HEALTH PROMOTION FOR A PRESCHOOLER AND

FAMILY
● For many parents, preschool is a difficult time because the child is in an in-between
stage - no longer an infant, although not yet ready for formal school

● Planning and establishing expected outcomes for care of preschoolers often begin with
establishing a schedule for discussing normal preschool development with parents.
Planning for unintentional injury prevention (such as how to cross streets safely)
becomes increasingly critical as children begin to enjoy experiences away from home. It
is also important to plan opportunities for adventurous activities and interaction with
other children.

PROMOTING PRESCHOOLER SAFETY

What is the meaning of safety for children?

Safety is anything that people do to protect themselves or others from harmful accidents.
People can prevent accidents by following safety measures. Safety measures involve knowing
when an accident might take place and then taking steps to keep it from happening.

Research shows that teaching children about personal safety: Reduces the likelihood of a child
entering into an unsafe situation. Clearly demonstrates how to respond to an unsafe situation.
Increases a child's sense of confidence and in doing so increases their resiliency.

● By 4 years of age, children may demonstrate an attitude of independence and the

ability to take care of their own needs. However, they still need supervision to be
certain they do not injure themselves or other children while roughhousing and to
ensure that they do not stray too far from home.

4 years of age is included in the age group where it shows the Third stage of Erik Erikson's
Psychosocial development which is Initiative vs. Guilt
Initiative leads to a sense of purpose and can help develop leadership skills; failure results in
guilt. Essentially, kids who don't develop initiative at this stage may become fearful of trying new
things. When they make direct efforts toward something, they may feel that they are doing
something wrong.

That is why supervision of children is a must.

● Their interest in learning adult roles may lead them to explore the blades of a lawn
mower or an electric saw, or a neighbor’s pool. They may also imitate adults
taking medicine.

Alam naman na rin natin na ang mga batang nasa age na to' ay full of curiosity. That's why It is
important to supervise them to avoid getting themselves injured while exploring their
environment and finding answers to their curiosity.

● Gun safety must also be ensured

If the family has a gun in their home, think of gun safety by locking it away separate from its
ammunition (Iremind parents na if they have a gun in the house, they should keep it in a locked
place and separate sa bala to avoid accidents)

● Automobile safety must be well-considered. Preschoolers must be repeatedly

reminded to buckle their booster seats.

If the child is reminded repeatedly to buckle their booster seats explaining that it is for their
safety while riding a car. It will become their habit to buckle their booster seats and that will
ensure their safety.

● Educating children about the potential threat of harm from strangers or how to
address bullying behavior from children or adults may begin at this stage through
these measures:

● Never talk with strangers or accept a ride from a stranger.

Cautioning a child never to talk with or accept a ride or food from strangers because strangers
might be dangerous and something bad will happen to them if they do it.

● How to call for help in an emergency such as yelling or running to a designated

neighbor’s house if outside, dialing emergency hotlines if near a phone.

Teaching a child how to call for help in an emergency. (e.g. running or yelling for help to a
designated neighbor's house if outside or dial an 911 if near a phone; dapat turuan ang bata na
manghingi or tumawag ng tulong sa kapit-bahay in case of emergency or call a designated
person sa phone like mga grandparents, auntie/uncles or relatives)

● Describing what police officers look like and explaining that police can help in an
emergency.

The responsibility of a police officer is to act as a role model and protector for children. Children
must realize that police officers are also trustworthy adults and friends. Because children
frequently hear scary stories about strangers and are taught to avoid strangers, it is essential
that they distinguish between safe strangers and strangers who may not be good. Show the
child police officers as "safe strangers" who can assist the children if necessary.

● Explaining that if children or adults ask them to keep secrets about anything that
has made them uncomfortable, they should tell their parents or another adult,
even if they promised to keep the secret.

Remind the child that even if children or an adult has requested them to keep a secret, they will
not be punished if they tell you. The adult must always be there for the child and keep any
promises made.

● Explaining that bullying behavior from other children is not to be tolerated and
should be reported so they can receive help managing it.

Encourage parents to remind ang kanilang kids na magsumbong if ever they experience
bullying para ma-address immediately ang problem.
 ● If these measures are presented in a calm and everyday manner, children can use
it to begin to build safe habits that will help them later when they are old enough
to walk home from school alone or play with their friends unsupervised.

This information must be presented in a calm and everyday manner so that children can begin
to build safe habits that will help them later when they are old enough to walk home from school
alone or playing with friends unsupervised.

