Meeting the Physical Needs of Your Children

Height, Weight and All That Stuff ! The Growing Years

The Growing Child Children grow at different paces. For example, one 16 month old may look like a 2 year old, another may look like a baby. There is usually no reason to worry if height/weight are not average.

Toddler: 1 - 3 years Arms, legs and lower body lengthen Chest becomes more prominent while the head and abdomen become less prominent

Preschooler: 3 - 5 years Straighter/slimmer body Abdomen flattens, shoulders widen, neck and legs lengthen, muscles and skeletal systems become more developed Preschooler may become aware of their growth and notice they’re different from other people

School Age Children: 5 - 10 years Weight/ height increases; growth spurts (periods of accelerated development), occur at age 10-14. During a growth spurt, parts of the body tend to grow at different rates (legs, arms, hands, feet)

Average Height and Weight Males Females

Puberty and its Effects

Puberty This stage that marks the period when a person becomes physically and sexually mature

Females Breasts develop, body fat increases and menstruation begins Males Genitals grow, muscles grow, facial and body hair increase

Eating and Nourishment

Nourishment Proper nourishment is the surest way to promote physical development Canada’s food guide should be followed when choosing foods for your children

Young Children Appetites vary according to level of activity and hunger Uneaten food should be taken away after 10 to 15 minutes

School Age Children Appetite, activity and food needs increase Require more servings of calcium-rich foods, for example milk and green vegetable products

Self Feeding Choose foods that stick to the bowl, and require a spoon Provide stable two handled cups with plastic covers to prevent spills Set highchair away from walls and furniture By 16 months, practiced toddlers should be able to feed themselves well

∙ Served at room temperature Children have individual preferences, influenced by their cultural background. They are more apt to try new foods if they are: ∙ Served separately rather than combined in casseroles or salads ∙ Mildly flavored and seasoned only lightly ∙ Served at room temperature

Healthy Food Choices Use your eating habits as an example your children can follow Find children books about good food choices Give a child’s cook book as a gift Point out nutritional value of foods found in recipes, on labels, and in grocery stores

Motor Skills and Development

Promoting Physical and Motor Development Children’s bones, muscles, heart and lungs are developing and exercise can help Being active can help children gain coordination, balance, muscular strength, and control

Large Motor Skills Large motor skills use the large muscles in the arms, legs and back Playing simple games, swimming, skating and providing swings and riding toys can help improve muscle strength, coordination and agility

Small Motor Skills Small motor skills use the small muscles in the fingers, wrists, and ankles They develop by handling little toys and items like containers and spoons

Hygiene!

Toilet Training Once children are physically and emotionally ready they want to start using the toilet. Readiness means that the child can close and release the sphincter muscles in the bladder and bowel regions that control elimination. A sign of readiness can be long periods of time with a dry diaper or when your child starts asking about using the toilet. Now is when you should start setting times to go to the toilet such as before meals and at bedtime. Some toddlers may be afraid of falling into the toulet so there are toilet seats you can buy especially for children. Most children gain full daytime control over both bowel and bladder within a year or so. Some accidnets may happen before this time. Night time control comes later so diapers at night time may be needed. It is impoirtant to show pride in your childs successes and not too much disappointment if they dont succeed.

Bathing Bathing can be a relaxing happy experience for both parent and child. Creating a happy experience with a few floating toys builds a positive association with good hygiene. Once your child gets older, showering will be the next step. Children need constant supervision while bathing even though they can do a lot for themselves. Around age seven children may start to show less concern about hygiene. By adolescence children are more aware of they bodies, more sensitive to peer approval and typically more careful about hygiene.

Dental Care & Seeing a Dentist Dental care, brushing and flossing, should start as soon as the baby had teeth. Parents should brush their toddlers teeth very carefully until the child is able to do it by themselves. Teeth are an essential part of health, so limiting sugars like pop and gum can help. By the third bitthday the child should have had a dental checkup. As permanent teeth come in a dentist can detect decay or improper alignment. If the teeth are not coming in correctly than a child can be referred to an orthadontist. There are many ways of correcting a tooth problem which result in a significant improvment in child's health, appearance and self image.

Parental Examples Parents should be aware that their own decisions set an example for their children, even though the children will eventaully make them for themselves. Each choice you make plays a role in your child's life. Eevery choice you make for your child is now an example for the child's future.

Conclusion Your child cannot grow on its own. He/she needs your help in certain areas of life. Once you help and let your children grow they start to do things by themselves. Having a child is a marvelous thing, watching them grow into you is even better. All a child needs is help, supervision, love and care and your child too can end up happy and healthy.

THE END! Bye Bye!