‘Anxieties and Risk’ explores the nature of anxiety about risk
and the effect of adult anxieties on the wellbeing of children. Using material from
that chapter and from other parts of the course, discuss the arguments and
evidence that there is an unusual level of anxiety about children today and the
effects of adult anxieties on children’s lives.
Risk is often defined as something which contains elements of hazard or danger but this negative connotation masks alternative meanings of risk and its essential characteristics. Risk taking is important to children’s development as children need to be able to judge risks to develop life skills but parents, carers, children’s practioners and government agencies seem to be more concerned about the negative aspects of risk than ever before. The Social Affairs Unit webpage identifies three kinds of risk;- those which can be perceived directly -climbing trees, crossing roads or walking home alone, those which are perceived through science – where risks are not apparent to the every day senses and only exist through scientific knowledge i.e. cholera which can only be seen under microscope and Virtual risk – risks that are not yet understood or where scientist cannot agree on their effects – mobile phones, low level radiation, pesticides etc.
So are we unusually anxious about children today and if so why? ‘parental fears for children’s safety in public spaces are constructed and mobilised through the media…global and national reporting of violent crimes against children may distort local fears by heightening parents’ awareness of extreme and rare events in public space causing them to restrict their children’s use of space excessively…’ Valentine 2004 (CB1:p133). Concerns about safety and the risk of abuse or violence are not the only target of the media - reporting on other matters such as mobile phone, television and internet usage are common place but popular risk perceptions such as abuse, demonstrate the influence of the media in distorting the true picture of assaults on children by strangers ‘as opposed to the much more common assaults by family members’ (CB2:p168). The media are just one of the reasons for increased anxiety about children, proliferations of advice on parenting are also in the frame for raising anxiety. Palmer 2006 blames ‘parenting experts’ for contributing to ‘toxic childhood syndrome’ by ‘de-skilling parents and leading them to distrust their own instincts’ (CB2:p164). The book entitled Toxic Childhood: How the modern world is damaging our Children and what we can do about it is reported to be an attempt to lessen parental anxiety but is in fact contributing to the problem of the proliferation of parenting advice by offering, well, parental advice, albeit ‘practical and level headed’ (CB2:p164)
Giddens (1991) and Beck (1992) have argued that ‘risks are actively generated by the process of a post-modern society, such as globalisation’ (CB2:p147) and suggested that risks proliferated by globalization are only imperfectly understood. Beck defines these as risks such as climate change, HIV and terrorism and tells us that everyone’s lives, are caught in a defensive battle against hostile influences on daily lives. The crux of Beck & Giddens argument is that the focus is all to often on the negative, i.e. risk avoidance and keeping children safe rather than focusing on the positive benefits of risk taking. Positive benefits of risk taking include practical, neurological, existential and socio-emotional reasons. For practical reasons, children need to be able to practise risk management skills to cope with everyday situations and problem solve. For neurological reasons, children are humans and as such need a certain amount of stimulus to maintain and develop responses, risk taking forms part of this stimulus. For existential reasons, children need to know that they are not indestructible and can be harmed and for socio-emotional reasons, risk taking as part of play helps make and maintain social relationships between children.
Evidence of an unusual level of anxiety about children today is commonplace and particularly after a much publicised disappearance of a child/children (such as Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman). In such circumstances, parental response to such stories is to restrict freedom from children to a lesser extent than previously, particularly in the vicinity, of such high profile cases. From my own experience, I recall that when I went to high school, the number of parents who collected their children were very few and far between with the majority of children making their own way home. Nowadays I notice from working in education, that number of children being collected, is significantly more, to the extent that new schools being built in North Lanarkshire, contain sizeable ‘drop off/pick up’ points close to the school. CB2:p134 contains an comment regarding a trip to a Norwegian school, whereupon the author remarked upon a boy climbing a tree and how this would contravene UK health and safety regulations. CB2:p166 contains excerpts from the media about restrictions being imposed on children’s play. Entitled ‘Better safe than sorry’ it contains many bizarre articles such as, a school banning the playing of ‘Tag’ because the teachers’ say its too rough and a referee who stopped parents taking photos of their children at football matches because he misunderstood the child protection guidelines.
