parents have a hard time getting their children to eat some vegetables so take peas for example. Parents could try to give their children frozen peas instead of cooked because the texture is different. I have tried this one myself with both my kids and they like them frozen better than cooked. Children also need to make sure that they drink plenty of water because their little bodies are made up of 70% water which is also let out through their urine and skin. You could also let parents know that the nutrition label on food products will give lots of information on what is in each item as well as the serving size.
Adults should actively help children develop healthy eating habits because children learn from watching adults. Children that eat healthier seem to do a lot better in school and social settings. Another reason that adults especially teachers should help children develop good eating habit is because children are eating fast food so often it is good that children can get a balance healthy meal at school. Children are becoming obese because they are eating a lot of fast food and fatty foods. Two ways that we can help child make healthier choices would be to teach them how to make healthier choices. Make it a game so that they have fun while they make good choices and when they make good choice give them a lot praise. Another way would be to let the children be involved with picking out their food and helping cook the food that they are going to be eating.
I love to cook with my daughter and there are some easy recipes that we cook together all the time. Three recipes that I have chosen are English Muffin Pizzas, Ants on a Log, and Banana Dippers.
English Muffin Pizzas
Ingredients:
• 1 split English Muffin
pizza sauce
pizza cheese (shredded)
• Your favorite toppings such as: mushrooms, pepperoni, green pepper, pineapple, bacon...etc.
Directions:
1. Toast your English muffins.
2. Spread pizza sauce evenly on muffin halves.
3. Sprinkle cheese on top and add your toppings!
4. Put on tray and put into toaster oven set on broil. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes
Note: Mom can also help you use the broiler in the oven. Enjoy!!!!
http://www.childrensrecipes.com/english_muffin_pizza.htm
Banana Dippers
Ingredients:
• Bananas - cut in chunks
• colored sugars
• cinnamon sugar
• peanut butter
• chopped nuts
• coconut
• ice cream sprinkles
• crushed cookies
• 8 oz chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Peel the bananas and slice into several pieces.
2. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high until melted - about 1 minute, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.
3. Dip the banana slices in the chocolate, then roll them in other ingredients as desired
http://www.childrensrecipes.com/banana_dippers.htm
Sam’s Nachos
You will need:
Nacho chips
Shredded cheese
Salsa
Directions:
1. Place nacho chips on a cookie tray.
2. Put a dab of your favorite salsa on each chip.
3. Cover all chips with shredded cheddar cheese.
4. Place under boiler or just in the oven until cheese melts.
5. Remove from oven and cool just a minute.
http://www.childrensrecipes.com/easy_nachos.htm
Robertson, C. (2009). Safety, Nutrition and Health in Early Education (4 ed.). Albany:Delmar Cengage Learning.
Section 3: CPR and Choking Emergencies
Minor and major emergencies can happen anywhere and to anyone. In the event of an emergency you need to remain calm so that you can focus on the person involved in the emergency. As a child caregiver you should be aware of your surroundings and to make sure that the children are safe.
During center time you notice that some of the children are running around the room and as you start to say something you notice that one child trips and falls to the ground head first. As the child falls you also hear a loud thump when the child’s head hit the ground. It is a three year old little boy and it is happing near the block center. As you get closer to the child you also notice that the child has hit his head on a block and there is blood. You also notice that the child is unconscious and not breathing so you know that you need to do something immediately.
The first thing that you need to do in this type of emergency is to respond immediately and to STAY CLAM. You all need to make sure that you stay at the scene and then have another teacher remove the other children from the room and keep them calm. Then you need to check the child from head to toe for all types of injuries, such as checking for difficultly breathing, slurred speech and even bleeding. Never move a child who has been injured unless the risk of more harm is possible. At this point you need to have another teacher to call 911 and the child’s parents. Then you need to check for signs of breathing and a heart beat. You don’t feel a pulse and you don’t see or feel any signs of breathing. At this point you start CPR and you continue CPR until the emergency personal arrive on the scene and take over. After the incident is over and the child is taken care of you should fill out a report and come up with a way that the incident could have been prevented. This incident could have been prevented by making sure the children are walking indoors and keeping a better eye on the children.
