Blog 4: WEEK 8

I observed and interacted with was the families and children in my child care setting during this module. While talking to them about how important it is to help maintain their child’s weight, the more the families got involved on telling me their opinion on childhood obesity. Some families stated that it’s up to the parents to start keep their child healthy. If the parents are consistently buying unhealthy snacks and food, then that child might grow up and eat unhealthy food because that’s all they ate when they were children. This parent made an interesting point and sometime parents does not see that. I also was interacting with the babies, when I tried to pick up a baby boy, he had to have weighted close to 30 pounds, and he was one years old. I looked over to his mom, who had on workout clothes, and I respectfully asked her, what types of food he is eating at home, she said that, he eats French fries, ice cream, and anything I give him. I knew she was getting upset, and I told her that I’m conducting an advocacy plan to help children who are slightly to overweight. I asked her if she would help her child more by laying off the sweets, and focus more on fruits and vegetables. She asked me what type of program a baby could be in. I told her that there are many parks or she can just continue to walk with him everywhere she goes, this way; she’ll be able to maintain his weight and her weight.  The insight I have gained about children and their families is, the more you talk to them about be healthy, the more they want to become involved. Although some families don’t’ want to get involved in anything because, they think their child is perfect the way they is, but in realty the parents are hurting the child health. The first insight I gained from my observation of, and interaction and experience with, children families regarding advocacy efforts and needs related to my area of interest within the field of early childhood is, parents are willing to help maintain their child’s weight. They want to see their child happy and active, and some parents are putting their child in gymnastics and swim team. Another insight I have gained was that, although parents get upset when talking about their child, but sometimes it’s good to hear those words come out another person’s mouth. When I was talking to the one year old mother, she was upset, but she also realized that all sweet, it’s good sweets.

Blog 3, OBSERVING DIRECTOR

As I was observing the director and assistant director of the daycare I was observing, I have learned that running a daycare takes dedication and at sometimes it’s hard work. I observed the director first and she taught me the ins and outs of a daycare, she showed me that in order to run a daycare you first have to aid she has to have education and experience of what you need to do as a director. The director also said that, she has to hire and fire employees. I asked her about childhood obesity and what she does to help prevent obesity in children. She said that she focus on the big picture of the child, because that way you can have a clear understanding of what needs to be done with the child. She said that, she talks to parents on how to inform their child on obesity and what types of organizations they could get into in order to keep their child in shape. We both walked around the school and she pointed out this student who was 15 months and was in the 95 percentile of his weight. She told me that, the teachers as well as the parents make sure that he have small portions of serving while in school and outside of school, and making sure that he get exercise at least 15 to 20 minutes a day to help maintain his weight.

Next, I moved onto the assistant director and how she feels about childhood obesity. The asst. director in the daycare takes care of the payroll and enrolling students in the school. Her job is very demanding and she goes to meeting twice a week, and she told me that three years of working in the daycare, she haven’t had a vacation because of how her work schedule is and how demanding it could be. I asked her about her input on childhood obesity. She told me that, the director and she is working on putting a gym or a more structure playground in the school. She also said that, she makes it her daily routine to keep parents informed of the physical education programs that are coming up in the near future.  She also works at a children gym and she’ll give parents free memberships to test the place out and have the students be involved of becoming healthier.

The challenge about childhood obesity is actually getting parents involved on knowing the importance on childhood obesity. Many parents ignore the comments that the teachers make about children being overweight and then the parents start to worry about why their child is having trouble breathing while sleeping or just want to be in the house every day, all the time. There is a field house across the street from the school and some of the communities families go there to take swim lessons. As a daycare, they’ll have to keep informing parents to get involve and hopefully one day the parents would listen.