Emergency Preparedness

            Emergency planning is extremely important no matter where you live. Each area has different disasters that can occur at different times. Disasters are reality in all places; it is important to be prepared for them even on a just in case basis. While some disasters can be more immediately devastating others can develop into a devastating event when they get out of control. Two disasters that can affect the area I live in are wildfires and winter storms. While each event occurs differently it is important to know the main dangers for each event, be prepared and know the consequences of not, and develop a plan for each disaster.

            Wildfires are a reality for anyone that lives in wooded areas. When a wildfire starts due to lightening striking during a summer storm, and the ground is very dry due to drought conditions it can be devastating. The fire moves very quickly, because everything is dry and makes great fuel for it. The wind that comes with the storm causes the fire to move fast, therefore making it difficult to fight. The preschool is located in a town that is in the middle of this forestry area. The main dangers posed by this situation are when a fire can sweeps through an area destroying everything in its path. Everyone in the surrounding area can be in potential danger.

            Winter storms can be very dangerous when they come in, lasting for several days and are severe. Temperatures can drop very low making it very dangerous to be outside, while the blizzard like snow and/or ice can be dangerous to anyone that is out in it. A severe winter storm has developed quickly midmorning from what was forecast to be a mild snow. The wind came in and the snow starts coming down quickly and in large amounts. The early learning center is located centrally in one of the small towns in the area, and most of the children come to it from distances as far as twenty to thirty miles away. Most of the roads have some mountainous areas to them that lead into the town where the early learning center is located. The main dangers posed by severe winter storms in this area are that the roads become very dangerous and slippery to drive on when there are steep grades to go up and down, also the severe drop in temperature can be very dangerous, especially when combined with the possible power outages that can affect heating. Everyone can be affected by the severe low temperatures. Anyone who needs to be out driving can be affected by the weather.

            It is very important to be prepared for both situations. Both situations can suddenly turn very threatening and dangerous. A wildfire can change directions and head for an area that it was not originally headed for. One of the consequences of not being prepared is not having a place to go with the children if parents cannot get to them. A mild snow can quickly turn into a severe storm with pounding wind, snow, and ice which becomes very dangerous to maneuver around in and usually brings a severe drop in temperature. FEMA states this on their website, “one of the primary concerns is the winter weather's ability to knock out heat, power and communications services to your home or office, sometimes for days at a time” (¶ 2). This is why it is important to be prepared in case you need to keep kids until their parents can get through the weather or the storm subsides. Some of the risks are running out of water or food.

            In order to be prepared for the possibility of these disasters occurring it is important to have a plan in place. It is important to have all of the staff involved in the center as part of the planning process. It is important “to put together the information that has been gathered as to [the] risk for each hazard and then look to the early childhood education center ….. for possible consequences should that hazard occur” (Robertson, 2013, p.198). It would then be necessary to think of possible scenarios and the risks that are possible from those scenarios. The next thing would be to make a list of the things that would be needed in order to deal with this disaster, if it were to occur. Another thing that would be important is to plan how to practice being prepared with the children that are old enough to participate and for the educators, so they would be confident they knew what to do with the younger children as well. If the disaster were to occur it would be important to contact parents, and to follow the plans that were put into place. One other thing that is extremely important for people working with children is to remember to stay calm and work it through. This allows the children to do the same thing.

            Being prepared for disasters of any kind is important in early childhood environments. Natural disasters are important to be prepared for, because they can occur quickly without much notice sometimes. It is important to have a plan in advance for disasters, be aware of the main dangers and be prepared for the possible disasters in your area. Being prepared for the potential wildfire and severe winter storm is very important in this area. Remember to try to stay calm and execute your plan to the best of your ability during a natural disaster.

Resources

Goodway, J. D., & Robinson, L. E. (2006, March). SKIPing toward an active start: Promoting physical activity in preschoolers. Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web. Retrieved on October 7, 2012 from http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200605/GoodwayBTJ.pdf.

