Child Care: Physical Needs, Safety, and Practitioner Roles

This report provides a comprehensive overview of child care, addressing the physical needs of children, including nutrition, a healthy environment, and protection from illness. It details the crucial role of early years practitioners in various activities such as nappy changing, toilet training, washing and bathing, and skin, teeth, and hair care, as well as meal times. The report also explores the rest and sleep requirements for children of different age groups, emphasizing the importance of adequate sleep for their development. Furthermore, it outlines safety precautions to minimize the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), including maintaining safe sleeping positions and environments. The report references various books and journals to support its findings, offering a well-rounded perspective on child care practices and essential considerations for the well-being of young children.

CHILD CARE

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...........................................................................................................1
3.1 Physical needs of children.....................................................................................................1
3.2 Explain the role of the early years practitioner during..........................................................1
3.3 Explain the rest and sleep needs of........................................................................................2
3.4 Safety precautions which minimise the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.....................3
REFERENCES........................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Child care is defined as the process to take care and supervise children who are generally
6 weeks to 13 years of age. As this duration is the time which would be requiring highest amount
of attention by children and this is done by babysitters, teachers, day care centres and other
providers as well.
MAIN BODY
3.1 Physical needs of children
The physical needs are those which are related to clothing, bedtime at hours, of nutritious
food and adequate shelter (The Basic Needs of Every Child, 2018). These all would be required
to have in order to develop daily care and nutrition of children which is very much important for
them.
Healthy environment-
This is described as stable and health living environment which is necessarily provided
by teachers and other adults of children (Weissbluth, 2015). Many a times, it is required as per
the family conditions to move on regular basis like that of military which would be hindering
children and their growth during crucial years of children.
Proper nutrition-
It is the right of every child to get nutritious food which is healthy so that they will be
getting all type of proteins, calcium and minerals, etc. in this terms it would be drinking plenty of
water and avoiding junk food as well as snacks.
Fresh air Protection from illness-
In some of the conditions outdoor air can be more harmful than indoor air. In this context,
it is crucial for children and babies to sleep on an organic mattress which do not off-gas. In order
to overcome such condition, HEPA room air purifier should be purchased so as to reduce gases,
chemicals and odours.
3.2 Explain the role of the early years practitioner during
Early year practitioners are defined to as the person who is taking care of children aged
between 0-5 years and they are responsible to grow and develop child. they are having various
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roles to play in development of child at their various age or at the time of various activates of
children like that of skin and teeth care, nappy changing and washing and bathing time.
Nappy time- This is the routine activity which is concerning to tailored so that individual need of
child as per their age could be managed and included within physical care of child. The role of
practitioner at the time of nappy changing is that of following police and procedure at time of
setting. They must be ensuring that they are wearing disposable plastic aprons or gloves during
that time and they should also be noticing any abnormalities at the time while changing nappy.
As per early practitioners, there was a room in which nappy were changed. For cloth nappy, it is
required to make sure that it is washed in hot water twice. When these are done, then it becomes
favourable enough to make sure that it is safe. Once it was washed and dried, it should be used.
Further, use of powder were done in order to avoid rashes.
Toilet training- It is necessary that they are following policy and procedure which was taught to
them during training period. As every child would be having their own sign or word which is
representing for them to go to toilet and practitioner should be aware of this (Woodhead, 2015).
Toilet seat must be clean and always readily available for them so that they would use it. Parents
should be responsible to work with practitioners so that they take help to look out signs or
readiness among children.
Washing and bathing time- Bathing time could be regarded to as relaxing or bonding experience
for children and those who are taking care of them. It is the role of practitioner that all children
are to be kept neat and clean during the day time, they could also wash child gently with soft
soap. At the time when child is ill or they had any accident then practitioner should be giving
thorough wash down with following up of procedures and policies.
Care of skin, teeth and hair- All children who are young especially at age of 0-6 years are
having very soft and delicate skin which is required to be washed and cleaned on regular basis as
matter of hygiene and health. It is important that skin should be neat and clean as well as kept
dry and protected from gems sun cream is essential for application at time when they are out in
sun. All these things should be specifically be according to policy and procedures which
practitioner had learnt in training. In this modern world, there are different type of skin and hair
care cream and shampoos available. It is important that practitioners should be consulted to
