Meeting the Physical Needs of Your Children

1
Meeting the Physical Needs of Your Children
2
The Growing Years

• Height, Weight and All That Stuff !

3
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.

4
Toddler 1 - 3 years

• Arms, legs and lower body lengthen
• Chest becomes more prominent while the head and
  abdomen become less prominent

5
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 theyre different from other people

6
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)

7
Average Height and Weight
Males
Females
8
Puberty and its Effects
9
Puberty

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

10
Females

• Breasts develop, body fat increases and
  menstruation begins

Males

• Genitals grow, muscles grow, facial and body
  hair increase

11
Eating and Nourishment
12
Nourishment

• Proper nourishment is the surest way to promote
  physical development
• Canadas food guide should be followed when
  choosing foods for your children

13
Young Children

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

14
School Age Children

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

15
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

16

• 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

17
Healthy Food Choices

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

18
Motor Skills and Development
19
Promoting Physical and Motor Development

• Childrens bones, muscles, heart and lungs are
  developing and exercise can help
• Being active can help children gain coordination,
  balance, muscular strength, and control

20
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

21
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

22
Hygiene!
23
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.

24
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.

25
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.

26
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.

27
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.

28
THE END!

• Bye Bye!