CACHE Level 3 Award in Childcare and Education: Unit 2: Children's Health and Well-Being
CACHE Level 3 Award in Childcare and Education: Unit 2: Children's Health and Well-Being
CACHE Level 3 Award in Childcare and Education: Unit 2: Children's Health and Well-Being
and Education
Unit 2: Children’s health and well-being
CACHE Level 3 Award in Childcare and Education
Introduction
Being able to support a child’s health and well-being is incredibly
important for the childcare practitioner. This provides the foundations
for a child and allows them to thrive in any environment and become
the best that they can possibly be going into their teens and later years.
Throughout this unit we will take a close look at the health requirements
of children during various different stages of their development and how
childcare practitioners are able to promote a healthy lifestyle. This is
very important to childcare practice and the knowledge and routines
which children are started on from an early age will stay with them
throughout their lives.
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CACHE Level 3 Award in Childcare and Education
are you?’ However, how many times have you been guilty of asking this
question automatically without ever really hearing the reply? When you
talk to children about their feelings it is essential that you listen to and
respond to their reply. Encouraging a child to open up and talk about
their emotions is completely pointless if you are not prepared to listen
to what they have to say. When listening to children explain to you
about their feelings, respond by talking about your own feelings and
how you express yourself in certain situations.
Children will eventually become more
considerate towards others once they
have learned to make sense of their own
feelings and they understand how these
feelings cause them to think and act in
certain ways.
Children who experience tantrums need
extra care and consideration.
Practitioners should not dismiss tantrums
as a form of ‘naughty behaviour’.
Children who are frustrated, perhaps due
to a lack of communication skills, and are
unable to make themselves understood
often resort to tantrums. It is not a good idea to confront, negotiate or
try to reason with a child who is having a tantrum as these strategies will
rarely work when a child is very upset or angry. Instead, allow the child
to calm down and explain to them that you will listen to what they have
to say and try to sort the problem out once they have had a chance to
control themselves and curb their anger. When the child has had time to
reflect on their behaviour and has calmed down suitably, you should
invite them to explain how they felt in order for you to understand what
triggered the tantrum in the first place. By doing this you will be better
equipped to understand the child and hopefully, after talking things
through, they will be in a better position to try to avoid a repeat of the
behaviour.
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CACHE Level 3 Award in Childcare and Education
When promoting emotional well-being in children, practitioners must
ensure that children are supported so that they can be independent.
This can include a baby that is trying to feed themselves, children who
tidy up their own mess or toddlers that are able to wipe their own faces,
collect their own food or wash their hands independently.
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CACHE Level 3 Award in Childcare and Education
Transitions
All children will experience change in some way or another during their
life time. This may be due to starting nursery or school, moving house,
welcoming a sibling into the family etc. How children cope with change
varies enormously and will, on the whole, depend on the child’s age,
understanding and how they have been prepared for the change.
Although change can be exciting, some children may experience anxiety
and apprehension at the unknown and the challenges which lay ahead
can often be daunting. Children often dislike uncertainty therefore
preparation is key; explaining to a child what lays ahead can put their
mind at rest and apprehension can be changed into expectation when
dealt with in the correct way.
The most effective way of promoting a child’s health, educational and
emotional needs is for all practitioners involved in their care and the
child’s parents to work together as a team. This may take extra time and
consideration if the child is attending more than one setting but it is
essential if stability is to be maintained and the child is to remain secure
and stress free.
Change in a child’s life may be brought about by a number of
possibilities such as:
! Changing Early Years practitioner
! Starting school
! Birth of a sibling
! Breakdown of the parents’ marriage/relationship
! Death of a close relative
! Disability
! Moving house
In some cases outside help may be sought from professionals who are
experts in their field and, once again, the child may experience
differences in personnel and routines. A child who is already feeling
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CACHE Level 3 Award in Childcare and Education
Most children handle transitions incredibly well but it is still a very good
idea to know how to spot any issues and deal with these appropriately.
Should you not deal with short term issues and allow these to build then
long term effects can become apparent. Long term effects to transition
may impact massively on a child’s life and could leave psychological
scars for many years to come. Because of this it is important that a child
is supported and helped when dealing with significant changes in their
life.
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CACHE Level 3 Award in Childcare and Education
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