During afternoon snack time the older infants were eating pretzels when I notice one of the infants started coughing and then I notice that she was trying to cough something up. Then I notice that the child started holding her throat and I quickly go to her. I pick her up and start the Heimlich maneuver in which I flip the child over and give her quick blows to her back between her shoulder blades and continue the Heimlich maneuver until help arrives or the obstruction is removed or the child is no longer responding. During all of this you would have another remove the other children from the room and call 911. The other teacher would also call the child’s parents and come up with a plan on whether to meet their child at the school or at the hospital. If the parents decide to meet at the hospital then you as a teacher would go to the hospital with the child. After the incident is done then you should come back to the school and fill out an incident report.
The first thing to do is to come up with a plan for all types of emergencies that could happen in your childcare setting. Nothing is better than being prepared for a emergency situation and then no emergency situation actually happens. In a child care setting there will always be a situation that you will have to provide at least first aid care because children are going to fall and get a scrap. One of the most important training’s that anyone who is going to be working with children is CPR and First Aid training. You should have AED training if your child care has one. The best way to prevent an emergency is to supervise your children at all times.
To prepare for emergencies the teacher should have their first aid kit with them when they go on a field trip or even to the playground. In their first aid kit should be all the children’s personal information so that you can contact their parents if needed. Another way to prepare for an emergency would be to make sure that you are not left alone in the classroom or the playground. You should all check you first aid at least once month to make sure that you have all the items that you need. You should also replace any items that are low or empty right away.
Minor and major emergencies can happen anywhere and to anyone. In the event of an emergency you need to remain calm so that you can focus on the person involved in the emergency. As a child caregiver you should be aware of your surroundings and to make sure that the children are safe.
Robertson, C. (2009). Safety, Nutrition and Health in Early Education (4 ed.). Albany:Delmar Cengage Learning.
During center time you notice that some of the children are running around the room and as you start to say something you notice that one child trips and falls to the ground head first. As the child falls you also hear a loud thump when the child’s head hit the ground. It is a three year old little boy and it is happing near the block center. As you get closer to the child you also notice that the child has hit his head on a block and there is blood. You also notice that the child is unconscious and not breathing so you know that you need to do something immediately.
The first thing that you need to do in this type of emergency is to respond immediately and to STAY CLAM. You all need to make sure that you stay at the scene and then have another teacher remove the other children from the room and keep them calm. Then you need to check the child from head to toe for all types of injuries, such as checking for difficultly breathing, slurred speech and even bleeding. Never move a child who has been injured unless the risk of more harm is possible. At this point you need to have another teacher to call 911 and the child’s parents. Then you need to check for signs of breathing and a heart beat. You don’t feel a pulse and you don’t see or feel any signs of breathing. At this point you start CPR and you continue CPR until the emergency personal arrive on the scene and take over. After the incident is over and the child is taken care of you should fill out a report and come up with a way that the incident could have been prevented. This incident could have been prevented by making sure the children are walking indoors and keeping a better eye on the children.
During afternoon snack time the older infants were eating pretzels when I notice one of the infants started coughing and then I notice that she was trying to cough something up. Then I notice that the child started holding her throat and I quickly go to her. I pick her up and start the Heimlich maneuver in which I flip the child over and give her quick blows to her back between her shoulder blades and continue the Heimlich maneuver until help arrives or the obstruction is removed or the child is no longer responding. During all of this you would have another remove the other children from the room and call 911. The other teacher would also call the child’s parents and come up with a plan on whether to meet their child at the school or at the hospital. If the parents decide to meet at the hospital then you as a teacher would go to the hospital with the child. After the incident is done then you should come back to the school and fill out an incident report.
The first thing to do is to come up with a plan for all types of emergencies that could happen in your childcare setting. Nothing is better than being prepared for a emergency situation and then no emergency situation actually happens. In a child care setting there will always be a situation that you will have to provide at least first aid care because children are going to fall and get a scrap. One of the most important training’s that anyone who is going to be working with children is CPR and First Aid training. You should have AED training if your child care has one. The best way to prevent an emergency is to supervise your children at all times.
