Promoting Health and Wellbeing in Early Childhood Education and Care

Running head: BACHELOR OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE
BACHELOR OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE
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1BACHELOR OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE
Introduction
Children of age group 1-5 years are vulnerable to all kinds of risks such as infection,
injury, nutrition deficiency and more, hence it is necessary to be more careful about their health
and safety. Children’s health and the safety is more than just physical health and refers to their
whole welfare but a strong sense of wellbeing is fundamentally connected to their physical
health. Physical developments in child is necessary as it promotes a gradual transition from one
stage of development to the other. Physical development refers to the gross motor skills and fine
motor skill development that give strength to the child in carrying out the basic activities. In a
joint first between the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and Food Standards Australia New
Zealand (FSANZ), it has been found that most of the Australian children lacked some of the very
basic nutrients that are essential for the growth in childhood, such as calcium and folate that are
required for the growth of the bones (National Nutrition Survey: Selected Highlights, Australia,
2016). Hence it is necessary to consider the nutritional status of a child on his/ her early years.
Good nutrition is extremely important for the growth of a child and hence should eat a
well- balanced diet. Wrong diet might cause nutrient deficiency leading to chronic conditions
such as rickets, obesity, skin diseases and more (Sharma et al., 2015).
Many children in their early years spend most of their time with their educators and
hence the early childhood educators play an effective role in managing the health and wellbeing
of the children (Sharma et al., 2015).. Teachers are often considered as role models and it is the
education provided by them to the children that remains for life and helps the child to lead a
sustainable life. The teachers teach about the healthy life styles including the nutrition and

2BACHELOR OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE
physical fitness that is integral to self-confidence and wellbeing. A teacher can educate a child
about how to sustain in a healthy and being able to take increasing responsibility for taking
correct health choices. Nutrition and physical education in educational institutions are being
explored increasingly as the way of preventing nutrient deficiency diseases. Classroom teachers
are accountable for the providing this education and can even extend their hand of help in
deciding healthy menus for the children. They are accountable for helping the students identify
the diets that are high and low in fat, added sugar and fibers (Dudley, Cotton & Peralta, 2015).
Inadequate physical activity and poor diet are of concern as physical activity and nutrition habits
adopted in the early childhood are more likely to become overweight adults. In addition poor
nutrition contribute to issues during adolescence and childhood. Considering the health and
safety of the child, the teachers take the pioneering role in teaching a child regarding the
maintenance of hygiene, such as effective hand washing before and after the meal, effective hand
washing using toilet or covering of mouth and face before coughing and sneezing (Osowski,
Göranzon & Fjellström, 2013).
There are a number of ways take up by the teachers to ensure health and wellbeing of the
child. Osowski, Göranzon & Fjellström, (2013), have expressed communication to be an
important factor in promoting healthy eating and healthy living. It has to be remembered that
effective communication between the educators and the children is necessary to foster a learning
environment (Davis, 2014). Effective communication with the children and the parents allows
the teachers to understand the grievances and lifestyle of the child at home, for example the food
and hygiene habits (Osowski, Göranzon & Fjellström, 2013) This permits the educators to
develop effective care plan for each of the child. Each of the situation in a pre-school, dealing
with different kinds of children is different, hence the teachers should be well aware of their