Know your child
Dr. Neelam Trivedi
Are you eager to know the common characteristic feature your child possess? Here are some important interesting points for you.
The consistant availability of trusted adult creates the condition for a secure attachment. Infants who are consistently picked up and held in response to distress cry less at 1 yr and show less aggressive behavior at 2 yr.
Physical development By the end of 2nd yr somatic and brain growth slows, with corresponding decrease in nutritional requirement and appetite. By 3rd year motoric activity expands to include throwing, catching and kicking balls, riding on bicycles, climbing on playground structures, dancing and other complex pattern behaviors. Daily intake fluctuates but intake over a period of week is relatively stable. Parental attempt to control the child’s intake interfere with this self regulatory mechanism as the child must either accede to or rebel against the pressure. The result is either over or under eating.
Language: Language development occurs most rapidly between 2 and 5 yrs of age. Vocabulary increases from 50-100 words to more than 2,000.sentence structure advance from telegraphic two and three word phrases to sentences incorporating major grammatical rules. Language includes both expressive and receptive functions. Language acquisition depends on both environment and intrinsic foctors.The manner in which adult address children, how they ask question and give commands. They abstract rules of grammar from the ambient language by generating implicit hypotheses and modifying them progressively.
Language development occurs most rapidly between 2 and 5 yrs of age. Vocabulary increases from 50-100 words to more than 2,000.sentence structure advance from telegraphic two and three word phrases to sentences incorporating major grammatical rules.
Language includes both expressive and receptive functions. Language acquisition depends on both environment and intrinsic foctors.The manner in which adult address children, how they ask question and give commands. They abstract rules of grammar from the ambient language by generating implicit hypotheses and modifying them progressively.
Language is a critical barometer of both cognitive and emotional development.
Child repeats adult prohibition first audibly and then mentally. Language also allows child to express feeling such as frustration or anger. Preschool language development lays the foundation for later success in school. Picture books play important role.
Reading aloud with young child is an interactive process .the element of shared attention, active participation, immediate feedback; Repition and graduated difficulty make such routines ideal for language learning.
Play allows children to experience mastery by solving puzzles, practicing adult roles, assuming the aggressor role, assuming the aggressor role rather than the victim ,taking on super powers and obtaining things that are denied in real life .drawing ,painting and other artistic activities are forms of play in which the creative motivation is most evident. Visual art often becomes increasingly rule governed with age.
Parents should have a regular time each day for reading or looking at books with their children. Emotional development:
Emotional challenges facing the preschool child include accepting limits while maintain a sense of self-direction, reigning in aggressive and sexual impulses and interacting with a widening circle of adults and peers. Success in achieving this goal relies on prior emotional development, particularly the ability to use internalized images of trusted adults to provide security in times of stress.
The child between the age 6 and 12yr, a period sometimes referred to as middle childhood or latency, has new challenges. The cognitive power to consider multiple factors simultaneously gives school –age children the ability to evaluate themselves and perceive others evaluations of them. As a result self-esteem becomes a central issue. Healthy development requires increasing separation from parents and the ability to find acceptance in the peer group and to negotiate challenges in the outside world.
Growth during the period averages 3-3.5kg and 6cm height per year.
Parent’s implication: the routine physical examination provides an opportunity to elicited concerns and allays fears.Prepubertal children should not engage in high-stress, high impact sports such as power lifting or football because skeletal immaturity increases the risk of injury.
Social and emotional development :
In psychoanalytic theory include decreased emotional liability towards parents and increasing involvement in relationships outside of the home. Siblings play critical roles as competitor, loyal supporter and role models. Attribution conferred by peers, such as funny, stupid.” bad” or scaly, may become incorporated into the Childs self image. Advertisements in store windows and on television and observation of older children and adults expose children to adult materialism, sexuality and violence.
Between the age of 10 and 20 yr, children undergo rapid changes in body size, shape, physiology and psychological and social functioning. Hormones are responsible for transition from childhood to adulthood.
Development line occurs within three periods of adolescence-early, middle and late.
Most adolescents continue to strive to please their parents even while they disagree on certain points.
Separation from family often involves selecting adults outside of the family as role models and developing close relationships with particular teacher or parents or the parents of other children .female friendship may center on the sharing of confidences. Whereas male relationship may focus more on shared activities and competition. Middle adolescence
growth accelerates above the prepubertal rate of 6-7cm (3 in) per year.
The average girl the growth spurt peaks at 11.5yr at a top velocity of 8.3 cm per year and then slows to a stop at 16 yr. in the average boy, the growth spurt starts later, peaks at 13.5yr at 9.5cm (4.3 in)per year and then slows to stop at 18 years. Pubertal weight gains account for approximately 40% of adult weight. Muscle mass also increases.
Average age of menarche has decreased over last century, perhaps due to better nutrition and less physical activity.
Cognitive and moral development:
Middle adolescents question and analyze extensively. Questioning of moral conventions foster the development of personal codes of ethics. The adolescent’s new flexibility of thought has pervasive effect on relationship s with self and others. who am I?”
“Who am I here?” Intense feelings of inner turmoil and misery are common and may be difficult to differentiate from psychiatric illness.
The process involves self assessment and assessment of opportunities available.
Late adolescence: the somatic changes in this period are modest by comparison.
Cognition tends to be less self centere, with increasing thoughts about concept such as justice, patriotism and history. The are more idealistic.
Stable body image.
Relationships increasing involve love and commitment.
These are some clues to know your lovable child more mentally and physically for better understanding.
DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD:
1. Right to develop in an atmosphere of affection and security and wherever possible, in the care and under the responsibility of his/her parents.
2. Right to full opportunity for play and recreation
3. Right to learn to be a useful member of society and t develop in a healthy and normal manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity.
4. Right to be brought up in a spirit of understanding, friendship among people and universal brotherhood
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES
According to modern concept, school health service is an economical and powerful means of raising community health and more important in future generation.
It has developed during the past 70 years from the narrower concept of medical examination of child to the present-day broader concept of comprehensive care of the health and well-being of children throughout the school years.
OBJECTIVES OF SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
1. Promotion of positive health
2. Prevention of disease
3. Early diagnosis and treatment and follow-up of defects
4. Awakening health consciousness in children
5. Provision of healthful environment.
ASPECT OF SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
1. Health appraisal of school children and school personnel:-Clinical examination for nutritional deficiency
2. Remedial measures and follow-up:-considering high prevalence of dental, eye, ear, nose and throat defects should be given prime importance.
3. Prevention of communicable diseases
4. Healthful school environment:-The healthful school environment is necessary for best emotional, social and personal health of pupils.
5. Nutritional services:-A child who is physically weak will be mentally weak, and cannot be expected to take full advantage of schooling. The diet of school child should, therefore receive first attention. The diet should contain all nutrients in proper proportion, adequate for maintenance of optimum health. Deficiency related to vitamins A, C, B-comlex, calcium and iron are very common in school children.
6. First aid and emergency care
7. Mental health:-The mental health of the child affects his physical health and learning process. The school teacher has both positive and preventive role. He/she should help all children attain mental health, so that they may develop into mature, responsible and well adjusted adults.
8. Dental health
9. Eye health
10. Health education:-The goal of health education should be to bring about desirable changes in health knowledge, in attitude and in practice. The need for hygiene of skin, hair, teeth and clothing should be impressed upon them. Bad postures while sitting and standing should be corrected. Major degenerative diseases of adults have their origin in poor health habits formed in childhood.