To prepare for emergencies the teacher should have their first aid kit with them when they go on a field trip or even to the playground. In their first aid kit should be all the children’s personal information so that you can contact their parents if needed. Another way to prepare for an emergency would be to make sure that you are not left alone in the classroom or the playground. You should all check you first aid at least once month to make sure that you have all the items that you need. You should also replace any items that are low or empty right away.
Minor and major emergencies can happen anywhere and to anyone. In the event of an emergency you need to remain calm so that you can focus on the person involved in the emergency. As a child caregiver you should be aware of your surroundings and to make sure that the children are safe.
Robertson, C. (2009). Safety, Nutrition and Health in Early Education (4 ed.). Albany:Delmar Cengage Learning.
Section 2: Emergency Preparedness: Natural and Human-Generated Disaters
Well I live on a little island in Alaska called Sitka that means we are at risk of having a Tsunami and a Volcanic Eruption. A tsunami is an unusually large sea wave produced by a seaquake or undersea volcanic eruption (dictionary.com). A volcano is a mountain or hill, usually having a cuplike crater at the summit, formed around such a vent from the ash and lava expelled through it (dictionary.com).
When Chile had their earthquake at the end of February 2010 we were at risk of having a Tsunami. Being prepared is better than not being prepared so I got prepared by getting a suitcase packed with clothes for the kids and myself, first aid kit, water and canned food. We ended up only getting a six inch wave which is not even big enough for a warning. When it comes to a Tsunami the most important thing to do I get to high ground or drive farther inland. Since we live on an island the only way off the island is by ferry or airplane that means getting to higher ground will be the most obvious place to go.
Our volcano is an active even though it has not erupted in since 2200 B.C. That means it is a real possibility for it to erupt and all preschools in this area need to have emergency plan for this type of disaster. Although I have never experience this type of disaster myself I worry about it all the time mainly because of my children’s safety. We also have a volcano right near the coast guard base on the island that was named Mt Edgecumbe.
We have around five early childhood center on the island of Sitka. About three of them have water near them and they have a huge risk of getting caught up in a tsunami. On the island we have a recently updated our warning system so that we would get around half hour-eight hours of notice before the tsunami would actually hit. It also depends on where the earthquake or volcanic eruption took place. With this in mind there would hopefully enough of a warning to have the parents pick up the children and go to a shelter. The shelter happens to be the elementary school so we would go there and then emergency officials would tell us what to do from there.
When it comes to a Volcanic Eruption and a Tsunami the precautions are very similar because they normally go hand in hand. The reason for this that a volcanic eruption is what causes tsunamis. The very first thing to do when coming with a plan is to get all staff members together as well as get information your community evacuation plan that is in place. Then as a team we would come up with an emergency disaster plan for our childcare center and then put it into practice at the center. For a volcanic eruption remain calm and seek higher ground. Have a back up plan just in case your first route is blocked off in some way. You also need to have a way to contact family members of the children in your care as well as staff members. Make sure that your first aid kit is checked once a month and that you have some extras for this type of disaster like goggles, masks (for each child and adult), flashlights, and batteries. After you have collected all of the items that you would need during a disaster you should have a drill so that the children will know what to do. You also need to make sure that you have enough food non-perishable found in the center for a couple of days. If you are unable to leave the center during an eruption close all windows and doors so that the dust and debris doesn’t enter the building and if it does out on your mask and goggles.
When it comes to assessing the risks to you, co-workers, children and any other staff members you need to figure out the chances that a disaster could happen in our child care setting. All disasters have a possibility happening in any area of the country but some have a higher risk than others. Some of the major dangers that are present for both staff and the children in both of these situations are death, risk of getting hurt, children being lost in the shuffle, and panic by both children and teachers. So it is very important to remain calm so that the children remain calm and follow directions.