apply them for children.
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Meal times- This time is the most important part of daily routine of children which is supporting
both social skills and independence of child (Tomlinson, 2014). Practitioner should be keeping in
mind the age of child and then what is good for them to eat so that all dietary requirements will
be fulfilled. It becomes an important role of practitioner that they are informing daily intake of
child to their parents including both drink and food so that parents are also in knowledge. For
each of the age groups, there is various type of diet that is required to be followed by parents. It
is important for parents to consult practitioners to plan for the children as per their age group.
3.3 Explain the rest and sleep needs of
6 weeks-
Sleeping and resting time of child is the most important factor which is impacting them,
their family and parents as well. So, it is necessary that they are given with full time sleep. For a
baby who is of 6 weeks is regarded as toddlers it is required that their sleeping position is
correct. They must be placed at their back only when they are settled properly as if they are
rolling from back to front, they could not be left alone. It is important for the child of this age to
have at least 15-18 hours of sleep a day.
7 months-
At this stage, it becomes important that position and sleeping environment of child is
supervised including regular sleep (Harms, Clifford and Cryer, 2014). As at this age when child
is 7 months they start crawling so that they are not been harmed. They must initially be only
placed at faced up position at this age and ensuring pillow or something to cover around them.
These children should get 15 hours of sleep a day.
15 months-
At this age, practitioners should be providing daily rest or sleep time according to their
physical health needs and ensuring that no blanket is kept over their face while they are in sleep
(Rest and sleep requirements for early childhood programs, 2018). Children should have 14
hours of sleep a day.
2 and half years-
For these children, enough sleep is required as at this stage, they are more indulged into
playing outdoor games with same age group and take very less time to sleep or rest. 14 hours of
sleep should be attained by children of this age.
4-5 year-
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At this age when child is growing and learning new things, sleeping and resting time is
the most important so, they should be kept in supervision of practitioner so that they are taking
adequate sleep. It required to have 10-12 hours of sleep each day.
6-7 years-
At younger age when child is becoming stubborn or rarely listening to anyone and just
playing, they must be given with proper sleep. For this age group, it is required to have 10 to 11
hours of sleep a day.
In all these aspects, it is required that practitioners and parents work together so that they
are able to develop an effective plan that will help the child to grow. When a child does not have
proper sleep, then it has negative impact over health. For a child to grow physical and mentally it
is important to have proper sleep. In condition when child does not have proper sleep, this can be
known by practitioners as parent would be happy for their child’s growth. Improper sleep can
make a child annoyed, they would not be doing other than crying and make parents into
difficulty.
3.4 Safety precautions which minimise the risk of sudden infant death syndrome
Infant death syndrom can occur due to different type of reasons like smoking breathing
obstrcutions, getting targled in bedding, it also includes physical factors like low birth weight,
brain defects, etc. At the age when child is of 12 months, there is increased risk of unexpected
death in infancy (SUDI) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). This is crucial and important
concern that sleeping environment is safe for them (Garg, Toy and Freeman, 2015). Some safety
precautions minimise the risk of SIDS which are:
 Maintaining regular sleeping patterns
 Making the crib as bare as possible.
 Don’t smoke during pregnancy
 Never sleep with their baby on a sofa or a chair
 Placing baby to sleep on their back reduces risk.
 No loose blankets or objects
 Not exposing them to cigarette smoker and not allowing them to overheat
Sudden infant death syndrome is usually caused during sleep timing of infants who is less
than 1 year. This is caused due to defect into some portion of brain of infants which is acting to
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control breathing and arousal from sleep. The cause of SID is not same in all infants but still it is
one which is causing death of infant at very early stage:
Rebreathing stress- this is when face of baby is down and movement of air is not proper which
will then be leading baby to breathe again CO2 that he exhaled.
Hyperthermia- leading to increase into temperature of air which is thus increasing metabolic rate
of infants and causing to death as well.
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REFERNCES
Books and Journals
Garg, A., Toy, S., and Freeman, E., 2015. Addressing social determinants of health at well child
care visits: a cluster RCT. Pediatrics. 135(2). pp.e296-e304.
Harms, T., Clifford, R.M. and Cryer, D., 2014. Early childhood environment rating scale.
Teachers College Press.
Tomlinson, C.A., 2014. The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners.
Ascd.
Weissbluth, M., 2015. Healthy sleep habits, happy child: A step-by-step program for a good
night's sleep. Ballantine Books.
Woodhead, M., 2015. Psychology and the cultural construction of children’s needs.
In Constructing and reconstructing childhood (pp. 72-91). Routledge.
Online
Rest and sleep requirements for early childhood programs. 2018. [Online]. Accessed through:
<http://www.state.nj.us/dcf/policy_manuals/NJAC-10-122-6.4_issuance.shtml>.
The Basic Needs of Every Child. 2018. [Online]. Accessed through:
<http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/14969/1/the-basic-needs-of-every-child.html>.
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