Children’s health 

Being a parent is a huge job and keeping your children healthy includes looking after their physical, mental and social development.

Taking care of children’s physical development involves teaching them to eat healthy foods, making sure they get enough exercise and also ensuring they get enough rest for their bodies to grow healthy. There are many common childhood aches, pains, and illnesses that can affect them. Parents and care givers need to take care of  children from their  teeth to their toes.

Regular check-up’s with a doctor or other health care providers is essential for your children's health. These check-ups can help you to know that your child is developing normally and they can also help in finding and preventing some medical conditions that you might not be aware of.

As well as regular check-ups you should have your child assessed by a health practitioner if they show any of the symptoms below.

  •   Significant weight gain or loss
  •    Sleep problems or change in behavior
  •     Fever higher than 102 F 38c
  •     Rashes or skin infections
  •     Frequent sore throats
  •     Breathing problems

A healthy diet for children's health

A well balanced healthy diet will ensure that your child receives the correct amount of nutrients, vitamins minerals and other necessary compounds to grow healthy bones, teeth muscles, hair and have healthy organs. A healthy well balanced nutritious diet can also prevent your child from becoming obese and have less chance of them getting diet related illnesses such as diabetes, asthma, food intolerance allergies and other allergies.Some time children don't get enough essential vitamins and minerals in their diet if they are fussy eaters or are allergic to certain types of foods.Often it is necessary to include supplements in their diet to help avoid deficiencies of valuable vitamins and minerals.Natural forms of these supplements are available here that don't include chemicals or allergic additives.

Here are some children's health ideas below to help keep your child healthy.

  • Try to plan meals so that at least half of the food on their plate is fruit or vegetables and the other half should be a portion of protein ( lean meat ,fish nuts and eggs) and the rest composed of  carbohydrate foods like (whole grain cereal’s ,whole grain pasta, or whole grain bread)
  • Choose healthy sources of protein, such as lean meat, nuts, and eggs broad beans etc.
  • Whole grain cereals and breads are healthy as they contain all the natural plant minerals and vitamins and are a good source of dietary fibre. Try to limit their consumption of food containing processed flours such as white bread, cakes, pastries, biscuits etc.
  • Fast food and junk food like chain store burgers with hot chips or lollies and donuts etc, are often full of preservatives and are full of fat and unhealthy sugars. So try to limit these types of foods as a monthly treat or an occasion such as a party etc.
  • Try to cook meats under a grill rather than frying in oil or fat. Steam vegetables to keep their flavour and goodness. Bake chips in an oven tray rather than in a deep fryer .And use non-stick pans if you really want to fry foods like fish, eggs, chicken etc. as they don’t require loads of oil.
  • Avoid giving children sugary cordials and soft drinks regularly, alternatively you can offer unsweetened fruit juice , milk or plain water.

Exercise

For children to remain healthy and fit they need regular exercise to help them with muscle and bone development and to ensure a healthy cardio vascular system.
Younger children don’t need much encouragement to exercise if they are allowed access to the right environment. They will run and jump all day if they have access to a yard or playground especially if they have siblings or friends to play with so it is also important that they have the opportunity to socialize with other children. As they grow older they should be encouraged to join some sort of sport that they enjoy.
 Competitive sports are a good way of keeping them active and interested in life and it also helps with their emotional and social development.. Walking or riding a bike to school, bowling, dancing, martial arts and yoga are some other ways for kids to get exercise. It is recommended that children get at least one hour of exercise each day or more as this is essential for your children's health.

Regular exercise has the following benefits for your children –

  • They will not have as much stress.
  • They will have more confidence in themselves and        their abilities.
  • They will be more attentive and less distracted at  school.
  •  They will build healthy muscles and joints and have stronger bones.
  • They will have better muscle and fine motor skills and coordination.
  • They will often sleep much better

Modern day kids spend too much time watching TV and other indoor activities, they spend less time running and playing. We as Parents should limit TV, video game and computer time.  As Parents we should also try to set a good example by being active ourselves. Exercising together as a family can be fun for everyone.

Developmental changes

As children grow up into adults they grow and mature at different rates. Developmental changes include intellectual, physical, emotional and social attitudes and behaviours. There is no real normal among healthy children of the same age group as there are often large differences in height weight, build and maturity .Exercise, diet and genes ,are all variable factors in determining how they will grow. Some children often begin to show signs of puberty before they are teenagers.
As children reach puberty they show signs of being more independent from their parents and some may become rebellious .They also start to look outward from the close family ties and connect more with their friends and peer groups. Children often seek approval from their peer groups and find it important to fit in. They often have new behaviors to be part of their particular group of friends. This is often also the time parents and teachers recognize that a child has some learning difficulties or uncontrollable behavior problems. These types of children need to get some professional help or guidance at this early stage before it is too late to help them properly.

Puberty

Puberty is the name given to the period in their life when a boy or girl becomes sexually mature. It is a natural occurrence that occurs sometime between the ages of 10 and 14 for girls and between 12 and 16 for boys. Puberty invokes physical and hormonal changes, and affects boys and girls in different ways.
Some signs of change in girls will be.

  • Breast development is usually the first thing to occur.
  • Hair begins to grow in the pubic region and under arms.
  • Menstruation is usually the last noticeable physical change during a girls puberty.

In Girls Menstruation, or a period (as it is sometimes referred to), is the normal vaginal bleeding that occurs as part of a woman's monthly cycle. Each month, a woman’s body prepares for pregnancy. If the pregnancy does not happen the uterus, or womb, sheds its lining. The menstrual blood is partly blood and partly tissue from inside the uterus. It is released from the woman’s body through her vagina.

These monthly cycles normally start when a girl reaches the age of between eleven and fourteen years old and last until they go through menopause at approximately 51 .These period can last from three to five days.
Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, are symptoms that start before each menstrual period. They may also include emotional and physical symptoms such as listed below.

  • Cramping in the abdominal or pelvic regions.
  • Pain  in the Lower back
  •  Stomach bloating and tender or sore breasts
  • Cravings for different types of food
  • Irritability and mood swings
  • Headache and fatigue
In Boys the main changes during puberty are
  • Puberty usually begins with the testicles and penis   getting bigger.
  • Then hair grows in the pubic area and armpit
  •  Muscles develop, their voice deepens, and facial hair begins to grows as puberty continues.

Both girls and boys may also get acne. Teenagers usually experience a growth spurt (a rapid increase in height) that can last approximately two or three years after puberty. This allows them to reach their nominal adult height.

Behaviour Problems

All children will misbehave some times. Problems due to stress For example, the birth of a sibling, a divorce, or a death in the family may cause a child to have temporary behavior problems.
Behaviour disorders can be more serious. These often involve a pattern of hostile, aggressive, or disruptive behaviour that lasts longer than 6 months. This type of behaviour is also not appropriate for the child's age.

 Some early indications of a more serious behaviour problem are listed below.

  •   Damaging or destroying property
  • Harming or threatening themselves, other people  or       pets
  •    Falling behind in school work and skipping school.
  •    Smoking, drinking or drug use
  • Early sexual activity
  •    Frequent tantrums and arguments
  • Consistently being hostile towards authority figures
    • Stealing and lying
If your child is doing one or more of these activities on a frequent basis you need to ask for professional help. Poor choices can become bad habits. Children who consistently show signs of behaviour problems are at higher risk for failing school. They can also develop, mental health problems, and may even attempt suicide. Classes or family therapy may help parents learn to set and enforce limits. Talk therapy and behaviour therapy for your child can also help.

Learning disorders