One of the first things that I would do to prepare is to get a first aid kit for each of the classrooms with all the important items such as band-aids, gloves, diapers if there are children in diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, any medications that children might need like an epipen. Another piece of information that needs to be with the first aid kit is the emergency contact information for each child and staff member and to make sure that one of the teachers has a cell phone to call all the parents or emergency contacts for the children. The attendance sheet from the day of the disaster needs to be taken so that you are able to make sure you have all the children with you. I would also hold a training session at least twice a year to help the teachers prepare themselves and clear up any confusion that they may have. Drills are also a good way to prepare teachers, parents, and children to know where to go and how to remain calm.
Caregivers can get parents involved by letting them know we are having a drill and sending notes home on the day that the drill was held so that they can talk it over with their children. You could also help the families get involved by giving them information on what they could do prepare themselves at home for a disaster. Examples for preparing for a disaster are having their own drills at home, preparing their own first aid kit and even to have a bag with extra clothing, toys and food. These things would need to check regularly to make sure the items aren’t expired or that the children haven’t out grown the clothes that you have put away.
Complications from not being prepared for a disaster are that all employees will be freaking out and more than likely the children will be to get scared. I also feel that not being prepared could result in issues like children getting sick and then the caregivers are unable to five the first aid that would be needed to keep the children safe.
Some complications that could be created by the disaster would be the loss of power, use of water, flooding, and lose of the phone line. Another complication is that we tend to lose the focus of the children that we are caring for and start worrying about our immediate family. The most important thing when you with children you are caring is to make sure that they are all safe before you start to worry about your immediate family.
The disaster plan is one that incorporates all possible disasters instead of having one for each disaster. Some of the disasters that need to be included are fire, explosions, severe weather, utility failure, hazardous emergencies, act of terrorism and any other disaster that could affect the center. You should include all emergency procedure in clear and in a way that everyone understands. You should include procedures for clients and children with special needs, route and transportation, shelter for the children and staff if unable to leave for a few days, notifying emergency personal and families of the children, and the protection of important records. There is certain information that needs to be in the disaster plan and that would be information on each of the children and staff, charts and maps, hazards in the area of the child care center, and emergency energy sources. There also needs to have a plan for how the information of the disaster is going to be communicated to all parties involved in the school and list of emergency phone numbers.
You also need to have parts of the plan that is where you would put all of this information in. The purpose statement which is the reason why you are putting this plan into place and you also need to put in the situation and assumptions which is a description of the facility and what hazards could happen where your center is located. The basic concepts are the description on how the center will respond to the disaster. The organization and responsibilities for each staff member and it also has to include how often the plan should be review so to make sure the improvements are included in the plan. As you make changes to the plan you should have a record of the changes so that you can refer back to them in the future. You should also have a drill and training section so that you can keep track on when and how the drill and training should be performed. The emergency functions are a place where you can include specifics for different types of disasters and what general procedures need to be followed. The last part is the supplemental documents that also need to be included such as charts, lists, and other things that make the plan more understandable.
1The last part of the plan called Guidelines for Specific Hazards is the place where you get more specific on the different types of hazards and where you would include the hazards more specific to your area.
So since we live on an island surrounded by water a tsunami and a volcanic eruption are two major disasters that we need to prepare for both at home and in an early childhood care setting. Since a tsunami and a volcanic eruption sort of go together because one causes the other it is like you are preparing for two disasters at one time.
Robertson, C. (2009). Safety, Nutrition and Health in Early Education (4 ed.). Albany:Delmar Cengage Learning.
When Chile had their earthquake at the end of February 2010 we were at risk of having a Tsunami. Being prepared is better than not being prepared so I got prepared by getting a suitcase packed with clothes for the kids and myself, first aid kit, water and canned food. We ended up only getting a six inch wave which is not even big enough for a warning. When it comes to a Tsunami the most important thing to do I get to high ground or drive farther inland. Since we live on an island the only way off the island is by ferry or airplane that means getting to higher ground will be the most obvious place to go.