The effects of adult anxieties on children’s lives are numerous and reach into every part of children’s being physically, socially, cognitively and developmentally. For example, lack of freedom to play outdoors has the knock on effect of lack of exercise, cuts down on friendships, lessens opportunities to practise social and negotiations skills, lessens opportunities to learn to compromise and share, to troubleshooting situations, conflict resolution, dealing with bullying, become more independent – the list is endless. Where children are able to play outdoors, risk avoidance determines that our playgrounds should be safe together with the safety standards of the equipment used in playgrounds and very often this means boring. Children instinctively look for somewhere more adventurous to play and usually more dangerous. Children who are left to the ‘virtual’ world of the internet and computer games, suffer much of the same lack of physical, emotional, social and cognitive development and interaction. Palmer 2006 argues that’ virtual-reality adventures on screen are no substitute for real-life everyday adventures…in preparing children for real-life risk assessment’ (CB2:p166). He goes on to determine that children who lack practise in real-life risk assessment become either ‘reckless or excessively timid’ (CB2:p166).
So if children are prevented from being allowed to take risks, not only does it affect them socially, physically, emotionally and cognitively it also disables their learning. Children need to be allowed to make mistakes and learn from them. Carrying out any activity, it would seem, carries a risk but preventing children from taking risk would seem to be the biggest risk of all. We as parents, carers and practitioners need to change our thinking and working to accommodate more risk taking in order to allow children to develop better life skills. Risk theory indicates that society will constantly proliferate new risks and our children and the children of the future must constantly adapt and be able to cope with such risks. In order for our children to become competent risk managers, adults must first assess risk outside of children’s capability and experience, then allow them the freedom to experience risk taking but with the knowledge that adults are at arms length, so to speak, there only if needed. For example, in the course DVD, the Plus Stirling clip entitled ‘Risk’ shows children at the waterside. Some are kayaking, some just playing in the water, some swimming and one boy who appears scared of water, being coaxed to go further and further in each time. At the beginning of the clip, the children are shown, being given specialist clothing to wear for being in the water and buoyancy aids. One boy decides not to wear a cagoule, the staff decide to let him take the risk of getting cold and/or wet and give him the responsibility for telling them if he got cold etc. Other children are told what to do if their kayak rolls over but they would ‘work out the rest as you go on’. All of the children were told to get out of the water on two blasts of the whistle in the event of any foreseen danger. The emphasis of letting the children be in the water was fun but clearly the children were being allowed to take the risk of being in the water and possible drowning. The children themselves were able to do things which they wouldn’t normally be able, in the knowledge and confidence that adults were nearby to help them if they got into trouble. The benefit of risk taking to the boy who was scared of the water was such that he went further each day and learned that nothing went wrong each time he went further thereby increasing his confidence.
Practitioners have a responsibility for the wellbeing of children in their care and therefore have anxieties stemming from this responsibility. Risk management for practitioners is usually laid out for them by company/agency policies and procedures and generally based on the precautionary principle ‘whereby avoidance of risk, however slight, is taken as a guide for action where outcomes are uncertain’ (CB2:p158). This can lead to the primary focus being taken away from children’s learning and development to creating a culture so safe for children, that it actually harms them. Naturally cautious children become unable to learn from experimenting new activities and as a consequence are not encouraged to overcome their fears etc. Similarly confident children can become reckless and unable to sensibly handle the hazards of daily life because there has always been an adult to get them out of trouble and judge risk for them. As children need the opportunity to make judgements about risks, practitioners attitudes are crucial in encouraging or suppressing children’s behaviour.
Risk has been defined as those which we can see or are apparent to the senses, those which are not apparent to the senses and virtual risk. The negative connotation of risk means that its benefits are often over looked or ignored but children need to learn from taking risks. It is important that children develop risk-taking as a life skill in order to equip them for later life. Unfortunately adult anxieties about risk have been fuelled by events by the media, who have distorted the true picture about attacks on children. Coupled with advances in technology, reporting incidences such as a missing child, means that the incident suddenly becomes national news, provoking sympathy from parents but adding to the negative subsequent reaction that seems to follow, whereby parents reduce freedom to their child’s movements and activities as a direct result. Other reasons for increased anxieties about children come in the form of parenting advice books and articles which seemingly also focus on risk avoidance rather than the benefits of allowing children to take them. Evidence that there is more anxiety about children today than ever before can be seen everywhere – at any school when the children are dismissed for the day (the number of parents who collect their children), teachers being unwilling to take responsibility for taking their pupils on school trips, boring equipment in rubberised tarmac playgrounds. The effects of adult anxieties on children’s lives affect their physical, social and emotional and cognitive development. Where children are unable to play outdoors, the knock on effect is that they lack exercise, it affects there friendships, their test bed for development of their social skills and their interaction with conflict, negotiation, compromise and troubleshooting all become reliant on adult supervised times. Their opportunity to learn to become independent decreases and dependence on adults, increases. As practitioners, everyday working practise and risk management is normally laid out by policy and guidelines and the focus is usually on risk avoidance rather than risk allowance. It is therefore crucial that practitioners have a balanced attitude toward risk and encourage or suppress children’s behaviour in accordance with their need for risk and a duty to keep them safe.
