pre-schoolers problems

PHYSICAL PROBLEMS OF THE PRE-SCHOOLERS

Children and weight problems

Information

In the U.S., at least one out of five kids is overweight. The number of overweight children continues to grow. Over the last two decades, this number has increased by more than 50 percent and the number of "extremely" overweight children has nearly doubled.

A doctor determines if children are overweight by measuring their height and weight. Although children have fewer weight-related health problems than adults, overweight children are at high risk of becoming overweight adolescents and adults. Overweight adults are at risk for a number of health problems including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure stroke, and some forms of cancer.

Did You Know That...

• Obese children and adolescents have shown an alarming increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes, also known as adult-onset diabetes.
• Many obese children have high cholesterol and blood pressure levels, which are risk factors for heart disease.
• One of the most severe problems for obese children is sleep apnea (interrupted breathing while sleeping). In some cases this can lead to problems with learning and memory.
• Obese children have a high incidence of orthopedic problems, liver disease, and asthma.
• Overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults.

Children become overweight for a variety of reasons. The most common causes are genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of these factors. In rare cases, a medical problem, such as an endocrine disorder, may cause a child to become overweight. Your doctor can perform a careful physical exam and some blood tests, if necessary, to rule out this type of problem.

BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS

Sleepy in early childhood

Description:

