Parent Fact Sheets

These Fact Sheets are designed to be used by Parents to improve the welfare of their children.

Displaying 1 - 20 of 117

YOUR TODDLERS FEARS

 

When children turn two it is not unusual for once curious toddlers to suddenly be afraid. They are experiencing an overwhelming amount of physical, emotional and cognitive development. As the imagination begins to develop, so can a child’s sense that the world is a scary place. And just about anything may seem frightening. Since two and three year old toddlers usually don’t have the language skills to express themselves clearly, a parent may have a hard time figuring out what is the cause. They could be as innocent as unintentional exposure to evening news.

YOUR BABY – BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

YOUR BABY – BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

One of the first experiences you have with your new baby is the bonding that takes place between the parent and their infant. The bonding process is very important in healthy infant development. Nature facilitates this process by making it an enjoyable experience for both you and your infant. Bonding which includes hugging, snugging, making eye contact and providing a sense of continuity and security not only benefits the infant, but you as a parent as well.

WHY IS MY CHILD ANGRY?

WHY IS MY CHILD ANGRY?

As a parent, you care about the self-esteem of each of your children. How do you help children feel loveable and capable when your child acts unruly and irritable? Most parents want their children to like themselves, to be at ease with themselves and others. Occasionally it seems impossible to get children to like themselves when they are just plain mad. The first step is to try to identify why your child is so angry.

Why your child may get angry:

WARNNG SIGNS: FIFTH DISEASE

WARNNG SIGNS: FIFTH DISEASE

FIFTH DISEASE

Fifth disease can be particularly problematic in a childcare setting because a child or adult is contagious before symptoms occur. Transmission of fifth disease is from by direct contact from person-to-person through respiratory secretions.

Here are the symptoms:

• A red rash on the child’s face, often looks like the child has been slapped.

• A lace-like rash on the child’s trunk and arms and legs.

WARNING SIGNS: NEWBORN WARNING SIGNS

NEWBORN WARNING SIGNS

Newborn babies go through many changes as they are getting used to the world around them. Some babies may be fussy and other calm. Your baby’s temperment will have a lot to do with how your baby reacts to these changes. Most of the time babies adjust very well. However, there are some warning signs that you should be aware of an watch for.

They are:

• No urine in the first 24 hours at home. This can be difficult to assess, especially with disposable diapers.

• No bowel movement in the first 48 hours.

WARNING SIGNS: SIGNS OF HEARING LOSS

SIGNS OF HEARING LOSS

There are many causes for hearing loss in children. Some problems occurred at birth, others from middle ear infections. You may notice that the baby is not reacting to sounds, some early warning signs to look for are:

INFANTS

• Not reacting normally to sounds

• Not startling with noise

• Trouble locating the source of sound or voices

• Speech delays

• Trouble developing correct speech sounds

• Your child may not respond to your voice

CHILDREN

• Difficulty following directions

WARNING SIGNS: SEIZURES

SEIZURES

Seizures are fairly common in childhood and teen years. Seizures can be caused by high fevers or other illness that effects the brain. The seizures will usually go away after the child’s fever goes down. These types of seizures do not mean the child has epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a term given to seizures that happen more than once in a healthy child or when the child has a physical condition that causes seizures from time to time.

WARNING SIGNS: SCHOOL PHOBIA

SCHOOL PHOBIA

It is not unusual for children to be anxious about going to school. Extreme school fears, or sometimes called ‘school phobia’ are different from normal school anxiety. A child with school phobia may be so terrified of going to school he fights to stay at either his home or his family childcare home. Children from ages 5-11 may exhibit the following:

• may act sick

• develop a headache

• have a stomachache

• vomit when it’s time to go to school

• Cling to parent

• Have a temper tantrum

• Excessive Crying

WARNING SIGNS: MENENGITIS

MENENGITIS

Meningitis in very serious. There are various causes and types of meningitis. If your child has any of the symptoms listed below, it is important to seek medical care to have the type of meningitis identified and treated correctly. The following information is from the Mayo Clinic.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the fluid and membranes (meninges) surrounding your brain and spinal cord.