References
CB1: Course Book 1: Connecting with Children, developing working relationships Foley & Leverett, Bristol, The Policy Press in association with the Open University Press. p = page number
CB2: Course Book 2: Promoting Children’s Wellbeing, policy and practice Collins & Leverett, Bristol, The Policy Press in association with the Open University Press. p = page number
DVD The Open University course KE312 from the Plus Stirling sector.
Friday 8 August 2008
the importance of play to children's wellbeing
Why should practitioners support play and its contribution to the wellbeing of children?
Play is accepted in western society as ‘vital for the wellbeing and healthy development of children’ [CB2:p111] but defining play is less easy that stating its benefits and importance and would probably evoke a different meaning in each individual. Play has several characteristics as identified by Sue Gutteridge a Play Services Manager for Stirling Council [1] as ‘self directed, under children’s own control, has no specific outcomes and is evident in all societies’ (not verbatim). She also tells us that it is part of the “culture of childhood and that adults should respect it” and further that it is “intrinsic to wellbeing”. Play is a ‘stimulus seeking activity’ and should contain elements of uncertainty’ [CB2:114] other key points include;- free flowing, unstructured, flexible and responsive to different context. There are many reasons as to why play is important to children’s wellbeing including its aid to learning and development, social and cognitive skills but also its fundamental value to physical and emotional wellbeing. Why should practioners support play? Because as well as supporting wellbeing, play is a ‘‘layer of living’ where children, and children and adults, can connect’ (Giulbaud, 2003,p170)[CB2:p115] and connecting with children has key implications in positive communication and establishing successful relationships.
The desire and ability to play is of great importance to children. Whether they play by themselves, with other children or pets or with adults, it teaches children different outcomes and in terms of development and provides a broader range of skills to ensure their future success in life. Children playing by themselves provides an opportunity for them to experience self amusement, enabling them to do whatever they want to do and not have to follow or fit in with someone else’s requirements. They learn self exploration and self expression without fear of what someone else thinks of them. It helps them explore ideas, creativity and problem solving. Play with other children significant contributes to social development, communication skills and gives an understanding of customs and perhaps rules of play, what is or isn’t acceptable behaviour as well as identity within a group, power relationships and customs. Other children, provide a test bed for children to develop their social skills and identify limits. Play with pets helps children learn responsibility and limits according to the pet and play with adults provides a connection to a much bigger, more complicated and complex world which is vital to children’s future success in it. Adults are experienced, more than children and their thirst for new experiences can taken and guided by adults. Physical play helps children develop motor skills and helps create a sense of well being and having spaces to play, both indoor and outdoor is of particular importance to the quality of children’s lives.
Practitioners should support play primarily because it promotes wellbeing in the child and this is achieved by fully understanding the value of play and providing as many opportunities for inclusive play, as possible. These environments need to be safe places, inside and outside, that allow children a choice, companions to play with, plenty of time and space. ‘Space and time to play is recognised in Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations, 1989) as every child’s entitlement’ [CB2:p119]. Inclusive play spaces mean that they should be available and accessible to all children who wish to use them, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity, learning or physical disabilities. Beresford, 2002 identified three, key factors to ensuring inclusive play services in relation to disabled children. Practitioners must have adequate staff resources to support inclusive play, the must have staff training to ensure that staff have knowledge of conditions and practical issue that affect disabled children and they must have a suitable physical environment that does not disable and exclude certain children but in fact ‘blurs the differences in the abilities of the children’ [CB2:p124] Inclusive spaces for children also means involving them in the decisions about what determines, the look, layout, structure and activities within the space. Children’s participation in the process is invaluable to the practitioners. Asking them what they enjoy doing, what they want to do and what they have to play with and evaluating all of that encourages a more inclusive space/spaces and children gain important skills too. They learn to negotiate, to express themselves and to take account of other people’s feelings, to problem solve, put forward ideas and take risks. They develop friendships and group belonging, something which disabled children and children with disabilities, can often find themselves limited in. Play schemes such as PlayPlus in Stirling, provide play, leisure and social opportunities for children with disabilities. Even the most severely disabled of children, such as those who cannot talk or walk are able to be included in socialising and activities which provide them with amusement, entertainment, knowledge, involvement, extra communication opportunities. For example. KE312 DVD Plus Stirling section on Video 2 – Communication, features a young boy with Cerebral Palsy.