Managing sleep for babies and children is one of the most common concerns for parents. Many worry about whether they are doing the right thing if their child doesn't sleep soundly all through the night. Grief and Loss Growing up is an ongoing process of change that involves losses as well as gains. Children can learn to manage and deal with the losses that will happen throughout their lives. Night Terrors Night terrors are not harmful, and unless they persist for weeks, are best handled by tucking the child in and trying not to worry. Trauma Preschoolers are vulnerable to traumatic events such as disasters, bushfires, life-threatening accidents or illness, crime, violence or abuse. They may not yet be able to use words but their distress will show itself through changes in behaviour and functioning. Pre-school age children need the assistance of parents and carers to feel safe, understand the experience and recover. Afraid of Starting of School A discussion of why some children are afraid of starting preschool, with tips for helping children settle in at preschool, and ideas for overcoming anxiety about going to preschool or staying at preschool without parents. SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEM  Social and Emotional Facts • Kindergarten teachers say that about 20 percent of children entering kindergarten do not yet have the necessary social  and emotional skills to be “ready” for school. • Social and emotional development is important because it contributes to cognitive development. • When children are young, the adults around them (parents, other adult caregivers, preschool teachers) are the most  important influences on their social and emotional development. • Preschool education can support early development with long term social and emotional benefits. Understanding Social and Emotional Behaviors Evaluating social and emotional capability in very young children can be difficult. Accuracy of the child’s behavior  often depends upon certain variables including the age of the child, when the behavior occurs, the setting where it  occurs, and which adults are present at the time. Developmental and cultural variability, differences in adult and child  temperament, and changing behavioral expectations are some factors that make social and emotional assessment  particularly challenging. For example, one family may tolerate loud talking and throwing of play toys while another  family may tolerate only quiet voices and no throwing of objects indoors. A two-year-old who throws herself on the  floor at the supermarket and screams because she can’t have a chocolate donut will not be labeled “unusual” while an  eight-year old who does the same would be. Very young children, for example, have to learn to understand and recognize their own feelings, but then they  increasingly learn to associate verbal labels to those feelings, to learn that others have feelings too, and to begin to  sympathize with others. As children grow older, they learn to manage their emotions to block feelings of anxiety,  sadness, or frustration, and to delay gratification in order to achieve a goal. Children need a combination of intellectual skills, motivational qualities, and social emotional skills to succeed in school.  They must be able to understand the feelings of others, control their own feelings and behaviors, and get along with  their peers and teachers. Children need to be able to cooperate, follow directions, demonstrate self-control, and “pay  attention.”  One of the most important skills that children develop is self-control - the ability to manage one’s behavior  so as to resist impulses, maintain focus, and undertake tasks even if there are other more tempting options available.  Self-control motivates the ability to take on every task, so that the outcomes are not just how children get along with  one another but also how they can focus and learn in the classroom. Social-emotional skills include the following: •        The child is able to understand and talk about his/her own feelings. •        The child understands the perspective of others and realizes that their feelings may be different from his/her own  feelings. •        The child is able to establish relationships with adults and maintains an ongoing friendship with at least one other  child. •        The child is able to enter a group successfully. •        The child is able to engage in and stay with an activity for a reasonable amount of time with minimal adult  support. Social-emotional skills include the following: •        The child is able to understand and talk about his/her own feelings. •        The child understands the perspective of others and realizes that their feelings may be different from his/her own  feelings. •        The child is able to establish relationships with adults and maintains an ongoing friendship with at least one other  child. •        The child is able to enter a group successfully. •        The child is able to engage in and stay with an activity for a reasonable amount of time with minimal adult  support. Social and emotional development involves the achievement of a set of skills. Among them is the ability to: • Identify and understand one’s own feelings. • Accurately read and comprehend emotional reactions from others. • Manage strong emotions and their expression in a constructive manner. • Control one’s own behavior. • Develop compassion for others. • Establish and maintain relationships. Social and Emotional Behaviors in Preschool Children with social and emotional problems enter kindergarten unable to learn because they cannot pay attention,  remember information on purpose, or act socially in a school environment. The result is growing numbers of children  who are hard to manage in the classroom. These children cannot get along with each other, follow directions, and are  impulsive. They show hostility and aggression in the classroom and on the playground. The problems begin before  kindergarten. In some studies as many as 32 percent of preschoolers in Head Start programs have behavioral problems. Children lacking social and emotional skills suggest that teachers spend too much time trying to restrain unmanageable  children and less time teaching. Early childhood teachers report that they are extremely concerned about growing  classroom management problems, and that they are unprepared to handle them. Kindergarten teachers report that more  than half of their students come to school unprepared for learning academic subjects. If these problems are not dealt  with, the result can be growing aggression, behavioral problems and, for some, delinquency and crime through the  school years and into adolescence and adulthood. Social and Emotional Aggression Continual physical aggression, high-school dropout rates, adolescent delinquency, and antisocial behavior have all been  associated with early childhood conduct problems. The preschool years are a vulnerable period for learning to control  development of aggression. Children who display high levels of physical aggression in elementary school are at the  highest risk for taking part in violent behaviors as adolescents. Researchers believe that children with difficult, disruptive behavior (poor social and emotional skills) are at risk for  these later problems for at least three reasons: (1) teachers find it harder to teach them, seeing them as less socially and  academically capable, and therefore provide them with less positive feedback; (2) peers reject them, which obstructs an  important opportunity for learning and emotional support; and (3) children faced with this rejection from peers and  teachers are likely to dislike school and learning, which leads to lower school attendance and poorer outcomes. Difficult behavior