New York State Department of Health. (2006, April). Preventing childhood obesity: Tips for child care professionals. Retrieved on October 7, 2012 from http://www.health.state.ny.us/prevention/nutrition/resources/obchcare.htm.

Robertson, C. (2013). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

Healthy Food and Nutrition

Good nutrition for children is an important thing that is being fought for in many ways. There are a lot of programs that are trying to bring in to light the importance of feeding our children good nutrition. As adults we are the ones responsible for providing proper nutritious food for our children. It is important to know why good nutrition and eating habits are good for children, why and how we as adults should encourage healthy eating habits, and have access to healthy recipes.

            Good nutrition and eating habits are very important to children for many reasons. Poor nutrition can affect a child’s development as well as their growth. The thing that we need to remember is that a child’s development is all connected; when one area is deprived and not able to develop properly it will probably affect other areas of development as well, whether we know it or not. When children receive proper nutrition they have the energy to function in all that they do. It is important for infants to get the proper nutrition, because they need enough nutrients in their bodies to support the rapid growth of the first year. Toddlers need good nutrition because it helps them to grow, learn, and play.  When toddlers get proper nutrition, they have enough energy to support their busy life styles. It is important for preschoolers to receive good nutrition for proper growth, development, and disease prevention. Robertson (2013) supports the need for good nutrition in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers through this statement,
          Children need good basic nutrition for normal growth and development. cognitive function,
          immunity, and energy expenditure. Children need to be offered meals and snacks that include 
          foods that meet their essential nutritional needs and help them to maintain a healthy body
          weight. (p. 228)
This is important to remember when considering the importance of good nutrition for young children.
         
         It is important for adults to help children develop healthy eating habits, because children copy what they see. If the adults around them have good nutrition and eating habits then it is easier for them to do so. For all age groups, an important factor in “helping a child to develop good eating habits is to make mealtimes significant for the child” (Robertson, 2013, p. 307). This is beneficial because it makes meal time about more than just eating. It includes conversation, and inclusion of the child into the meal. Sitting with the child and talking about how the day went or what they did with their friends is one way to accomplish this. Another way to encourage healthy eating habits is to provide a positive environment for the child to eat in. If the child is afraid of consequences for messes or not liking something it makes a child not wantto eat. One way that can be accomplished is by including the child in setting the table or putting food on the table that is safe for them to carry. It is also important to let the child know that as long as they try the new food, that is all that matters. They do not have to like it or continue to eat it.

            Here are three recipes that can be prepared as a family. You can include a child in the preparing of these dishes by letting them do the stirring, the dipping or the rolling. Each recipe uses whole grains and fresh fruits. All three recipes are fun for kids to make, and healthy for them to eat. All three of these recipes can be prepared by preschoolers. The children really enjoy the last two recipes where they get to put their hands in the mixture to mix it.

Yogurt Parfait

Ingredients:
4 cups fresh or thawed frozen fruit, such as bananas, strawberries, peaches, mango
3 cups nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 ½ cups granola

Directions:

1. If using fresh fruit, rinse, peel, and/or peel as needed. If using thawed frozen fruit, drain any
    excess juices. Cut fruit into ¼-inch thick slices. There should be about 3 cups total.
2. Layer ¼ cup yogurt into each of 6 cups or bowls. Top with ¼ cup sliced fruit and 2
    Tablespoons granola.
3. Repeat layers one more time, ending with a layer of granola.

Playgroup Granola Bars

Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats                                ¾ teaspoon salt
¾ cup packed brown sugar                 ½ cup honey
½ cup wheat germ                               1 egg, beaten
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon             ½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour                        2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and 
    salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using
    your hands. (Kids love this part.) Pat the mixture into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 30 to35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the
    edges. Cool for 5 minutes, and then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to
    cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

Healthy Banana Cookies

Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas                                                 1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups rolled oats                                            1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped (optional)    1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mash bananas. Stir in oats, dates, oil, and vanilla. Mix well. And allow to sit
    for 15 minutes. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly brown.