MOTOR VEHICLE AND BICYCLE SAFETY

● Because of front seat airbags, preschoolers need to be buckled into car seats or
booster seats in the back seat (AAP, 2012).

Hindi dapat sa front seat or beside the driver seat paupuin ang mga bata due to airbags and
even if walang airbags ang car. In case of a crash,the airbag can inflate, strike the car seat, and
cause serious brain injury or even death.

● Urge parents to stress the importance of seat belts in preventing injury and to
make a rule that the car does not move until seat belts are fastened.

Urge parents to stress the importance of seatbelts in preventing injury and make it a rule that
'The car doesn't move until seatbelts are fastened' para ma-habit nila ang mag seatbelt.

In the Philippines, the purpose of the Seat Belt Law is to reduce the chances of deaths and
injuries from road crashes. This law also bans children six years and younger from occupying
the front seat of any vehicle with a running engine even if the child is wearing a seatbelt.

● Remind parents to check the position of shoulder harnesses in car seats or

booster seats so the belt does not cross a child’s face or throat.

When used correctly, a belt-positioning booster seat prevents injuries in a crash. A booster seat
raises the child up so that the vehicle's lap and shoulder belt is properly positioned across the
child's hips and chest and away from his belly and neck.
 ● To promote bicycle safety and prevent falls from bicycles, preschoolers need age
and size-appropriate safety helmets.

Preschool is also the right age to promote bicycle safety because falls off bicycles are a major
cause of severe head injuries in this age group. Safety helmets appropriate for age & size are a
must.

● Encourage parents to demonstrate safe riding habits by wearing helmets as well.

Gaya nga ng sinabi ko kanina yung mga bata na nasa ganitong edad they tend to imitate what
adults do. So if an adult is demonstrating safe riding habits by wearing a helmet in front of a
child, the child will do it too. The child may think that it is the right thing to do because the adults
do it.

Possible Unintentional Injuries to Preschoolers

● Motor vehicles
● Falls
● Drowning
● Animal bites
● Poisoning
● Burns
These possible unintentional injuries to preschoolers can be prevented with the supervision and
guide of a parent or an adult, when a child gets curious about their environment.

PROMOTING PRESCHOOLER NUTRITION

● Preschool years are not a time of fast growth, they are not likely to have ravenous
appetite.

Like the toddler period, preschool years are not a time of fast growth, so preschoolers are not
likely to have a voracious appetite.
 ● Since children this age have sense of initiative or are learning to do things,
allowing a child to prepare simple foods, such as making sandwich or spreading
jelly on a toast.

A sense of initiative (learning to do things) can be strengthened by allowing preschoolers to

prepare simple foods like making sandwiches, getting them involved when baking cookies, or
when kneading dough.
● To prevent childhood obesity, urge parents to offer snacks such as fruit, cheese,
or milk rather than cookies and a soft drink or juice.

Most children are hungry from preschool and enjoy a snack on their way home or when they
arrive home. Because sugary foods can dull a child's appetite for dinner, fruits or milk are
recommended more than soft drinks or juice.

● If a child is eating foods from all five groups and meets the criteria for a healthy
child such as being alert and active with height and weight within normal
averages, additional vitamins are probably unnecessary

Food selection must be varied as with other age groups and must be based on myplate
recommendations. Myplate is an easy-to-follow food guide, to help parents to figure out
how to feed their kids nutritious, balanced meals. The colorful divided plate includes
sections for vegetables, fruits, grains, and protein foods.

● Caution parents not to give more vitamins than the recommended daily amount or
poisoning from high doses of fat-soluble vitamins or iron can result.

If vitamins are given, remind parents to keep them out of children's reach to avoid children from
getting more than the recommended daily dose (they see vitamins as candies rather than a
medicine due to their attractive shapes & colors/flavors)to avoid poisoning from high doses of
fat-soluble vitamins or iron.

● If a child consumes a vegetarian diet, it is usually deficient in calcium, Vit B12, and
vitamin D. Check to be sure that the child is ingesting a variety of calcium and Vit
D sources.
Vegetables, fruits, and grains are healthy snack foods and are appealing to preschoolers
because they're colorful. Vegan diets are deficient in calcium, Vit.B12 and Vit.D. Make sure the
child is getting calcium from other sources (green leafy vegetables, milk products) because
calcium is crucial for bone growth. Vit.D is found in fortified cereals and milk.

● Vit B12 is found almost exclusively in animal products, so a child on a vegetarian

diet may need a supplemental source (Whitney & Rolfes, 2013).

A child on vegetarian intake may need a supplemental source to avoid deficiencies.