exhibits itself early, even before children begin kindergarten; the pattern of rejection and negative  experiences begins early, too. The early experience of rejection can have lasting emotional and behavioral impacts  beyond elementary school, creating the problem even more difficult to reverse. Developing Social and Emotional Skills Promoting social and emotional development and preventing problems caused by inadequate development is clearly  important to individuals and to society. They begin with the relationships children form with the people around them,  including parents, caregivers, and peers. One characteristic of a successful person is his or her ability to live and work  peacefully and productively with others. Social capacity is the ability to interact positively within personal and family  relationships, as well as the ability to demonstrate positive concern and consideration. Emotionally healthy children  engage in positive behaviors, develop mutual friendships, and are more likely to find acceptance from their peers. Through play, children learn how to work in teams and cooperate with others. Their behavior and interactions influence  the way in which teachers perceive them and the way they are treated by their peers. As early as preschool, the  relationships children develop with one another can have a lasting impact on academic achievement, because they can  contribute to more positive feelings about school and eagerness to engage in classroom activities, which can, in turn,  lead to higher levels of achievement. Social Emotional Problems and Peer Relationships Social interaction with peers builds upon and improves the rules and customs of social interaction that children first  encounter in their families. Although many adults assume that the influence of peers on adolescents is negative, the  repercussions of peer relationships are often more positive than negative. Peer relationships can provide cognitive,  social, and physical stimulation through mutual activities and conversations. Friendships in particular can provide  emotional security and compassion and can often serve as an additional source of support outside of the family,  especially in times of crisis. Children must be provided an emotionally secure and safe environment that prevents any form of bullying or violence,  where they can be effective learners and integrate the development of social and emotional skills within all aspects of  school life. These skills include problem-solving, coping, conflict management/resolution and understanding and  managing feelings. Gaining social and emotional skills enables children to learn from teachers, make friends, express  thoughts and feelings, and cope with frustration. These kinds of skills, in turn, directly influence cognitive learning such  as early literacy, numeracy and language skills. Early rejection by peers has been associated with persistent academic and social difficulties in elementary school. That  is why it is important to have skilled preschool teachers who can intervene when they see children having difficulties  with peers and help the children learn how to resolve conflicts, control emotions, and respond to the feelings of others. Social Emotional Problems in the Family Parents and families play a huge part in determining a child’s social and emotional development. Early relationships with  parents lay the foundation on which social ability and peer relationships are built. Parents who support positive  emotional development interact with their children affectionately; show consideration for their feelings, desires and  needs; express interest in their daily activities; respect their opinions; express pride in their achievements; and provide  support during times of anxiety. This encouragement significantly raises the probability that children will develop early  emotional capability, will be better prepared to enter school, and less likely to display behavior problems at home and at  school. This is why many preschool programs include a focus on parent involvement and parenting education. Interactions with siblings are an important part of child development. These interactions influence the course of a child’ s social and moral development, including the development of good citizenship and good character. In general, having  an encouraging relationship with parents and siblings is important to positive adolescent development. Children who  disconnect from parental influence are at particular risk for delinquent activities and psychological problems. Social and Emotional Support The results of early childhood social-emotional problems may be a response from child distress and suffering, difficulty  with learning, trouble with play, poor peer interactions and sibling relationships, are all warnings of future mental health  problems. Nationally, fewer than 25% of children with clinical mental health problems receive treatment. Promoting  children’s social and emotional wellbeing can help improve their physical and mental health, performance at school and  assist with behavioral problems. A range of factors impact on how children feel, including their individual family  background and the community they live in, everyone needs to work together to agree effective strategies as part of a  team. Children might need more focused instruction on skills such as: identifying and expressing emotions; self-control; social  problem solving; initiating and maintaining interactions; cooperative responding; strategies for handling disappointment  and anger; and friendship skills. Families of infants and young toddlers might need guidance and support for helping the  very young child regulate emotions or stress and understand the emotions of others. Parents should consult with school staff regarding the social and emotional behavioral needs of their children. Once you  have contacted the school about concerns the following steps should be taken. • A consultation with school staff regarding classroom and/or school approaches to behavior and to develop  positive behavior supports and interventions. • Screening, evaluation, identification and referral for children displaying emotional disturbances. • Planning and implementing appropriate academic and other educational supports. • Measuring progress and improvement both for individuals and also for programs. • Interventions for students with chronic behavior and emotional needs. • Small group and/or individual counseling for such issues as social skills, anger control, etc. • Development of expectations such as positive behavior and intervention, prevention of violence, crisis  planning and intervention, etc. • Coordination and referral of children and families to community service agencies, related to mental health  needs. When children have persistent challenging behavior that is not responsive to interventions, comprehensive interventions  are developed to resolve problem behavior and support the development of new skills. The process begins with  arranging the school staff that will develop and implement the child’s individualized education plan. At the center of the  team is the family and child’s teacher or other primary caregivers. The next step is to conduct a functional assessment  to gain a better understanding of the factors that are related to the child’s engagement in challenging behavior. The  individualized educational plan includes prevention strategies to address the triggers of challenging behavior;  replacement skills that alternatives to the challenging behavior; and strategies that ensure challenging behavior is not  reinforced or maintained. The individualized education plan is designed to address home, community, and classroom  routines where challenging behavior is occurring.