Observing and Interacting With Families of the Children in Your Setting

 

 

 

Observing and Interacting With Families of the Children in Your Setting

                                          Childhood Obesity

 

 

On February 15, 2013 I interacted with a parent of a student in my classroom. The parent was there to have lunch with his child and I took the opportunity to talk with him.   This parent always comes to the center to eat lunch with his daughter or help in the classroom so he and I have a good parent-teacher relationship. I know that he spends two days a week with his child in the classroom and I know that he have her every week-end. I told him that I wanted to get his in-put about how he feels about healthy eating habits and overweight children.  I started by asking him what kind of food that he and his daughter eat on the week-end. He said that he does not cook and when she is at his house, they mostly eat out every meal. He said that on Friday night he order pizza and make sure that she have plenty of juice to drink and snacks to eat. He said that on Saturday morning they go to McDonald’s for breakfast. He said that she normally get a sausage biscuit meal with orange juice. He stated that for lunch, he either heat up the left over pizza, takes her to Wendy’s or back to McDonald which ever she chooses. I asked him what do she drink with her lunch? “He said juice, coke, or sprite”. He then said that she snacks a lot. I asked him what do she eat for snack? ‘He said chips, cookies, popcorn, and candy”. I then asked him what do she have for dinner?  “He said most of the time she eats Popeye’s chicken or Kentucky fried chicken. I asked him what she eats before he takes her home on Sunday and he said he repeat the eating pattern. He was quiet for a moment and he said wow that’s not good is it. He said at that moment that he realized that the food that he gives her is not healthy at all. He stated that he had never thought about it before. I asked him did he think that she is overweight. He said no, but if I keep this up she is going to be. I asked him what kind of food he thought was healthy eating? He said vegetables, fruit, water, and probably baked food. He said that just thinking about it made him feel bad. I told him not to feel bad because it was something that he never thought about. He said that he had notice the food that we served them for lunch was kind of weird, but he never thought about it. I told him that we serve our children at the center healthy food because we want them to be healthy and prevent them from becoming overweight. He said that he is going to do things different after this conversation. He said he can’t cook but he is going to change their week-end eating habits. I told him that if he needed help just asks. I told him that he could talk to the cook in the kitchen if he wanted to. I told him that she will help him as much as she can. He stated that he know her because he grew up with her boys. I also told him that he could go on- line to find out information about healthy eating habits. I told him that I didn’t ask him these questions to make him feel bad; I had to get this information for a class that I was taking. He said, oh Ms. Brenda, I am glad that we had this conversation; I wish we could of have had it sooner. He said I am going to the store when I pick her up and I am going to get some oranges, apples, peaches, plums, chicken, bottled water, and some can vegetable’s. I can’t cook that good, but I can throw some chicken on the grill. We will not be eating out this week-end. I thanked him for his time and told him that if he needed anything or help with something just asks. I told him that if I don’t know that answers, I will find someone that can help him.  He told me that I was welcome and anytime I need to talk just asks.

 

       I interacted with the second person on February 19, 2013. The second person that I interacted with was a co-worker that was hired about four weeks ago that has an issue with her fifteen old weight. She has talked about this issue with several teachers during break.  I went to her classroom and asked her if she would talk to me about her daughter weight situation. She agreed to talk with me during our break. When we meet she stated that she is doing everything that she can to help her daughter with her eating habits. I ask her if she think her daughter is overweight or obese. She said that the doctor told her that her daughter was obese at this point. I asked her if she can remember when she notices her daughter getting overweight. She said that it started back when her husband got orders to go overseas for the first time. She said that her daughter were about twelve at the time. She said that she had a night job and her sister was taking care of her daughter. She said that her sister love to eat out and eat snack all the time but that was the only help that she had. She said that she notice her daughter picking up weight in a three months’ time. She said that at first she didn’t think too much of it because she was dealing with her husband being away. She said that she then got a day job and were able to be home with her daughter at night. She said that it was a difficult time because her duties at that time were very overwhelming. She said that when her husband returned home the first thing that he notice was their daughter weight gain. He questions her about it and told her that she needed to help their daughter cut back on eating out and eating so much junk food. She said she tried to help her cut back on the cokes, junk food, and fast food but her daughter got really upset about it. She said she started fixing healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner but her daughter didn’t eat what she cooked. She said her daughter continues to eat food that wasn’t good for her and the weight kept coming. She said that her daughter and her start having problems with their relationship because of the help she was trying to give her. Her daughter kept eating and the weight kept coming and before she knew it her daughter was very overweight. She said that she had to work on their relationship and try to build it back up and approach it another way. She said when her daughter turn fourteen she asked her daughter to go on a diet and told her that she would go on a diet with her. She told her that they could do it together but her daughter refused. She said she realized that the weight was out of control. She took her daughter to the doctor and the doctor told to her daughter and suggested that she cut back because a weight problem can cause a lot of health issues. After the doctor visit her daughter really didn’t want to talk about it anymore and she became rebellious. Her daughter is now fifteen and weighs about 289lbs and does not care what she eats or how she looks. She said that she is going to continue to talk to her daughter and be there for her in the time of need. She said that at this point she does not know what to do. She said that she hopes that her daughter realize that she is overweight and unhealthy and let someone help her even if it’s not her. She said that the situation is very stressful because she loves her child so much .I told her that I hope everything work out for her and her family.  I told her that I would be thinking of her and her daughter and that I would keep them in my prayers. I thanked her for sharing her time and story with me.