Scott was described on the video by the event coordinator as “you know what he wants and is quite clear”. She described him as moving his head up for yes and down for no and the fact that he loved to be taken out of his chair. He is shown on the ‘splodges’ with his helper Jenni, helping to turn the pages of the story book and trying to grab the camera belonging to the film crew. From what can be seen, he is clearly enjoying being involved, he appears to welcome the opportunity to turn the pages and be involved in the story, he answers the questions about wanting a cat with enthusiasm by lifting his head very far up and back and it would seem, enjoy the spectacle of the film crew! Although a clearly very physically disabled child, according to his single parent father, his attendance at Play Plus means he not only gains interaction with other people and can develop his severely restricted communication skills but that, all of the interactions that he encounters has an enormous effect on his wellbeing in a positive way. In KE312 DVD on Play - The Chief Officer of Plus Stirling – Paul Dumbleton states that for an ordinary ‘child in school, being lonely and miserable with no friends probably means that your chances of learning are pretty slim, unless you are very bright and can fill the void of being lonely with learning a lot. He then goes on to say “if you have learning disabilities and have no friends – what do you do?” (not verbatim) He describes Plus Stirling as a voluntary organisation, established approximately twenty years ago by parents of disabled children who were concerned that their children were not involved in normal play activities. Play Plus offers children with disabilities and disabled children the chance to meet other children and develop social skills and friendships, plus a range of play and leisure opportunities which are inclusive. Practitioners may do well to learn from Play Plus and its inclusiveness, its policies and practises would outwardly seem to be very successful and could well be adopted in children’s services generally ensuring that more children’s services, do in fact, become children’s spaces.
The value of play to children has also been recognised in hospitals. It is no longer seen as just a way to pass the time but can also help the child cope with;-
• being admitted, with illness and treatment
• help to reduce stress and anxiety, promote confidence, self esteem and independence
• provides a channel of communication between the healthcare staff and the child
• prepare the child for surgical procedures and can help find strategies for coping with pain and invasive procedures.
At a time of emotional turmoil, play can make the difference between a successful and positive outcome. Practitioners can gain a great deal from play therapy such as a better understanding of the fears facing a child in hospital thus enabling them to support troubled children better. For children who have a safe place to play as an alternative to talk, play therapy can help them to make sense of things.
“Play and learning are understood to be inextricably linked” [CB2:p121] and practioners should support play because of its wide ranging benefits in learning. Learning also supports children’s wellbeing by giving them a sense of achievement, helps them to set goals and troubleshoot problems to overcome issues. However, children in the UK have one of the longest school days in Europe and the education is curriculum based, so whilst play is vital to learning, it seems to have been overtaken by the need for curriculum based education and a question could be posed as to the level of play incorporated within curriculum based education. From my own experience, there are large amounts of software aimed at children which claim to support children’s learning in what could be said to be a ‘virtual’ playground. Virtual play spaces are generally used to describe children’s activities through the use of a computer or through the internet, online. Much debate exists about such virtual playgrounds and their benefits to children but to some children, these kind of ‘play spaces’ might be all that is available to them outside of their school. There are many reasons for this; firstly, there appears to be an ever increasing fear growing about the safety of children playing outside, whether this be road safety or ‘stranger danger’ and secondly, children’s opportunities for outdoor play are restricted by the daylight hours at certain times of the year and the weather in the UK. The London Play survey of 2006 show that ‘80% of children preferred playing outside to inside, 72% would like to play outside more often and 86% preferred outdoor activities … to playing computer games’ [CB2:p128] The advent of the Internet is probably a current bugbear whereas twenty years ago, the bugbear was that children spend too much time watching television rather than playing outside.
Play is essential to the well being and healthy development of children, it is an essential part of human life, evident in all societies. It provides children with a platform for learning in terms of social and emotional, cognitive and physical development. It helps them form friendships, builds their understanding of the world around them. ‘Given an opportunity, children will play wherever and whenever they can’ [CB2:p121] Practioners should support play because its supports children’s wellbeing. It supports their wellbeing by being intrinsic to the quality of their lives, supports learning, relationships, communication skills, social, emotional and cognitive skills. Practioners can support play by ensuring that children have time and safe places to play, both inside and outside and by making them inclusive i.e. available to all children regardless of gender, age, culture or disability. In order for practitioners to ensure inclusive play, they must have adequate resources, suitable training and a suitable physical environment that is barrier free and blurs the differences between disabled and able children. Practitioners can also support play by ensuring that policy becomes practise and children’s services become children’s spaces.