Our volcano is an active even though it has not erupted in since 2200 B.C. That means it is a real possibility for it to erupt and all preschools in this area need to have emergency plan for this type of disaster. Although I have never experience this type of disaster myself I worry about it all the time mainly because of my children’s safety. We also have a volcano right near the coast guard base on the island that was named Mt Edgecumbe.
We have around five early childhood center on the island of Sitka. About three of them have water near them and they have a huge risk of getting caught up in a tsunami. On the island we have a recently updated our warning system so that we would get around half hour-eight hours of notice before the tsunami would actually hit. It also depends on where the earthquake or volcanic eruption took place. With this in mind there would hopefully enough of a warning to have the parents pick up the children and go to a shelter. The shelter happens to be the elementary school so we would go there and then emergency officials would tell us what to do from there.
When it comes to a Volcanic Eruption and a Tsunami the precautions are very similar because they normally go hand in hand. The reason for this that a volcanic eruption is what causes tsunamis. The very first thing to do when coming with a plan is to get all staff members together as well as get information your community evacuation plan that is in place. Then as a team we would come up with an emergency disaster plan for our childcare center and then put it into practice at the center. For a volcanic eruption remain calm and seek higher ground. Have a back up plan just in case your first route is blocked off in some way. You also need to have a way to contact family members of the children in your care as well as staff members. Make sure that your first aid kit is checked once a month and that you have some extras for this type of disaster like goggles, masks (for each child and adult), flashlights, and batteries. After you have collected all of the items that you would need during a disaster you should have a drill so that the children will know what to do. You also need to make sure that you have enough food non-perishable found in the center for a couple of days. If you are unable to leave the center during an eruption close all windows and doors so that the dust and debris doesn’t enter the building and if it does out on your mask and goggles.
When it comes to assessing the risks to you, co-workers, children and any other staff members you need to figure out the chances that a disaster could happen in our child care setting. All disasters have a possibility happening in any area of the country but some have a higher risk than others. Some of the major dangers that are present for both staff and the children in both of these situations are death, risk of getting hurt, children being lost in the shuffle, and panic by both children and teachers. So it is very important to remain calm so that the children remain calm and follow directions.
One of the first things that I would do to prepare is to get a first aid kit for each of the classrooms with all the important items such as band-aids, gloves, diapers if there are children in diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, any medications that children might need like an epipen. Another piece of information that needs to be with the first aid kit is the emergency contact information for each child and staff member and to make sure that one of the teachers has a cell phone to call all the parents or emergency contacts for the children. The attendance sheet from the day of the disaster needs to be taken so that you are able to make sure you have all the children with you. I would also hold a training session at least twice a year to help the teachers prepare themselves and clear up any confusion that they may have. Drills are also a good way to prepare teachers, parents, and children to know where to go and how to remain calm.
Caregivers can get parents involved by letting them know we are having a drill and sending notes home on the day that the drill was held so that they can talk it over with their children. You could also help the families get involved by giving them information on what they could do prepare themselves at home for a disaster. Examples for preparing for a disaster are having their own drills at home, preparing their own first aid kit and even to have a bag with extra clothing, toys and food. These things would need to check regularly to make sure the items aren’t expired or that the children haven’t out grown the clothes that you have put away.
Complications from not being prepared for a disaster are that all employees will be freaking out and more than likely the children will be to get scared. I also feel that not being prepared could result in issues like children getting sick and then the caregivers are unable to five the first aid that would be needed to keep the children safe.
Some complications that could be created by the disaster would be the loss of power, use of water, flooding, and lose of the phone line. Another complication is that we tend to lose the focus of the children that we are caring for and start worrying about our immediate family. The most important thing when you with children you are caring is to make sure that they are all safe before you start to worry about your immediate family.
The disaster plan is one that incorporates all possible disasters instead of having one for each disaster. Some of the disasters that need to be included are fire, explosions, severe weather, utility failure, hazardous emergencies, act of terrorism and any other disaster that could affect the center. You should include all emergency procedure in clear and in a way that everyone understands. You should include procedures for clients and children with special needs, route and transportation, shelter for the children and staff if unable to leave for a few days, notifying emergency personal and families of the children, and the protection of important records. There is certain information that needs to be in the disaster plan and that would be information on each of the children and staff, charts and maps, hazards in the area of the child care center, and emergency energy sources. There also needs to have a plan for how the information of the disaster is going to be communicated to all parties involved in the school and list of emergency phone numbers.