 My learning experiences and insights that I have gained is how important it is to watch what our children eat. The parents have to make sure that they are keeping up with their child’s eating habit and weight gain. I am glad that I choose childhood obesity because there is much work that needs to be to done to help our children.

 One insight that I have gained from my observation is parents need to be aware of what and how their children are eating from the start. I know that there are many things going on in the home but we need to take the time to make sure that our children is eating the right type of food and getting plenty of water and good exercise.

 

     Another insight that I have gain from my observation is sometime parents are unaware of the food that they feed their children. Sometimes parents don’t know what to do or where to turn to make sure their child is getting the proper nutrition that they need. Talking to the parent and my co-worker made me realize how important it is that we do everything that we can to help our children learn how to eat the right kinds of food and stay healthy.

Observing and Interacting With Professionals, Children, and Families in an Early Childhood Setting

      I interacted with Shelia Fuller on February 07, 2013. Ms. Fuller is the Early Childhood manger for Okaloosa County Head Start. I explained my assignment to Ms. Fuller about becoming an advocate for childhood obesity and she think that I made a good choice. Ms. Fuller and I discuss the process of how it is determine if a child in our program is overweight or obese. The step that is taking to determined if a child is over weight is done by our family service specialist. They check each child weight and height every three months to make sure that the children stay healthy.  The assessment and guidelines that they use to determine if a child is overweight or obese is through job plus.

        Ms. Fuller said that each year during training, she makes sure that her staff  understand how important it is for  the children in the program to learn to use their self help skill, learn healthy habits, and the importance of  keeping all children safe from harm. She stated that learning in one area of development can enhance learning in other areas. Each child is unique and each child develops and learns differently and at their own pace. Ms. Fuller said that this is another important issue that my staff needs to be aware of.

     Ms. Shelia then thought about the conversation that she and I had about two weeks ago. She reminded me about the conversation that she and I had about a child in my classroom. The family specialist screen the students in my classroom and one little boy was label overweight. The family specialist referred the child to the nurse and the nurse had a conference with the parents to discuss the outcomes. The parents were really upset about the discussion that the nurse had with them about their child. The next day the parent went to Ms. Shelia offices and talked with her about what the nurse had to say about the child . The parent told Ms. Shelia that he had made his son an appointment with his doctor the very next day. The day after the child’s appointment, he stop by Ms. Shelia office and told her that the nurse was wrong and didn’t know what she was talking about, and that the scales was wrong and that his child doctor said that he was not overweight.  I shared this because it is very important how we talk to the parents, and we must be very careful about the information that we share with the parents about their child.  I thanked Ms. Sheila for talking with me and sharing her thoughts with me.

    The second person that I spoke with was Mrs. Angela on February 8, 2013. She works with the family specialist team at Okaloosa County Head Start. I asked her about the process of screening children weight. She stated that what they use body mass index screening. She said that they screen each child every three months to calculate their weight and height. She said that it is called a BMI screening and it helps identify who may be at risk for weight problems. She said that if it places a child below the 5^th percentile that may mean that a child I not growing well. It also means that a child is at risk for an eating disorder. Children with a (BMI) that places them above the 85^th percentile are consider overweight. The children that are placed above the 95^th percentile are consider obese. Mrs. Angela stated that this is what concerns them the most because the 85^th percentile put the child at risk for type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. If a child in our program is 85 percentile or over then, we recommend them to have their child examine by their physician which can conduct a complete evaluation.

     Mrs. Angela stated that the first place to start is with the child doctor. She feels that all children are different and the parents should discuss possible changes in nutrition and physical activity with a qualified health-care professional. The parent should discuss the child’s growth, nutrition, activity level, sleep and fluid intake are the most important that can affect your child health.

   She said that if the parent is concern about their child (BMI) the doctors and the health care professionals are the best people to determine whether your child weight is healthy, and they can help check for medical problems that can cause unhealthy weight. If a doctor determines that the child is overweight or obese, the doctor can help develop a weight-loss strategy that includes exercise and changes in diet. I thank Mrs. Angela for speaking with me and sharing her time with me.

    The time that I spent with Ms. Shelia and Mrs. Angela was very interesting. I leaned so much and became knowledgeable about the way the children in our center height and weight are checked and processed. I feel that the information that was shared with me is going to be useful when doing my research.

