Examining factors and resources that
contribute to the health and well-being of young children
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Introduction
In this page we will examine some of the
contributing factors to the raising of healthy children:
including some information and resources for physical
well-being, emotional well-being and educational guideposts
and concerns. More is being learned every day about what
factors contribute to the process of optimizing the lives of
our children. It is our hope that this page will act as a
resource for parents and others who are involved in the
raising and education of young children and that it will make
finding out some of the more basic and well-known information
available in a user-friendly way.
Factors that Impact on Young
Children's Lives
Many factors enter into the
complex of influences that effect and shape the lives of
children. Human beings seem to be more than just the
"sum of their parts", but while recognizing this,
it is nevertheless useful to attempt to catagorize some of
the major sources of influences that contribute to the
shaping of young children's lives. This list is intended as a
way to examine and consider areas impacting on the formative
process of young children's growth and development.
GENETIC:
Every Child comes into this world carrying an abundance of
information stored in its genetic code. The lists of
resources are intended as ways to optimize what is a given,
genetically.
HISTORICAL/CULTURAL
: The cultural environment and the historical dynamics of our
world, although often a 'back-drop' to children's lives, are
nonetheless powerful factors in influencing their growth and
development. Every human being grows up in a world of history
and culture and these forces end up being some of the major
influences in young children's lives even when they are not
recognized or understood.
Together, the genetic and
historical/cultural can be understood as some of the most
powerful forces that shape what becomes the child's 'world'.
For the purpose of this writing they can be considered the
'givens' that we work within as we seek to nurture and
educate our young children.
PRE-NATAL:
From the moment of conception until the birth of a new life,
many forces interplay that can have significant impact on the
child being born. Here we seek to suggest resources available
online that can help those seeking information on the
pre-natal care of the mother and child.
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Plan
Ahead for a Healthy Baby --- Preparing
for pregnancy can increase your chances for having a
healthy baby. Make sure that you see your health care
provider before you get pregnant to discuss your health
habits, to check your health, and to consider the best
time for you to have a baby.
Prenatal
Care: Latest news, general/overviews,
diagnosis/symptoms, nutrition, prevention/screening,
research, specific conditions/aspects, and more. From
Medline Plus--a service of the National Library of
Medicine.
Pregnancy
and Childbirth from childbirth.org. Also from the
same site, Getting Pregnant, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Calendar from about.com, Labor, Babies and more.
NUTRITIONAL:
Basic resources for the healthy feeding of children.
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USDA: ARE ALL FOOD PYRAMIDS CREATED EQUAL?--adobe acrobat/.pdf format
Wisconsin Department of Health and Family
Services—Birth to Three—Video Lending
Library—Feeding
and Nutrition Videos
National Network for Child Care (NNCC): Children’s
Nutrition Directory—Wide source of information
on children’s nutrition and health
USDA/ARS
Children’s Research Center—Baylor College
of Medicine—General nutrition information
USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center at
Baylor College: Facts and Answers—Nutrition
Resources for Kids.
EARLY CHILDHOOD
DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES, ISSUES AND RESOURCES:
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Zero to Three:
A leading resource on the first three years of life.
Promoting the healthy development of babies and toddlers.
Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Birth to
Three Program—Wisconsin's Early Intervention Program
UW-Cooperative Extension: School
Readiness
Birth
to Six Events: A Bulletin for Parents with Young
Children from the Wisconsin Birth to Three Personal
Development Project—Waisman Center
Wisconsin Council on Children and Families: Brain Development and Early Learning--adobe acrobat/.pdf format
Waisman Center: Birth
to Three Video Lending Library--*lending mainly to
professionals or to parents/public through
services/professionals.
Birth to Three: DEVELOPMENT MILESTONES: BIRTH TO 3 YEARS
EMOTIONAL:
Resources for nurturing and understanding the emotional lives
and needs of children.
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Behavior and emotions—Helping
Children to Feel Good About Themselves Louisiana
Cooperative Extension Service
At Health.Com: Helping
Young Children Deal with Anger—geared towards
teachers but useful to anyone with small children
American Psychological Association: Raising
Children to Resist Violence
University of New Hampshire: Emotional
Intelligence
ERIC Digest: Helping
Young Children Deal With Anger
Mesa Community College’s Psychology Department:
Developmental Psychology Student Newsletter—Helping
Children Understand Emotions
Auburn College: College of Human Sciences—Encouraging
Social Skills in Young Children—Tips Teachers
can Share with Parents
EDUCATIONAL:
Resources for understanding, support and involvement with
young childrens education.
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From CESA# 2: Early
Childhood Links—An extensive resource for a wide
variety of Early Childhood resources including
educational issues.
US Department of Education: Early Childhood Education
Northwest Educational Technology Consortium (NETC): Early
Connections—Technology in Early Childhood
Education
Early
Childhood News: News, Activities and Curriculum, Arts
and Crafts, Ask our Experts, Reading Center, Sharing
Boards, Links, Child Care Central and more.
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NRCEL):
Research on Early Childhood Education
Early
Childhood Education SuperSite: lesson plans, teaching
resources, web links and current events articles devoted
to Early Childhood Education
If you have questions
regarding anything related to the subject matter of this
page, Raising Healthy Children, or suggestions for links, you
may email CESA #2 contact Susan
Donahoe at sdonahoe@cesa2.k12.wi.us
or post a question at the Early
Childhood Interactive Forums.