The swelling from meningitis typically triggers signs and symptoms such as headache, fever and a stiff neck.

WARNING SIGNS: LEAD PAINT POISONING

LEAD PAINT POISONING

Lead is very dangerous to children. A child’s growing body absorbs more lead than adults do. A young child between to ages of 9 month and 6 years old are at most risk. Their brains and nervous systems are very sensitive to the effects of lead. If you are pregnant, lead can hurt your baby.

One of the reasons babies and young children are so susceptible to lead poisoning is because they are constantly putting their fingers and other objects into their mouth that can have lead from dust or soil on them.

Children can be exposed to lead by:

WARNING SIGNS: COMMON SIGNS OF DYSLEXIA

COMMON SIGNS OF DYSLEXIA

Dyslexia is a language-based disability that affects both oral and written language. With help, children with dyslexia can become successful readers. Find out the warning signs for dyslexia that preschool and elementary school children might display.

Facts about dyslexia

Startling facts about dyslexia and related language-based learning disabilities:

• Fifteen to twenty percent of the population has a reading disability.

WARNING SIGNS: ANXIETY DISORDERS IN CHILDREN

ANXIETY DISORDERS IN CHILDREN

It is normal for children to feel worried or anxious to a certain extent.

For example, first day of school or moving to a new area.

As a parent you need to be concerned when the anxiety is affecting their behavior and their thoughts are interfering with their normal life.

ANXIETY SYMPTOMS IN CHILDREN:

• become irritable, tearful or clingy

• have difficulty sleeping

• wake in the night

• start wetting the bed

• have bad dreams

In older children you may notice that they:

WARNING SIGNS: VISION PROBLEMS

VISION PROBLEMS

As babies develop, they should hit certain ‘milestones’ in development.

Most baby’s eyes, before 4 months, occasionally look misaligned. However, after 4 months of age, inward crossing or outward drifting that occurs regularly, is usually abnormal. If one of these is present, let your child’s doctor know.

WARNING SIGNS: HYPERKINETIC BEHAVIORAL DISTURBANCE

HYPERKINETIC BEHAVIORAL DISTURBANCE

Hyperkinetic Behavioral Disturbance is a behavioral syndrome in children. Many times children with this specific disorder will be diagnosed under the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) category.

Children with Hyperkinetic Behavioral Disturbance:

• Have a hard time paying attention

• Are easily distracted

• Have difficulty controlling their own behavior

• Move around a lot seemingly without a purpose and without thinking

• Can sometimes be aggressive toward other children

VIOLENT BEHAVIOR – RISK FACTORS

VIOLENT BEHAVIOR – RISK FACTORS

We live in a world where violence appears to be common and almost acceptable. On television, movies, and video games children are subjected to various kinds of violent, disrespectful and aggressive behavior. We can see this displayed by children acting out what they see. These behaviors can result in other behaviors such as lying and stealing. Children who begin to show aggressive, antisocial behaviors earlier in childhood are most likely, without intervention, to progress to more serious behaviors.

UNDERSTANDING AND HELPING CHILDREN WITH THEIR FEELINGS

UNDERSTANDING AND HELPING CHILDREN WITH THEIR FEELINGS

Social and emotional development are a vital part of your child’s development. Learning about their feelings, how to handle them, how to relate to others are all important skills for your child as they develop friendships and relationships with others. When children can identify their feelings it helps them to have empathy for others. It also helps them to control their feelings and build self-esteem.

IDENTIFYING DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES

Feelings and emotions at each stage of development:

TV VIDEO VIEWING

TV VIDEO VIEWING

Most children begin watching TV at a very early age. There are some very informative and early learning programs geared towards infants right up through school age children. However, the question is how much and what kinds of TV viewing is acceptable for my child. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids under 2 years old not watch any TV and that those older than 2 watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming.

Pages