            It is important to keep good nutrition in mind when feeding young children, because they are growing, developing and good nutrition promotes all of that. Good nutrition helps to encourage healthy development in children, and starts a pattern that will last throughout their lives. It is important to prepare healthy recipes, and adults should encourage healthy eating habits in children; it is important to remember why healthy eating habits are important to children. As adults we need to do all that we can to foster good nutrition and healthy eating habits in children.

Resources

Robertson, C. (2013). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

Physical Fitness

      Physical fitness is important for kids, because it helps them use their energy. Children are so full of energy, and they need some way to expend it. An important part of creating the understanding of physical activity includes understanding that it can be a part of your everyday activities. It is important for young children to be involved in physical fitness, because it helps all aspects of a child’s development. In preschool children are still perfecting their fine and gross motor skills. Physical activity can be very helpful with this, because most physical activities require some kind of gross motor skills. Some fine motor skills are used when being physically active. By being physically active it helps with a child’s cognitive and social development. A child is learning how to share and work with others, and most physical activities for preschoolers require cooperation and sharing.

 

•   Children that are not physically active are usually more sedentary. When children are more

     sedentary they can become overweight. Being overweight can affect a child’s self esteem.

•   Physical activity can help to counteract the more sedentary life style that a lot of young children   

     have these days. Children who spend lots of time doing activities that do not require physical

     activity and drink more sugary drinks tend to be overweight.

•   Adults can help to develop good fitness habits in children by demonstrating good fitness habits  

     themselves. When children see that the adults are doing it, they are more likely to want to do the

     same thing.

•  Playing an animal game where each child acts out a different animal. Each child is given an animal

   to pretend to be. They take turns acting like their animals for their friends to see. When they all

   have had a turn, line them all up and go for an animal parade, while the children continue to act as

   their animals. Children have lots of fun, and are moving around learning about animals at the same

   time.

•  Use blocks to create a path or road for either play cars or the children. Each child stacks the blocks

    up and around to create a little road that they will take turns driving on. Children use their fine   

    motor skills while building the road, and their gross motor when they pretend to be the cars and

    drive through the road.

•  “Be supportive. Help children to accept and feel good about themselves by supporting,  accepting,  

     and encouraging them, regardless of their body size or shape” (New York State Department of

     Health,2006).

•  “Preventing obesity and overweight is easier then correcting it” (Robertson, 2013, p. 272).

•  “Time spent in physical activity also helps create neural connections in the brain” (Robertson,

     2013, p. 273).

•  Children’s bone health, body composition, cardiorespiratory, and muscular fitness will improve

    by following the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans according to the evidence   

    (Robertson, 2013).

•  “…. Physical activity patterns developed in childhood tend to last throughout adulthood”

     (Goodway & Robinson, 2006).

It is important to consider all of the types of physical activity that a child could engage in when discussing how it affects development. Physical activity is important for your heart and other organs. Children that are taught that physical activity is good for them will continue with the same pattern as they get older. Patterns started as a child have a tendency to stick with the child into adulthood.

Resources

American Red Cross. (2012). Prepare for emergencies with American red cross first aid, CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) courses. Retrieved on September 22, 2012 from
http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/program-highlights/cpr-first-aid/workplaces-schools-individuals#first-aid-cpr-aed.   
Robertson, C. (2013). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

CPR and Choking Emergencies

            It is important for anyone who is around children to have first aid and CPR knowledge. Most early learning environments require first aid and CPR of their staff, so that they are prepared in an emergency; I believe that it is also a good idea for parents of young children to have this knowledge. It is important to know the proper emergency procedures for each scenario, be prepared in advanced, and have things in place to handle the emergency.

