As children grow and develop, they have many different things that influence them and their perception of life. Some of the major factors that influence children’s lives are technology, environment, and nutrition. These also fall under the domains of physical, cognitive, and social/emotional.
Nutrition is such an essential element for everyone but it is especially important for growing children. Nutrition is part of the physical domain. There are many different ways children can be nourished. Children need different kinds of foods, specifically fruits and vegetables. It is important that children eat healthy so they can grow properly. Children also need to get a healthy amount of exercise, at least thirty minutes to an hour each day. Nutrition is something that parents can have a major role with. By making sure there are healthy foods being bought and made at home can have a major impact on the developing child. Ensuring the child is getting enough exercise is another thing a parent can do for their child. They can even make exercise a family activity, such as walking in the park together.
The environment a child is surrounded by is important to their cognitive domain. Children have so many different kinds of environments in their lives. For the first few years of their lives, such as infancy, the only environment they are exposed to is their family and home. Once children get a little older, around toddler ages, their environment can also be a childcare facility. Parents can ensure that the child is growing up in a proper environment by holding themselves to a higher level. Parents must provide their child with the basic necessities in life. Children should have the privilege of living in a safe, steady, and supportive house hold. This starts by taking care of them during infancy. Once the child reaches toddler ages and is in a child care facility, parents should make sure the facility is safe for their child. A great way of doing that is to follow the child care center checklist. This checklist has every question and observation a parent can think of. Here’s a link to the checklist! https://www.childcareaware.org/families/choosing-quality-child-care/selecting-child-care-program/child-care-center-checklist/
Technology can fall under the domain of social/emotional.Technology is a relatively new category that has appeared over the last few years. Technology is constantly changing and advancing. There is so much different technology a child can use, especially a toddler. Toddlers love to watch Tv or play on their parents phones. There are even toys that are supposed to represent an Ipad, smartphone, or smartwatch. These are the beginning toys that are meant to introduce children to technology. Parents must be aware of the time children spend with technology. It can be dangerous for the children’s eyes and growing brains to spend a lot of time looking at a screen. A way a parent can be cautious of this by limiting the child’s screen time. Having the parent provide only an hour a day with a screen is something that can limit the screen time. However, being able to play and spend time with the child is the ideal way to distract a child away from screens.
Here’s an interesting source about different environments for children:
Recchia, S., & Dvorakova, K. (2012, March 16). How Three Young Toddlers Transition From an Infant to a Toddler Child Care Classroom: Exploring the Influence of Peer Relationships, Teacher Expectations, and Changing Social Contexts. Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10409289.2012.630824?casa_token=-31rpBc1KugAAAAA%3AMoLoMHOA1dPYHQ8g7R02NztXs7slHC8ivWqwC28Be6OzD9y5XMe2ajl8vrKgxEUN50ZYfyvK-0gU