   

Observing and Interacting With Professionals/Colleagues

 

Observing and Interacting With Professionals/Colleagues

      I observed my colleague classroom E.H on 1/1/2013 while the children were getting ready to go to center time. Mrs. E.H. gave each child the opportunity and the choice to choose a center. Once the child chooses a center, they had to take their picture and place it in the center that they choose. Mrs. E.H. reminded the children that they must clean the area and ask to go to another center before leaving. After the centers were chosen, I went over to the home living area to get to know the 4 children in this center. I asked the children if I could play with them for a little while and they answered yes. One of the children took out the dolls, another child tool out the dress up cloths, and the other two children started to take out the food. The foods consist of bananas, grapes, bread, pineapple, pears, apples, and ect. I asked the children to give me something to eat and they took a small yellow plate and put a banana, grapes and a pear on the plate. I asked them to named the food hat was on my plate and they were able to name all three. I then ask them did they know what food group are they in.  The children knew that all the items are in the fruit group. I then asked them are fruits good for you? One child said “yes, they are good and they make you strong”. I asked the child who told her that and she said my mommy. I notice that a book was in the home living area and I asked the children would they like it if I read them a book and they allowed me to do so. The book that I read was ‘The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons”.

     This book talked about vegetable and how they are parts of plants that are grown to be eaten. It also talked about how vegetable are nutritious and keep our body strong and healthy. Mrs. E. H. notice the book that I was reading and came over to the home living center. Once I was finish reading the book, the teacher asked the children to show me the project they were working on. The children took me over to a nearby window and showed me the tomatoes they had planted.  I asked them if the tomatoes are a fruit or vegetable and they told me it was a vegetable. I asked the children if I could back to their classroom later to check on their project. I thank the children and teacher for having me and I told them that I will come back to visit them again.

      The second colleague that I spent time with was M.S. the kitchen cook. She was preparing lunch for the children. She told me that she has been working with Head start for 28 years and she know that eating health will help the children form healthful eating habits by starting early. It is one of the most important things that a parent can do for their child. She stated that good eating habits can make big difference in a child's health over a lifetime as well. I asked her about the food that we serve the children in our program. For example, fat, unsaturated fat, and   cholesterol. Mrs. M.S. said that when she prepare the food for our children she, make sure that the children do not get a lot of high fat foods that have a lot of calories. She said that with too many calories, the children may gain weight. She prepares healthy food so that the children can stay healthy. Mrs. M. S. said that unsaturated fats are found in most vegetable products and oils. She said that when she cooks for the children, she reduces the fat and unsaturated fats in their food by using less fat, oil, and margarine. She said eating too much of these types of fat may also increase the children weight.  I thank Mrs. M.S. for her time and helped her to deliver the food to each classroom.

 

 

 

Observing and Interacting With Professionals/Colleagues in Your Setting

     

Observing and Interacting With Professionals/Colleagues 

     I observed my colleague classroom E.H on 1/1/2013 while the children were getting ready to go to center time. Mrs. E.H. gave each child the opportunity and the choice to choose a center. Once the children choose a center, they had to take their picture and place it in the center that they choose. Mrs. E.H. reminded the children that they must clean the area and ask to go to another center before leaving. After the centers were chosen, I went over to the home living area to get to know the 4 children in this center. I asked the children if I could play with them for a little while and they said "yes". One of the children took out the dolls, another child tool out the dress up cloths, and the other two children started to take out the play food. The foods consist of bananas, grapes, bread, pineapple, pears, apples, and ect. I asked the children to give me something to eat and they took a small yellow plate and put a banana, grapes and a pear on the plate. I asked them to named the food hat was on my plate and they were able to name all three. I then asked them did they know what food group are they in.  The children knew that all the items are in the fruit group. I then asked them are fruits good for you? One child said “yes, they are good and they make you strong”. I asked the child who told her that and she said my mommy. I notice that a book was in the home living area and I asked the children would they like it if I read them a book and they allowed me to do so. The book that I read was ‘The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons”.

     This book talked about vegetable and how they are parts of plants that are grown to be eaten. It also talked about how vegetable are nutritious and keep our body strong and healthy. Mrs. E. H. notice the book that I was reading and came over to the home living center. Once I was finish reading the book, the teacher asked the children to show me the project they were working on. The children took me over to a nearby window and showed me the tomatoes they had planted.  I asked them if the tomatoes are a fruit or vegetable and they told me it was a vegetable. I asked the children if I could back to their classroom later to check on their project. I thank the children and teacher for having me and I told them that I will come back to visit them again.

    The second colleague that I spent time with was M.S. the kitchen cook. She was preparing lunch for the children. She told me that she has been working with Head start for 28 years and she know that eating health will help the children form healthful eating habits by starting early. It is one of the most important things that a parent can do for their child. She stated that good eating habits can make big difference in a child's health over a lifetime as well. I asked her about the food that we serve the children in our program. For example, fat, unsaturated fat, and   cholesterol. Mrs. M.S. said that when she prepare the food for our children she, make sure that the children do not get a lot of high fat foods that have a lot of calories. She said that with too many calories, the children may gain weight. She prepares healthy food so that the children can stay healthy. Mrs. M. S. said that unsaturated fats are found in most vegetable products and oils. She said that when she cooks for the children, she reduces the fat and unsaturated fats in their food by using less fat, oil, and margarine. She said eating too much of these types of fat may also increase the children weight.  I thank Mrs. M.S. for her time and helped her to deliver the food to each classroom.