You also need to have parts of the plan that is where you would put all of this information in. The purpose statement which is the reason why you are putting this plan into place and you also need to put in the situation and assumptions which is a description of the facility and what hazards could happen where your center is located. The basic concepts are the description on how the center will respond to the disaster. The organization and responsibilities for each staff member and it also has to include how often the plan should be review so to make sure the improvements are included in the plan. As you make changes to the plan you should have a record of the changes so that you can refer back to them in the future. You should also have a drill and training section so that you can keep track on when and how the drill and training should be performed. The emergency functions are a place where you can include specifics for different types of disasters and what general procedures need to be followed. The last part is the supplemental documents that also need to be included such as charts, lists, and other things that make the plan more understandable.
1The last part of the plan called Guidelines for Specific Hazards is the place where you get more specific on the different types of hazards and where you would include the hazards more specific to your area.
So since we live on an island surrounded by water a tsunami and a volcanic eruption are two major disasters that we need to prepare for both at home and in an early childhood care setting. Since a tsunami and a volcanic eruption sort of go together because one causes the other it is like you are preparing for two disasters at one time.
Robertson, C. (2009). Safety, Nutrition and Health in Early Education (4 ed.). Albany:Delmar Cengage Learning.
Section 1: Safety Practices and Policies
When it comes to safety and infants and toddlers it is a huge issue that can be prevented if given the time. There are many simple things that families and caregivers can do to prevent as many injuries to young children as they can. There are many different injuries that are common when it comes to infants and toddlers. They are falling from a crib, choking on small objects or food, burns from hot food or bathtub water, cleaning supplies used in the classroom and toys being age appropriate.
One of the most important policies that can be put into place when it comes to children being left in your care would be supervision. Arrcording to the Alaska State Licensing Regulations children need to be supervised at all times even when they are sleeping. It also states that center will not allow infants to be in high risk activity such as in a mobile infant walker.
When it comes to cribs it states that there needs to be a crib for each child with a firm matress that has a washable covering. The crib should also be label with each child name and only be used by that child. It also states that equipment should not be used if it can lead to a child falling or becoming trap in the equipment.
Teachers and parents should make sure that the food they are serving to their children are small and soft enough for the age group. Things like hotdogs, pretzels, or pizza can become a choking hazard if not cut up small enough. You want the children to be able to pick up their food using two fingers so as long as the food is about the size of a cheerio it will be a good size. A food is soft enough when it can be pick up using two fingers and mashed by their gums for the children who have little amounts of teeth.
Another thing that teachers and parents need to do when it comes to making their childs food safe to eat would be the temperature. Most children dont like to eat food that is to cold or food that is to hot can burn their little mouths. You should feed your children food that is at room temperature so that it will not burn them. When it comes to temperature of items that come in contact with children would be the bath water and a good way to do that is to feel the water using your hand. You could also get a tool that has a thermometer on it to take the temperature of the water.
All Cleaning supplies need to be kept up high and in a locked cabinet so that the children can’t not get into them. If you are using a chemical for cleaning then when you are done you need to make sure that you put it in the locked cabinet out of reach of the chilren. If using bleach as a disinfectent you need to make sure that it is emptied and replace daily and that the contanier is label with it’s contents.
Toys are one of the things that children play with daily so parents and teachers need to make sure that the toys are developmently appropriate. A rule of thumb would be that if a toy can fit through a empty toliet paper role then it is too small for a child under three to be playing with. Another thing to keep in mind when selecting toys would be small parts like the eyes on a stuffed animal. If the eyes can be pulled off then those stuffed animals should not be put out to be played with.