References
Promoting Children’s Wellbeing, policy and practice Collins & Leverett, Bristol, The Policy Press in association with the Open University Press. p = page number
Play is accepted in western society as ‘vital for the wellbeing and healthy development of children’ [CB2:p111] but defining play is less easy that stating its benefits and importance and would probably evoke a different meaning in each individual. Play has several characteristics as identified by Sue Gutteridge a Play Services Manager for Stirling Council [1] as ‘self directed, under children’s own control, has no specific outcomes and is evident in all societies’ (not verbatim). She also tells us that it is part of the “culture of childhood and that adults should respect it” and further that it is “intrinsic to wellbeing”. Play is a ‘stimulus seeking activity’ and should contain elements of uncertainty’ [CB2:114] other key points include;- free flowing, unstructured, flexible and responsive to different context. There are many reasons as to why play is important to children’s wellbeing including its aid to learning and development, social and cognitive skills but also its fundamental value to physical and emotional wellbeing. Why should practioners support play? Because as well as supporting wellbeing, play is a ‘‘layer of living’ where children, and children and adults, can connect’ (Giulbaud, 2003,p170)[CB2:p115] and connecting with children has key implications in positive communication and establishing successful relationships.
The desire and ability to play is of great importance to children. Whether they play by themselves, with other children or pets or with adults, it teaches children different outcomes and in terms of development and provides a broader range of skills to ensure their future success in life. Children playing by themselves provides an opportunity for them to experience self amusement, enabling them to do whatever they want to do and not have to follow or fit in with someone else’s requirements. They learn self exploration and self expression without fear of what someone else thinks of them. It helps them explore ideas, creativity and problem solving. Play with other children significant contributes to social development, communication skills and gives an understanding of customs and perhaps rules of play, what is or isn’t acceptable behaviour as well as identity within a group, power relationships and customs. Other children, provide a test bed for children to develop their social skills and identify limits. Play with pets helps children learn responsibility and limits according to the pet and play with adults provides a connection to a much bigger, more complicated and complex world which is vital to children’s future success in it. Adults are experienced, more than children and their thirst for new experiences can taken and guided by adults. Physical play helps children develop motor skills and helps create a sense of well being and having spaces to play, both indoor and outdoor is of particular importance to the quality of children’s lives.
Practitioners should support play primarily because it promotes wellbeing in the child and this is achieved by fully understanding the value of play and providing as many opportunities for inclusive play, as possible. These environments need to be safe places, inside and outside, that allow children a choice, companions to play with, plenty of time and space. ‘Space and time to play is recognised in Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations, 1989) as every child’s entitlement’ [CB2:p119]. Inclusive play spaces mean that they should be available and accessible to all children who wish to use them, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity, learning or physical disabilities. Beresford, 2002 identified three, key factors to ensuring inclusive play services in relation to disabled children. Practitioners must have adequate staff resources to support inclusive play, the must have staff training to ensure that staff have knowledge of conditions and practical issue that affect disabled children and they must have a suitable physical environment that does not disable and exclude certain children but in fact ‘blurs the differences in the abilities of the children’ [CB2:p124] Inclusive spaces for children also means involving them in the decisions about what determines, the look, layout, structure and activities within the space. Children’s participation in the process is invaluable to the practitioners. Asking them what they enjoy doing, what they want to do and what they have to play with and evaluating all of that encourages a more inclusive space/spaces and children gain important skills too. They learn to negotiate, to express themselves and to take account of other people’s feelings, to problem solve, put forward ideas and take risks. They develop friendships and group belonging, something which disabled children and children with disabilities, can often find themselves limited in. Play schemes such as PlayPlus in Stirling, provide play, leisure and social opportunities for children with disabilities. Even the most severely disabled of children, such as those who cannot talk or walk are able to be included in socialising and activities which provide them with amusement, entertainment, knowledge, involvement, extra communication opportunities. For example. KE312 DVD Plus Stirling section on Video 2 – Communication, features a young boy with Cerebral Palsy.
