Children today are faced with an increasingly complex world. leaving many parents, researchers, and care professionals wondering how to monitor a children’s well being. Depending on the perspective you take when evaluating well being, you will look at an array of indicators. Such variations can make it difficult to fully understand and assess children’s well being. which is why we’ve provided a brief overview below of what child well being is, the ways it can be evaluated, and key indicators for each assessment area.
What is children’s well being?
Given the range of perspectives related to well being, it will come as no surprise that producing a uniform definition of a child well being has proven difficult. However, it is generally understood and agreed that a child’s well being is a measure of the quality of his life. including how well he is and how his life is going. This broad definition can easily encompass the different ways of assessing child well-being. such as health, education, economic status, family or social life, or safety and security concerns. These areas may include both objective measurements (e.g., poverty or morbidity rates) as well as subjective indicators, or the individual’s assessment of how their life is going.
How to measure children's well being?
Measuring and assessing the wellbeing of children is important as it allows us to understand how children are coping in their world. Researchers are also able to use data to track trends and identify specific areas that may need more attention from parents or carers. Here are some of the most common areas of well-being and their key indicators in children’s lives.
Developing a clear understanding of how young children are fairing physically is one of the most widely recognized and researched measures of child well being.
Equally as crucial as their physical health, a child’s mental health and emotional development are essential in leading a happy, high-quality life. While pediatricians and healthcare workers will ask their young patients questions to assess any risk in this area, parents will be the best people to identify any problems your child might be facing in this area.
A key part of every child’s development is their education and continued learning. Like physical health, this is a significant area of research and objective metric development.
Finally, a child’s relationships with those around them and society as a whole are critical components of their well-being. This does not mean every child has to be the most sociable and outgoing, but maintaining some engagement with the people around them is important.
How To Improve a Children's Well Being?
One critical factor in helping children improve their wellbeing is making sure that they know that they are loved for being the unique and precious individuals that they are. Parents and grandparents clearly have a crucial role to play in letting children know that they are unconditionally loved. but we also believe that key workers, childminders and other early years practitioners have their own role to play in showing children that they are loved and wanted.
Practitioners can show children that they are loved through the words they use and the way we interact with them. As part of my role as a nurture consultant, I work with eight children and schools throughout the year.
Every time I speak to one of these children I look them in the eyes and tell them how lovely it is to see them today and how much I have been looking forward to our time together.
Think about how you welcome the children you work with each day. Show warmth in your smile and your words. Notice how they look – maybe they have a Spiderman hat on or a new hair band in their hair. By noticing these things that are important to children and telling them how delighted you are to see them, you will help them arrive feeling wanted and loved.
Here are some practical ideas for supporting young children’s wellbeing:
Playing outside
Research shows that children have a need to be outside, taking opportunities to explore, discover, climb and run. Make sure you involve children in using your outdoor space by asking them to help create obstacle courses for one another, asking them to think about what tools and resources they will need. Or you could provide materials for the children to make dens outdoors. Could they have a picnic in their den?
Another idea is to ask older children to help make a treasure hunt and map for the younger children. Ask them to draw the map and plan out the route. They can also think about what the treasure will be.
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Use emotional language
When a toddler is crying because their parent has left them at nursery. we can say: “I can see that you are really sad that Mummy has gone. She will be back later but I am here for you now.”
Stop rushing
Our lives are often very busy, and our children’s lives can often be busy too. We need to help children find the time to rest and experience moments of stillness. Are there spaces in your setting where your child can lay back and relax or daydream? You can also use yoga and mindfulness with young children. Both of these practices help children to find stillness.
Being creative
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Join in
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At Moms Arena, We take the above tips as guidelines for our research, To learn more about our research and detailed products reviews, click the link below: