Some Basic Concepts in Child Care, Nutrition
& The Science of Sports

Routines soothe youngsters. However, flexibility is needed. The child comes before the routine.

● Tell a child you’re about to start a routine.
● Give them time to adjust before asking them to move and follow the routine.
● Children’s wishes about their care should be respected when feasible.
● Pay attention to how children express their wishes in words, body language, and facial expressions.

Diet Components - Despite what you may have read on your friends’ social media accounts about the new diet that will change their lives, they aren’t actually doing anything special. We are all on diets all the time. A diet is simply the definition of what we all habitually eat. Diets are composed of macronutrients and micronutrients.

Macronutrients are: Proteins, Fats, Carbohydrates.
Micronutrients are: Vitamins, Minerals, Trace Elements.

Food can also contain toxins and contaminants like alkaloids and aflatoxins and constituents like phytochemicals.

It’s important to learn the common food groups:
● High protein foods (meat, fish, eggs, dairy, etc.)
● Carbohydrates (cereals, roots, etc.)
● Dairy
● Fruits and Vegetables
● Oil and Fat Rich Food

It's essential that the food intake is balanced with the physical activty of a child and that all essential nutrients are covered in daily diet.

Child Development Stages - Children grow in phases until puberty. We must understand children's physical, mental, social, and emotional development to feed them. Physical development includes body and system changes. Crawling, walking, running, and hand-eye coordination are included. Carers must understand infant growth phases to provide proper care and nourishment. It lets carers adjust their assistance to each child's requirements and encourage healthy growth. Carers should learn about the child's physical development to offer proper nourishment. Toddlers need a more diversified diet with more complex foods, whereas newborns need breastmilk or formula.

Cognitive Development - A child's intellectual growth includes learning, thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving. Caregivers must understand cognitive growth phases to offer adequate learning and stimulation. Infants need play and discovery, while preschoolers need cognitively stimulating activities.

Safe Play & Training Environments - We must make sure children's play areas are safe; examine the play spaces and equipment on a regular basis for risks like sharp edges, loose or damaged pieces, and hazardous compounds.

Nutritional Requirements - Age, gender, and activity level affect nutritional needs in children. We should follow nutritional guidelines to feed children properly. The meal plan must include fresh fruit, healthy grains, lean meats, and dairy.

Nutritional Requirements - Age, gender, and activity level affect nutritional needs in children. Caregivers should follow nutritional guidelines to feed children properly. The meal plan must include fresh fruit, healthy grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy.

Food Preferences - Parents and carers must consider children's dietary preferences while cooking. Kid-friendly foods add variety to your meal. This can increase their willingness to try new foods and help them eat more of what they enjoy. Parents and carers must consider children's dietary preferences while cooking. Kid-friendly foods add variety to your meal. This can increase their willingness to try new foods and help them eat more of what they enjoy.

Physical Development - is the process by which children gain skills in bodily movement. Skills in bodily movement can be divided into two categories:

- Fine motor skills are small movements/muscles (think tying your shoelaces).
- Gross motor skills are bigger movements/muscles (think running and walking). Below are key stages in physical development between birth and the age of 16.

Newborns Age: 0-1
Fine Motor Skills: Picks up small objectsGross Motor Skills: Lifts head, Crawls/stands with support or independently

Toddlers Age:1-5
Fine Motor Skills: Feeds self with a spoon, Writes some alphabetGross Motor Skills: Walks, Throws ball, Runs

Children Age:5-12
Fine Motor Skills: Draws people Gross Motor Skills: Better balance

Teenagers Age:12- 16
Physical Development: Motor skills fully developed, All expected to enter puberty, Boys getting stronger than girls

Cognitive Development - Cognitive/intellectual development is when brains get better at processing information, e.g., remembering. Below are key stages in cognitive/intellectual development between birth and the age of 16.

Infants Age:0-1
Cognitive/Intellectual Development: Between 4 to 7 months, babies become aware that objects still exist when moved out of sight (they learn ‘object permanence’)

Toddlers Age:1-5
Cognitive/Intellectual Development: Learns names for people and objects; Knows specific colours and numbers Children Age:5-12 Cognitive/Intellectual Development: Better literacy and numeracy skills; Talks about thoughts and feelings

Teenagers Age:12- 16
Cognitive/Intellectual Development: By 12, most understand abstract concepts, e.g., death.

Reading, singing, and talking with carers help language development. Reading to young children introduces them to a range of vocabulary and linguistic patterns and fosters a love of reading. Singing and reciting nursery rhymes improve language and memory.

Carers should speak clearly and use gestures or visual aids when talking to youngsters. Encouraging youngsters to ask questions and patiently answering them helps them learn about the world.

Hearing loss, linguistic difficulties, and multilingualism may all affect language development. If a kid has language problems, carers should be aware of these concerns and seek expert treatment.

Play and Learning - Play helps kids learn and grow. Children learn social, emotional, and physical skills via play. Play lets kids investigate, problem-solve, and express themselves. Carers should emphasise play and provide a safe, fun learning environment. Explore, create, and problem-solve with age-appropriate toys and activities.

Rattles, soft toys, and movable toys are good for newborns. Shape sorters, puzzles, and construction blocks let toddlers explore and problem-solve. Dress-up clothes, pretend food, and dolls let preschoolers play imaginatively.

Parents and instructors should also play with kids. This might include playing with them, helping them when required, and encouraging them to explore and experiment.

Outdoor play helps kids develop coordination, balance, and strength; therefore, carers should encourage it. Outdoor play lets kids explore and interact with nature, which may boost their mental well-being.

Play promotes physical, social, and emotional growth and intellectual learning. Board games and puzzles build problem-solving abilities, while creative activities like sketching and painting enhance literacy and language skills.

Overall, carers should value play and create a safe, engaging play environment that fosters learning and growth. Play helps children develop cognitive, social, emotional, and physical skills while encouraging academic achievement.

First aid and CPR training: It is important to know basic first aid and CPR to respond quickly in emergencies. It is recommended to have first aid kits, emergency contact information, medications, and if possible some medical equipment. We must also have plans for securely removing children in an emergency. Evacuation routes and gathering locations are possible.

Emergency communication is crucial. In an emergency, childcare workers should communicate with parents, emergency responders, and other personnel.

THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON CHILDREN'S PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

1 Children’s physical activity levels - Children’s physical activity levels have been at the forefront of health discussions for several years now, with evidence showing childhood obesity as a major concern in the UK (National Obesity Forum, 2014), as well as linked with lower levels of physical activity (Public Health England, 2015).

The range of technology that children have access to has changed enormously over the past two decades, and today’s ‘digital universe’ is very different from the universe that many of us will have grown up in. Children of today are often referred to as ‘digital natives’, as they have been brought up using the internet and technology from a very young age.

According to a U.S. national survey, fewer than four in ten children met both physical activity and screen time recommendations. The study found that low levels of screen time viewing may not necessarily predict higher levels of physical activity. In fact, the survey revealed that only about 38% of children met both recommendations concurrently. This suggests that many children in the U.S. are not meeting the guidelines for physical activity and screen time, which is a concern for public health initiatives.

Physical Activity: About 70% of children met physical activity recommendations, with variations among different demographics.

Screen Time: Approximately 54% of children met screen-time viewing recommendations, with some groups being more likely to meet these recommendations than others. It is essential to note that sedentary behavior and physical activity are not mutually exclusive, and very active children can also engage in sedentary activities. The relationship between screen time and physical activity is complex, and more research is needed to understand how these factors interact and impact children’s health.

Dr Amanda Gummer, Founder of Fundamentally Children said: “Giving children a balanced play diet is almost as beneficial for their development as a balanced nutritional diet.

Getting children playing actively with friends is like giving them the fruit and veg of the diet – it’s difficult to overdo them. Solitary screen time is more of the sweets and crisps of the diet – ok in small doses but needs balancing out with generous helpings of the healthy stuff.

But getting children active shouldn’t be a chore – Encouraging children to participate in organised activities gives them more opportunities to meet other children and these activities are usually themed so they help children develop skills such as swimming, dance, music, etc.

Development and Growth - The term development describes the changes in a person's physical and behavioural traits. The three main characteristics of these changes are that they are progressive, orderly, and long-lasting.

Infancy refers to the period of time from a child's birth to two years of age.

Childhood is from two – to - twelve years of age.

The period of childhood is divided into two stages: the period of early childhood (2-6 years of age) and middle childhood (6-12 years).

In early childhood, which is also referred to as preschool age, the child learns skills that will help her complete the tasks associated with schooling.
The beginning of adolescence (12-18 years old) is marked as puberty.

Puberty refers to the stage around 11-14 years of age when a child undergoes a series of life-altering changes

Cognitive development - refers to the process by which children acquire, refine, and use mental processes such as thinking, problem-solving, and understanding the world around them. This complex and dynamic process begins at birth and continues throughout childhood and adolescence.

FIELD OF EXERCISE SCIENCE - This principle provide the foundation for the adjustments your body must make in response to the physical stress incurred during a single bout of exercise.

The first principle relates to the concept of homeostasis. This principle provides the basis for why our body needs to make many adjustments in a number of physiological and biochemical systems during exercise. Homeostasis can be defined as the tendency of the body to maintain a stable internal environment for cells by narrowly regulating critical variables such as pH or acid base balance, oxygen tension, blood glucose concentration, body temperature, etc.

Any disruption to optimal homeostatic conditions will elicit multiple regulatory responses by the body In an attempt to bring disrupted variables back to normal levels. For example, when you ascend the high altitude, due to the low oxygen pressure in the inspired air, oxygen levels in your blood drop below desired levels. As a result, you're nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, makes adjustments in an attempt to compensate for this disruption in homeostasis. Well, as you can imagine, engaging in physical exercise is a very powerful disruptor of normal resting homeostasis. The more intense the exercise bout, the greater the disruption in homeostasis.

Homeostasis in child sports refers to the body's ability to maintain a stable internal environment despite the physical demands of exercise or activity. During sports, a child's body regulates things like temperature, hydration, energy levels, and heart rate to keep functioning optimally. For example, when a child runs, their body sweats to cool down and maintain a safe temperature, while their heart rate increases to supply oxygen to muscles. This balance helps kids perform well and stay safe during physical activity. Proper hydration, nutrition, and rest support homeostasis, ensuring young athletes can handle the stress of sports without overloading their systems.

Homeostasis in child sports is a complex interplay of physiological processes that ensure the body maintains stability during physical activity. While children share the same fundamental need for homeostasis as adults, their developing systems, such as less efficient sweating and higher vulnerability to environmental temperatures, necessitate tailored strategies. Research suggests that with appropriate monitoring, timing, and support, young athletes can safely participate in sports while maintaining internal balance. However, ongoing studies are needed to resolve controversies, such as the extent of thermoregulatory differences, to further enhance safety and performance in child sports.

Bibliography (Free Courses):

https://www.open.edu/openlearn/mod/oucontent/view.php?intro=1&id=68423§ion=0

https://alison.com/topic/learn/147351/introduction-to-childcare-and-nutrition

https://www.oxfordhomestudy.com/courses/child-psychology-courses/child-psychology-course-for-free

https://www.coursera.org/learn/science-exercise

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