Scott was described on the video by the event coordinator as “you know what he wants and is quite clear”. She described him as moving his head up for yes and down for no and the fact that he loved to be taken out of his chair. He is shown on the ‘splodges’ with his helper Jenni, helping to turn the pages of the story book and trying to grab the camera belonging to the film crew. From what can be seen, he is clearly enjoying being involved, he appears to welcome the opportunity to turn the pages and be involved in the story, he answers the questions about wanting a cat with enthusiasm by lifting his head very far up and back and it would seem, enjoy the spectacle of the film crew! Although a clearly very physically disabled child, according to his single parent father, his attendance at Play Plus means he not only gains interaction with other people and can develop his severely restricted communication skills but that, all of the interactions that he encounters has an enormous effect on his wellbeing in a positive way. In KE312 DVD on Play - The Chief Officer of Plus Stirling – Paul Dumbleton states that for an ordinary ‘child in school, being lonely and miserable with no friends probably means that your chances of learning are pretty slim, unless you are very bright and can fill the void of being lonely with learning a lot. He then goes on to say “if you have learning disabilities and have no friends – what do you do?” (not verbatim) He describes Plus Stirling as a voluntary organisation, established approximately twenty years ago by parents of disabled children who were concerned that their children were not involved in normal play activities. Play Plus offers children with disabilities and disabled children the chance to meet other children and develop social skills and friendships, plus a range of play and leisure opportunities which are inclusive. Practitioners may do well to learn from Play Plus and its inclusiveness, its policies and practises would outwardly seem to be very successful and could well be adopted in children’s services generally ensuring that more children’s services, do in fact, become children’s spaces.
The value of play to children has also been recognised in hospitals. It is no longer seen as just a way to pass the time but can also help the child cope with;-
• being admitted, with illness and treatment
• help to reduce stress and anxiety, promote confidence, self esteem and independence
• provides a channel of communication between the healthcare staff and the child
• prepare the child for surgical procedures and can help find strategies for coping with pain and invasive procedures.
At a time of emotional turmoil, play can make the difference between a successful and positive outcome. Practitioners can gain a great deal from play therapy such as a better understanding of the fears facing a child in hospital thus enabling them to support troubled children better. For children who have a safe place to play as an alternative to talk, play therapy can help them to make sense of things.
“Play and learning are understood to be inextricably linked” [CB2:p121] and practioners should support play because of its wide ranging benefits in learning. Learning also supports children’s wellbeing by giving them a sense of achievement, helps them to set goals and troubleshoot problems to overcome issues. However, children in the UK have one of the longest school days in Europe and the education is curriculum based, so whilst play is vital to learning, it seems to have been overtaken by the need for curriculum based education and a question could be posed as to the level of play incorporated within curriculum based education. From my own experience, there are large amounts of software aimed at children which claim to support children’s learning in what could be said to be a ‘virtual’ playground. Virtual play spaces are generally used to describe children’s activities through the use of a computer or through the internet, online. Much debate exists about such virtual playgrounds and their benefits to children but to some children, these kind of ‘play spaces’ might be all that is available to them outside of their school. There are many reasons for this; firstly, there appears to be an ever increasing fear growing about the safety of children playing outside, whether this be road safety or ‘stranger danger’ and secondly, children’s opportunities for outdoor play are restricted by the daylight hours at certain times of the year and the weather in the UK. The London Play survey of 2006 show that ‘80% of children preferred playing outside to inside, 72% would like to play outside more often and 86% preferred outdoor activities … to playing computer games’ [CB2:p128] The advent of the Internet is probably a current bugbear whereas twenty years ago, the bugbear was that children spend too much time watching television rather than playing outside.
Play is essential to the well being and healthy development of children, it is an essential part of human life, evident in all societies. It provides children with a platform for learning in terms of social and emotional, cognitive and physical development. It helps them form friendships, builds their understanding of the world around them. ‘Given an opportunity, children will play wherever and whenever they can’ [CB2:p121] Practioners should support play because its supports children’s wellbeing. It supports their wellbeing by being intrinsic to the quality of their lives, supports learning, relationships, communication skills, social, emotional and cognitive skills. Practioners can support play by ensuring that children have time and safe places to play, both inside and outside and by making them inclusive i.e. available to all children regardless of gender, age, culture or disability. In order for practitioners to ensure inclusive play, they must have adequate resources, suitable training and a suitable physical environment that is barrier free and blurs the differences between disabled and able children. Practitioners can also support play by ensuring that policy becomes practise and children’s services become children’s spaces.
References
Promoting Children’s Wellbeing, policy and practice Collins & Leverett, Bristol, The Policy Press in association with the Open University Press. p = page number
Tuesday 6 May 2008
weight loss update
Yeh heh and I cant help but love you so!
I have now lost 26 pounds in weight on the cambridge diet and next week, yes, next week I will have lost another two pounds at least and pick up my award for losing 2 stones!!!!!!
2 stones
2 stones
2 stones
2 stones
I am looking GOOOOOOOOOOD!