            When an emergency occurs it is important to know the proper procedures for helping during the emergency. There is a two year old that attends an early learning center. She begins to choke on a piece of cheerio that was given to her for snack. At first she starts coughing and then begins to have problems breathing. There are two teachers present, along with the rest of the children in the class. The first step is to keep calm, thus reassuring the children that the adults are still in control. The next step is for one teacher to see about assisting the child while the other teacher keeps the other children calm and reassured. Next, the teacher helping the child needs to check to see if the child coughed up or can cough up the piece of cheerio. If the child is conscious and cannot cough, speak, cry or breathe then the teacher will need to begin with 5 back blows, and then 5 abdominal thrusts until the object is forced out (American Red Cross, 2012). While the teacher is trying to help the child the other teacher needs to be contacting the nurse and director. The parent of the child needs to be contact by one of the staff members once there is a person available to do so.

            Another emergency that requires knowledge of an emergency plan is a child requiring CPR. In this scenario a five year old child has been stung by a bee on a play ground at a preschool, and is headed into anaphylaxis. It is important to stay calm, and have the other teacher call 911. While the other teacher is keeping the other children calm, and calling 911 one teacher should be assisting the child by getting him/her laid down. Once the child is somewhere safe it is then important to get the child’s epipen and administer the first dose. If the child is not better within ten minutes the teacher then needs to administer the second dose of epinephrine. If the child quits breathing before the second dose the teacher would begin administering CPR until the ambulance gets there.

            Advanced planning is essential to being prepared to handle an emergency situation. When an emergency occurs, if the staff or parents are prepared with the knowledge and emergency plan is in place it allows for quicker reaction time. When someone is aware of what the procedures are and the steps to take to handle an emergency they are typically more likely to be less panicked, and have better reaction time. I believe that it is important for parents and people that work with children to have basic first aid knowledge, CPR, and know the basics of how to administer an epipen. Robertson (2013) makes a good point for preparedness with this statement, “the early childhood education environment that is organized for possibilities of an emergency situation will be better prepared to respond to an emergency when it actually occurs” (p.179). 

            Being prepared for an emergency goes beyond having the knowledge to handle the emergency. It is also important to have all of the necessary supplies and information. Whether in a school, an early childhood environment, or at home it is important to have all of your emergency information in one place and easily accessible, so that you can quickly and easily access the information needed. Your emergency information at home should contain such things as emergency contacts, lists of emergency phone number, list of allergies if any, copies of insurance cards, and letter with permission to have child/children treated if with someone beside parent. These are just a few of the things that one might keep prepared in case of emergency. Each family should create their own emergency packet with this type of information in it to be prepared. It is also important to have a first aid kit and any other medications that an individual might require in an emergency. For example a child with severe allergies should always have an epipen on hand. I personally have an emergency folder that has all of the information that I thought might be needed if my child has an allergic reaction, and I am not present. For parents of children with allergies or other illnesses that require medicine or constant care it is important to have all of the information together and handy in case it is needed.

            Being prepared and having the knowledge to deal with possible emergency situations is an important part of having children and of early childhood environments. It is especially important to be prepared when children with illnesses are in an environment, because kids deserve to be kids; you never know what that can bring. Children are very precious and deserve to have adults around that are prepared to help them through whatever might occur. In order to do this it is important to be prepared for any situation, know the proper emergency procedures, and have the materials in place to handle an emergency.

References

American Red Cross. (2009). Power outage safety checklist. Retrieved on September15, 2012 from http://www.redcross.org/.

American Red Cross. (2009). Wildfire safety checklist. Retrieved on September15, 2012 from http://www.redcross.org/.

American Red Cross. (2009). Winter storm safety checklist. Retrieved on September15, 2012 from http://www.redcross.org/.
FEMA. (nd). Winter storms and extreme cold. Retrieved on September 15, 2012 from http://www.fema.gov/.
Robertson, C. (2013). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

Safety Practices and Policies

            Young children are active, and this puts them at risk for being in hazardous situations or safety threats. Children by nature are curious about their environments, people they are in contact with, and pretty much everything. While this is a very good thing, because curiosity and experimenting is how children learn it also puts them in the perfect situation for possible injuries. There are things that are direct safety threats that could and should be avoided where young children are concerned. Five potentially hazardous situations or safety threats common in the infant/toddler age group are falls, poisoning, choking/suffocation, lack of good supervision, and lack of child safety devices. While these five factors are dangerous for the infant/toddler age group there are safety policies that apply to each of these to help, there are also measures that can be taken to either prevent or deal with each one, and there are things that parents can do to help accomplish the prevention of these hazardous situations.

            One area that can be potentially hazardous for infants is falling from high places or out of things. For example a child that is left unattended on a changing table or a Bumbo chair on a counter or table can fall and get hurt. It is very important that infants are never left alone, because you never know when they will learn their next developmental milestone. The day they are unsupervised on the changing table is the day they could learn to roll over. Therefore, it is very important to stay diligent in these areas. The other falling possibility is out of an infant car seat. It is important for many reasons never to leave your infant in their car seat unless they are in the car. One reason is that they can tip it over or fall out of it. If they get the seat tipped over then they are trapped and this is not good. On the developmental side of it a child that is kept in the infant car seat all the time does not get to see much. They are given a very limited view of the world and are not allowed to develop some of the gross motor skills that they develop when out of the car seat. For toddlers stairs can be a potentially hazardous area for falls. When stairs are around it is important to put a gate up at the top of them to keep children from tumbling down them while being curious about them.

            Having cleaning supplies and other chemical items in a house or child care center are inevitable, yet present a possible poisoning hazard. It is important to keep things clean especially in a child care setting where there are numerous children. These products can become a hazard if they are not properly stored. The NAEYC recommends using the Go Green products (Robertson, 2013). Using green products is one way to help prevent poisoning. Some things that can be done at home and in the child care setting is to keep all cleaning supplies in locked cabinets and out of the reach of children.

            It is important to have toys and other learning materials for children to play with in order for them to develop and learn new things. It is also important to make sure that the items that are there for the children are appropriate for them. For infants you want to have toys that give them the proper stimulation while being safe. For toddlers, because they put everything in their mouths it is important to make sure that all toys are big enough that they will not fit in their mouths. “Toys are the most common hazard accessories for choking and one of the most common for suffocating,” according to Robertson (2013, p. 105). This makes it essential that everyone work together to remove all small objects that will fit into a child’s mouth up to a level they cannot reach.

            Children are curious and love to explore the world around them. “Perhaps, one of the biggest hazards is the lack of good supervision” (Robertson, 2013, p.154). It is important to have proper supervision for all children, but infants and toddlers rely on the adults around them to help keep and teach them how to be safe. When children do not have proper supervision it is more likely for there to be an accident or injury. There are specific policies for each state and child care center that regulate the adult supervision that is required. There should always be enough staff that at least one person can have a child in their sight at all times. Infants and toddlers require constant supervision, because they are learning and discovering everything for the first time. They are trying to figure out this big world so they heavily rely in the adults in their lives to protect them, while they discover new things and continue on their developmental paths.

            While keeping children safe in some areas can be a challenge there are others that are fairly simple to accomplish. Providing safety devices for certain aspects of a child care facility and home such as electrical outlet covers and safety latches for cabinets and doors are easily accessible and fairly inexpensive. There are a lot of programs that offer help getting child safety devices if one cannot afford it.  Safety devices should be present in the indoor environment whenever it is applicable for them to be present (Robertson, 2013). Doing things such as covering the electrical outlets lessens the chance of injury. It is amazing how many toddlers are curious about those little holes on the walls.

            There are so many things in an early childhood environment that could be a potential hazard. Infants and toddlers are so vulnerable to the world at this stage, and being curious and innocent all at the same time can cause the potential for many hazards. It is important for the adults that are in a child’s life to provide them the safest place possible to discover and develop. As adults we need to follow the safety policies, help to prevent or deal with each, while providing safety at home, as well as in the child care environment for all five of these; falls, poisoning, choking/suffocation, lack of good supervision, and lack of child safety devices.

References

Robertson, C. (2013). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.