Caring for 4-6 Year Old Children

What are we learning today?

• Standard:– ET-ECE-8: Explore the growth, development, and

care of the preschool child.• EQ:– How do you properly care for 4-6 year old

children?

Nature or…

HEREDITY• Strong influence on physical development• Includes the physical make up the child

inherits from parents• Determines what a person will look like.

Nurture or…

ENVIRONMENT• Children are influenced

by everything around them

• Examples of environmental influences:– Interest in sports– Books – Movie/TV Shows– Clothes

• Would a child’s environment effect their eye color?– NO!

• Would a child’s environment effect hair color?– NO!

• Would a child’s environment effect blood type?– NO!

Children need GOOD NUTRITION in order to develop properly!

• They need healthy and nutritious foods• The amount of food children need varies

depending on their weight and physical activity level– EX: A child that plays soccer and rides a bike a lot

needs MORE food than a child that prefers staying inside coloring/playing with blocks

4, 5, and 6 year olds have SMALL stomachs…

• Eat 5 or 6 small meals/snacks throughout the day– NOT 3 big meals (like us)

• Caregivers should model good eating habits • Make food appealing as well as nutritious

Poor Nutrition

• Effects children’s health by:– Less resistant to illnesses– Do not grow properly– Weight issues– May have learning

difficulties

• Can happen because:– Lack of money to buy

healthy foods– Unaware of the need for

good nutrition– Do not understand the

basics of good nutrition– Rely too much on fast

food

Weight Problems• 4-6 year olds vary in their body type– May look chunky or slim, but still be healthy

• A child’s diet and physical activity may need to change if they are overweight OR underweight.

• Only a doctor can decide whether a child is overweight or underweight!

Teaching Self-Care Skills• More independent because of improved

strength and motor skills• 4-6 year olds can:– Wash themselves– Dress themselves– Brush their teeth– Sleep throughout the night– Use the toilet– Begin to care for their clothes

Sleeping • Need 10-12 hours of sleep at night• Take only one or no naps during the day• NEED an appropriate bedtime and routines

Using the Big Girl/Boy Potty

• By age 4, children should have little to no accidents during the day and at night

• Accidents usually happen because:– Concentrating on an

activity and forgets to go– In a new place and is

scared– Stress and life changes

• Help prevent accidents by:– Making sure they use

the bathroom before leaving home

– Pointing out bathrooms in public places and remind them to use it

– Not allowing them to drink anything after a certain time at night

Daily Work Break

• You and a partner will create a self-care chart for 4, 5, and 6 year old children using the information in your textbook (pgs. 420-424)

• Your chart/guide should have 6 sections:– Washing/Bathing, Caring for Teeth, Dressing/Choosing

Clothes, Sleeping, and Toileting• You need at least 2 facts/helpful hints for each

section• You need a picture for each section – Hand drawn/out of magazines/off the internet

Daily Work Break

• You and a partner will create a self-care chart for 4, 5, and 6 year old children using the information in your textbook (pgs. 420-424)

• Your chart/guide should have 6 sections:– Washing/Bathing, Caring for Teeth, Dressing/Choosing

Clothes, Sleeping, and Toileting• You need at least 2 facts/helpful hints for each

section• You need a picture for each section – Hand drawn/out of magazines/off the internet