The woman that weighs me actually said if I lose another two stone (as planned) I will be too thin -bwahahahahahahahhahahhahahahhahahha -me, too thin!!!!! hahahahahahahhaha
forget lol, bloody loud and obnoxious hahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahah
watch this space xxxxxxx
ps my piggy is much better after his op to remove a tumour - still bloody grumpy though - but proves you dont have to have small animals put down to satisfy the vet. He lived through the anesthetic - ok he didnt eat anything but lettuce for about 2 weeks, but he lived and we love him he is well worth the £50 vet bill.
I have now lost 26 pounds in weight on the cambridge diet and next week, yes, next week I will have lost another two pounds at least and pick up my award for losing 2 stones!!!!!!
2 stones
2 stones
2 stones
2 stones
I am looking GOOOOOOOOOOD!
The woman that weighs me actually said if I lose another two stone (as planned) I will be too thin -bwahahahahahahahhahahhahahahhahahha -me, too thin!!!!! hahahahahahahhaha
forget lol, bloody loud and obnoxious hahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahah
watch this space xxxxxxx
ps my piggy is much better after his op to remove a tumour - still bloody grumpy though - but proves you dont have to have small animals put down to satisfy the vet. He lived through the anesthetic - ok he didnt eat anything but lettuce for about 2 weeks, but he lived and we love him he is well worth the £50 vet bill.
Friday 11 April 2008
Weight Loss
Lucky me, I got weighed at Fat Club and I have now lost 22 lbs in weight since 23rd January!
I still have a lot of weight to lose but I am confident that I will reach my goal by July 2008. Watch this space!
Check this out
http://jaackal.bezoogle.com/pp/weight-loss/
I still have a lot of weight to lose but I am confident that I will reach my goal by July 2008. Watch this space!
Check this out
http://jaackal.bezoogle.com/pp/weight-loss/
Thursday 10 April 2008
Singing Dog in the Volkswagen Ad
I just love that advert. I know it is a bit dubious in content - shows the dog in visible distress - but I cant believe that the dog was really harmed. Anyway, I love the song so I went looking for the words. Here they are:-
I'm a Man
(Winwood/Miller)
Well, my pad is very messy and there's whiskers on my chin
And I'm all hung up on music, and I always play to win
I ain't got no time for lovin' 'cause my time is all used up
Just sittin' 'round creatin' all that groovy kind of stuff
Well, I'm a man, yes I am, and I can't help but love you so
Well, I'm a man, yes I am, and I can't help but love you so
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9beQh1yH5uU
I'm a Man
(Winwood/Miller)
Well, my pad is very messy and there's whiskers on my chin
And I'm all hung up on music, and I always play to win
I ain't got no time for lovin' 'cause my time is all used up
Just sittin' 'round creatin' all that groovy kind of stuff
Well, I'm a man, yes I am, and I can't help but love you so
Well, I'm a man, yes I am, and I can't help but love you so
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9beQh1yH5uU
Oh the worry!
How do you cope with the transition of your child from primary school to secondary school?
Well, here are my thoughts.
Take your child early and let them choose the kind of uniform that they would like to wear. Most uniform shops will put the school logo on just about anything and lets face it you cant get too racey with school uniform, they just dont make it that way! Lets face it, if your child/children feel(s) good about what they are wearing, they will feel good about themselves. They will never get a second chance to make a good impression.
Some kids worry about the travel arrangements for going to high school. Suddenly they go from Mum or Dad taking them and dropping them off outside the school gates, whether it be by car or by foot, to "well you are off to high school now, old enough to go by yourself". Not all parents would be this thoughtless but to those of you who are thinking about it, dont throw your kids in a the deep end - at least give them a dummy run. During the holidays before they start high school, take the bus or the walk with them, be sure that you know what potential dangers they face and encourage them to tell you what fears they have about the process. If necessary, repeat the process several times so that they become more confident about it, even if it is only around the corner.
Speak to the staff at the primary school and the high school, ask them, are there any schemes whereby kids from all the surrounding or cluster schools can get together during the holidays for a 'get to know each other' or team building project. This kind of activity can help and break the ice so that when you kid(s) get to high school, they already have met some of their new class mates and have already broken the ice. This takes away some of the fear of meeting new people as part of the transition.
Further, speak to both schools about 'induction days'. Most schools have them, whereby your kid(s) will go to the high school for a couple of days whilst they are in the final year of primary school in order for them to get a real feel for high school and experience real lessons in specific subjects. This enables them to know what a real science/geography/cookery lesson is really like and may potentially make them really look forward to high school.
Find out about anti-bullying policy in the school that your child/children are to attend and take the time to go through it with them. Even if they have fears that they havent told you about, it may be a perfect opportunity for them to let you know that they have just a little fear of being bullied. Most schools have a zero tolerance policy on bullying these days and its policies are prolifically highlighted and placed in most high schools I have visited over the last few years and working in Education, as I do, I have seen more than a few high schools.
