Contribute to the Support of the Positive Environments

MU2. 8Contribute to the support of the positive environments for children and young people 3. 1Explain how to effectively care for children and young people’s skin, hair and teeth In every setting it is essential that children’s learning curriculum for personal care covers their skin, hair, teeth and overall personal hygiene. When teaching about skin, children and young people should be encouraged to wash their hands after using the toilet or before eating. We should also encourage them to wash themselves in the morning and before bed.

Encouraging children to wash their faces (having individual flannels) is a good way to enforce this. We must point out to them the importance of the water temperature so they know the difference between the hot (red) and the cold (blue) types of taps, to avoid them scalding themselves, although in the setting children should not be using warm water unsupervised. Babies are a little different when skincare is involved. Their nappies must be changed regularly to prevent infection, and the skin must be moisturised well.

It is important that we speak with parents about each child as some children may have allergies or skin conditions such as eczema. This may lead to them only able to use certain skin products and not being able to use soap. Personal hygiene and care are important to the child’s development when growing up. We also need to teach children about sun care and the dangers the sun can have on our skin if we stay out in it for too long or at the wrong times, without using sun cream and covering up our skin as much as possible as too much exposure to the sun can cause skin cancer.

Babies under 6 months should always be kept out of the sun so it is important that we have sheltered areas for the babies. Children should wear sun hats and t shirts and ensure their faces are protected. When looking after hair, again we must discuss this with the parents as children may have allergies and require specific products. African-Caribbean children sometimes rub oils into their hair to keep it in good condition; they may also use a special comb. Head Lice can often be an issue in my setting.

If a child is infected with head lice it is important that a note is sent home with all children in the class to ensure all parents stay vigilant, so if the spread they can be treated immediately. This will help to stop them spreading. Advice might be given to parents and special combs or ointments must be used to kill them. Ensuring children know about the importance of keeping their teeth clean and healthy from an early age is equally important. We must ensure they know how and when to clean their teeth and by the time they are older, brushing their teeth twice a day should become part of their routine. . 3Explain how a positive environment and routine meet the emotional needs of children and their families When considering a child’s needs and routines in your setting, it is important that we communicate with the parents and find out a little about the home setting so we can carry it on when they come into our care, the more we talk to the parents the more we can help the child’s emotional needs and routines. If parents are working full time and the child is in our care all day, the parents may require the child to have a sleep or rest period throughout the day.

This will enable the parents to have more time to spend with the child in the evening when they are at home. Depending on the parents requests really comes down to how much rest time the child will have in the setting and at what times. In some cultures the children go to bed at the same time as the parents so they may have more rest time during care hours than others. If a child is unwell, they may rest for a lot of the day. However the amount of rest or quiet time a child has during the day, and depending on the requests from parents, it is important that the child has routine.

Careers soon get to know when the child is tired and as the child gets older, they come to know their routine and it is important that as careers, we stick to it. Children feel settled and more secure when they know their routine and when changes are made it may disrupt them. 3. 4Describe the importance for physical and mental well-being of balancing period of physical activity with rest and quiet time It is important that we as careers balance rest and play as developing and practicing their physical skills will help them in their overall development.

We should ensure that the setting is well equipped to give a wide variety of experiences in a safe environment. Equipment should be provided for both indoor and outdoor play. Soft play areas are good for to develop their ‘gross motor skills’. Some smaller settings may have to divide an area off for their physical play and rest area. Whilst other larger settings may be equipped with outdoor play areas such as climbing equipment, football pitches or an obstacle course. Getting the balance right is essential as children who are well rested will benefit more from the physical activities.