Cognitive Development of Infants and Young Children

Question: Discuss your understanding of the physical development of children 0-8 years to present guidelines for child safety in a day care facility. Answer: Physical development of a child refers to the characteristics such as appearance, growth in size, height, body coordination and the development of fine and gross muscles. As they grow between 0-8 years, children develop motor skills such as jumping, throwing, climbing, running, skipping and kicking. It also includes body movements and body organization (Rivkin, 2006). Due to the busy schedule in todays lifestyle of most parents, day care centres have become an integral organization in the development of children. Sometimes parents; scared by the escalating cost of day care centres are forced to turn to in-home caretakers who might live down the street, watch children during the day and essentially operate their own business. However, such caretakers cannot be held to the same standard as larger operations. In choosing the appropriate day care centre for ones child, it is essential that a parent considers the day care facility that will ensure the safety of their children and not only emphasize on the cost. In the course of overseeing the physical development of a child, a day care facility should be able to ensure the safety of a child in the following ways: Toilet Training Children at a young age of 0-2 years are not able to use the toilet. It is essential for the day care to maintain the cleanliness of such a child by changing the nappy each and every time the child defecates. The child should be washed properly and immediately after changing the nappy the caretaker should wash his/her hands to avoid contamination which may lead to diseases such as diarrhoea. At an advanced stage 2-8 years, children are able to use the toilet. They should be trained on hygiene measures such as use of toilet paper and washing hands after visiting the toilet. The day care should also ensure that toilets are located away from the place where the children reside. Some children at this stage could also be introverts hence the caretaker should encourage them to speak whenever they are pressed (Bredekamp, 1986). Conducive playing environment The playing environment for the children should be clean, well ventilated, spacious, slippery free, have sufficient lighting, free of dangerous objects, well arranged and away from transport lines. Children should also be trained on first aid skills to assist them in case of injuries during play. The playing materials used by the children should be blunt, light to enable lifting, attractive, adequate and poison free (Diamond, 2011) Proper nutrition Food is essential for the health and holistic development of a child. The day care centres should give age appropriate diet to the children. For instance, parents of children below six months should be requested to bring breast milk for the children. For older children; above six months, they should be given a balance diet (Ormrod, 2013). Children should be given clean foods and encouraged to wash their hands before eating. Proper medical attention Day care facilities should advice parents on the health condition of the children. They should also ensure that the children are given medical interventions such as immunization, child monitoring and deworming. References Bredekamp, S. (1986). Developmentally appropriate practice. National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1834 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009-5786 (NAEYC Publication# 224, $3.00. No shipping charge on pre-paid orders). Diamond, A., Lee, K. (2011). Interventions shown to aid executive function development in children 4 to 12 years old. Science, 333(6045), 959-964. Ormrod, J. E. (2013). Educational Psychology: Pearson New International Edition: Developing Learners. Pearson Higher EdMcDevitt, T. M., Ormrod, J. E. (2010). Child development and education. Pearson College Division. Rivkin, M. S. (2006). Moving learning TOGETHER! Scholastic Early Childhood Today, 20(6), 32-34,36. Retrieved from proquest Sep 13.