Find out about buddying. A lot of schools offer buddying from a higher school pupil to a first year pupil. Your child/children may decide that they would be too embarrassed to have a buddy but some schools will let buddies meet privately and keep in touch via the school email system.
Find out about all the clubs that the school has on offer. These can vary from lunch time clubs to after school. The more your child/children have to occupuy their thirsty brains, the better!
Find out if your high school will offer and Agony Aunt box. This is so placed out of the way so that pupils can place their concerns, be them anonymous or open, into a box, written on a piece of paper so that the year group head, can take them at will and read. He/She may address the concerns via whole school assembly, poster, new lunch club but most definately not publicly!
There will obviously be open days, DO NOT MISS THEM. They are an invaluable source and guide of information and knowledge. Treat them as if you were a private detective getting paid a fortune for finding out everything that you possibly can. The more you find out, the more you will alay both your fears and your childs/childrens.
These are just some of my ideas and stuff that I have found. There are many other and I am sure endless possibilities and ways of making your child feel better about moving school. It is a huge transition, not just for the child, or the parent, but for the school your child is leaving and the school your child is starting. Give both schools the chance to do their job throughout the transition and LISTEN to your child's fears about it. If your child/children appear toexpress none, great! but have you sat down and asked them?
Best of Luck
Well, here are my thoughts.
Take your child early and let them choose the kind of uniform that they would like to wear. Most uniform shops will put the school logo on just about anything and lets face it you cant get too racey with school uniform, they just dont make it that way! Lets face it, if your child/children feel(s) good about what they are wearing, they will feel good about themselves. They will never get a second chance to make a good impression.
Some kids worry about the travel arrangements for going to high school. Suddenly they go from Mum or Dad taking them and dropping them off outside the school gates, whether it be by car or by foot, to "well you are off to high school now, old enough to go by yourself". Not all parents would be this thoughtless but to those of you who are thinking about it, dont throw your kids in a the deep end - at least give them a dummy run. During the holidays before they start high school, take the bus or the walk with them, be sure that you know what potential dangers they face and encourage them to tell you what fears they have about the process. If necessary, repeat the process several times so that they become more confident about it, even if it is only around the corner.
Speak to the staff at the primary school and the high school, ask them, are there any schemes whereby kids from all the surrounding or cluster schools can get together during the holidays for a 'get to know each other' or team building project. This kind of activity can help and break the ice so that when you kid(s) get to high school, they already have met some of their new class mates and have already broken the ice. This takes away some of the fear of meeting new people as part of the transition.
Further, speak to both schools about 'induction days'. Most schools have them, whereby your kid(s) will go to the high school for a couple of days whilst they are in the final year of primary school in order for them to get a real feel for high school and experience real lessons in specific subjects. This enables them to know what a real science/geography/cookery lesson is really like and may potentially make them really look forward to high school.
Find out about anti-bullying policy in the school that your child/children are to attend and take the time to go through it with them. Even if they have fears that they havent told you about, it may be a perfect opportunity for them to let you know that they have just a little fear of being bullied. Most schools have a zero tolerance policy on bullying these days and its policies are prolifically highlighted and placed in most high schools I have visited over the last few years and working in Education, as I do, I have seen more than a few high schools.
Find out about buddying. A lot of schools offer buddying from a higher school pupil to a first year pupil. Your child/children may decide that they would be too embarrassed to have a buddy but some schools will let buddies meet privately and keep in touch via the school email system.
Find out about all the clubs that the school has on offer. These can vary from lunch time clubs to after school. The more your child/children have to occupuy their thirsty brains, the better!
Find out if your high school will offer and Agony Aunt box. This is so placed out of the way so that pupils can place their concerns, be them anonymous or open, into a box, written on a piece of paper so that the year group head, can take them at will and read. He/She may address the concerns via whole school assembly, poster, new lunch club but most definately not publicly!
There will obviously be open days, DO NOT MISS THEM. They are an invaluable source and guide of information and knowledge. Treat them as if you were a private detective getting paid a fortune for finding out everything that you possibly can. The more you find out, the more you will alay both your fears and your childs/childrens.
These are just some of my ideas and stuff that I have found. There are many other and I am sure endless possibilities and ways of making your child feel better about moving school. It is a huge transition, not just for the child, or the parent, but for the school your child is leaving and the school your child is starting. Give both schools the chance to do their job throughout the transition and LISTEN to your child's fears about it. If your child/children appear toexpress none, great! but have you sat down and asked them?
Best of Luck
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