There is also a lot of things that the parents can do to help keep the children safe at home as well as in school. If the families do the same things at home that you do in your school the children will have some stability. Something that parents can do at home to make sure that their children are in a safe environment would be to safety proof their house by putting outlet covers in the outlets. Putting cover over their stove knobs, putting gates in front of stairs, never leaving their child in the bathtub alone and so on. Parents can also make that the child’s food is not to hot before feeding them. One of the most important things is to make sure that when they are in the car their child is in a state approved safety seat all times. Parents can also make sure that they don’t let their infants sleep with them in their bed and they put them on their backs to sleep.
There are many important safety situations that can be prevented by both the families and care givers if they just take the time and effort to prevent them. The number one thing to learn from all this is children need to learn from us so we need to be a good example. We can all be good examples by practicing these safety policies every single day. Consistency is the key when it comes to raising children.
http://nrc.uchsc.edu/STATES/AK/ak_57.htm#0_pgfId-1011989
http://kidshealth.org/parent/food/infants/finger_foods.html
Robertson, C. (2009). Safety, Nutrition and Health in Early Education (4 ed.). Albany:Delmar Cengage Learning.
One of the most important policies that can be put into place when it comes to children being left in your care would be supervision. Arrcording to the Alaska State Licensing Regulations children need to be supervised at all times even when they are sleeping. It also states that center will not allow infants to be in high risk activity such as in a mobile infant walker.
When it comes to cribs it states that there needs to be a crib for each child with a firm matress that has a washable covering. The crib should also be label with each child name and only be used by that child. It also states that equipment should not be used if it can lead to a child falling or becoming trap in the equipment.
Teachers and parents should make sure that the food they are serving to their children are small and soft enough for the age group. Things like hotdogs, pretzels, or pizza can become a choking hazard if not cut up small enough. You want the children to be able to pick up their food using two fingers so as long as the food is about the size of a cheerio it will be a good size. A food is soft enough when it can be pick up using two fingers and mashed by their gums for the children who have little amounts of teeth.
Another thing that teachers and parents need to do when it comes to making their childs food safe to eat would be the temperature. Most children dont like to eat food that is to cold or food that is to hot can burn their little mouths. You should feed your children food that is at room temperature so that it will not burn them. When it comes to temperature of items that come in contact with children would be the bath water and a good way to do that is to feel the water using your hand. You could also get a tool that has a thermometer on it to take the temperature of the water.
All Cleaning supplies need to be kept up high and in a locked cabinet so that the children can’t not get into them. If you are using a chemical for cleaning then when you are done you need to make sure that you put it in the locked cabinet out of reach of the chilren. If using bleach as a disinfectent you need to make sure that it is emptied and replace daily and that the contanier is label with it’s contents.
Toys are one of the things that children play with daily so parents and teachers need to make sure that the toys are developmently appropriate. A rule of thumb would be that if a toy can fit through a empty toliet paper role then it is too small for a child under three to be playing with. Another thing to keep in mind when selecting toys would be small parts like the eyes on a stuffed animal. If the eyes can be pulled off then those stuffed animals should not be put out to be played with.
There is also a lot of things that the parents can do to help keep the children safe at home as well as in school. If the families do the same things at home that you do in your school the children will have some stability. Something that parents can do at home to make sure that their children are in a safe environment would be to safety proof their house by putting outlet covers in the outlets. Putting cover over their stove knobs, putting gates in front of stairs, never leaving their child in the bathtub alone and so on. Parents can also make that the child’s food is not to hot before feeding them. One of the most important things is to make sure that when they are in the car their child is in a state approved safety seat all times. Parents can also make sure that they don’t let their infants sleep with them in their bed and they put them on their backs to sleep.
There are many important safety situations that can be prevented by both the families and care givers if they just take the time and effort to prevent them. The number one thing to learn from all this is children need to learn from us so we need to be a good example. We can all be good examples by practicing these safety policies every single day. Consistency is the key when it comes to raising children.
http://nrc.uchsc.edu/STATES/AK/ak_57.htm#0_pgfId-1011989
http://kidshealth.org/parent/food/infants/finger_foods.html
Robertson, C. (2009). Safety, Nutrition and Health in Early Education (4 ed.). Albany:Delmar Cengage Learning.
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