Caring for 4-6 Year Old Children

What are we learning today? Standard: ET-ECE-8: Explore the growth, development, and care of the preschool child. EQ: How do you properly care for 4-6 year old children?

Nature or… HEREDITY Strong influence on physical development Includes the physical make up the child inherits from parents Determines what a person will look like.

Nurture or… ENVIRONMENT Children are influenced by everything around them Examples of environmental influences: Interest in sports Books Movie/TV Shows Clothes Would a child’s environment effect their eye color? NO! Would a child’s environment effect hair color? Would a child’s environment effect blood type?

Children need GOOD NUTRITION in order to develop properly! They need healthy and nutritious foods The amount of food children need varies depending on their weight and physical activity level EX: A child that plays soccer and rides a bike a lot needs MORE food than a child that prefers staying inside coloring/playing with blocks

4, 5, and 6 year olds have SMALL stomachs… Eat 5 or 6 small meals/snacks throughout the day NOT 3 big meals (like us) Caregivers should model good eating habits Make food appealing as well as nutritious

Poor Nutrition Can happen because: Effects children’s health by: Less resistant to illnesses Do not grow properly Weight issues May have learning difficulties Can happen because: Lack of money to buy healthy foods Unaware of the need for good nutrition Do not understand the basics of good nutrition Rely too much on fast food

Weight Problems 4-6 year olds vary in their body type May look chunky or slim, but still be healthy A child’s diet and physical activity may need to change if they are overweight OR underweight. Only a doctor can decide whether a child is overweight or underweight!

Teaching Self-Care Skills More independent because of improved strength and motor skills 4-6 year olds can: Wash themselves Dress themselves Brush their teeth Sleep throughout the night Use the toilet Begin to care for their clothes

Sleeping Need 10-12 hours of sleep at night Take only one or no naps during the day NEED an appropriate bedtime and routines

Using the Big Girl/Boy Potty By age 4, children should have little to no accidents during the day and at night Accidents usually happen because: Concentrating on an activity and forgets to go In a new place and is scared Stress and life changes Help prevent accidents by: Making sure they use the bathroom before leaving home Pointing out bathrooms in public places and remind them to use it Not allowing them to drink anything after a certain time at night

Daily Work Break You and a partner will create a self-care chart for 4, 5, and 6 year old children using the information in your textbook (pgs. 420-424) Your chart/guide should have 6 sections: Washing/Bathing, Caring for Teeth, Dressing/Choosing Clothes, Sleeping, and Toileting You need at least 2 facts/helpful hints for each section You need a picture for each section Hand drawn/out of magazines/off the internet

Daily Work Break You and a partner will create a self-care chart for 4, 5, and 6 year old children using the information in your textbook (pgs. 420-424) Your chart/guide should have 6 sections: Washing/Bathing, Caring for Teeth, Dressing/Choosing Clothes, Sleeping, and Toileting You need at least 2 facts/helpful hints for each section You need a picture for each section Hand drawn/out of magazines/off the internet