Essay on Promoting Wellness & Wellbeing in Early Childhood: Identifying Socialisation Influences & Strategies

Identify the socialisation influences (for example, family, peers, media) that could be contributing the wellness and wellbeing issues outlined in the case study. Use the subject readings and materials to support the identification of these. Identify strategies that early childhood staff and leadership could implement to address these socialisation influences to promote children's wellness and well-being in the early childhood setting. Best practice is based on quality research and theory, so include the reference to this to substantiate your strategies here.

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Families are the primary agents of socialisation that set up the grounds for the social wellbeing of children. Decisions on meals, diets and child plays are made by immediate family members influencing social life through physical activities that account for child wellness and wellbeing. Poor experiences and performance in life can lead to adverse health effects, such as obesity. As cited in the case study, child obesity is attributed to dietary needs and other social factors like family, friends and social media. According to Hartley (2019), family peers and media trigger the causes of obesity. In the case of Bella, her wellness and well-being concerns can be linked to the primary and secondary socialisation influences such as family and peers and media. Sarah, Bella's mother, is reluctant to take her kids for a walk, a factor that contributes to Bella's inactivity. The primary agents of socialisation contribute to the main influence on Bella's wellness and wellbeing. In addition to lack of physical exercise, Bella’s diet is questionable constituting of high calory foods. When questioned on the choice of food Bella consumes at lunch hour, Sarah responds that she prefers giving children what they prefer most to avoid food wastage. However, based on the evaluation of Bella’s diet and general wellbeing, it is evident that Sarah fails to factor in the nutritious aspect of each diet given to children and the associated risks on failing to adhere to the dietary requirements of children.

The media also influence Bella's wellness and wellbeing. According to Sarah, Bella like sugary cereals, especially those in "brightly coloured boxes" she sees from television. In this case, Sarah makes decisions on her daughter's diet based on a television advertisement, failing to acknowledge that advertisements are meant for commercial purposes and do not define the dietary wellbeing of consumers. At the daycare facility, Bella is reported to have difficulties in getting up, reluctant to play with other children and runs out of breath after slight running. Therefore, she prefers to sit and watch others play. Bella struggles to integrate into the daycare as she cites other children call her names as well as make negative comments on her body weight a factor that makes her reluctant to attend the daycare. Therefore, it is evident that Bella’s wellness and wellbeing are influenced by her diet, media, and lack of physical activities which increase her body weight and low self-esteem.

Promoting wellness and wellbeing is vital in establishing healthy living conditions in children. Child obesity is caused by economic and social consequences which need to be evaluated by the childhood staff and leadership in implementation of the prevention and management strategies. According to Faigenbaum and Bruno (2020), child obesity is linked to multiple factors which call for multiple approaches in the prevention and managing the condition. Prevention of childhood obesity can be effected at individual, household, community, and institutional levels. On the same account, Hartley (2019) cites that school-based intervention is also effective in managing and promoting children wellness and wellbeing. In the case of Bella, several approaches can be taken to counter the situation. Childhood staff and leadership need to sensitise Sarah on the need to embrace a low-calorie diet and expose Bella to physical activities. Participation of children in their nutritional demands is crucial in promoting healthy diets. Childhood staff can integrate health education sessions where children are sensitized on healthy nutrition practices. Besides, Sarah needs to be warned on exposing Bella to low-quality food, especially those advertised on media. Children tend to spend a lot of time watching contributing to inactivity and desire for low-quality foods advertised. Therefore, Sarah should be advised to regulate watching time as well as food consumed during watching. Imperatively, Sarah should focus on nutritional demands along with the improved physical activity. A change in the diet can meet dietary needs by avoiding sugary and high-calorie diets and encourage Bella to consume more fruits. On physical activity, Bella Sarah should promote Bella's involvement by taking her to walks in the park, encouraging her to make friends and participate in children's games. Outdoor activities and friends will engage her in play, boosting her self-esteem and physical activeness.

Identify the environmental influences (for example, aspects of the physical environment) that could be contributing to the wellness and wellbeing issues outlined in the case study. Use subject readings and materials to support the identification of these. Identify strategies that early childhood staff and leadership could implement to address these environmental influences to promote children's wellness and wellbeing in the early childhood setting. Best practice is based on quality research and theory, so include a reference to this to substantiate your strategies here.

Faigenbaum and Bruno (2020), cites that environmental background is a key determinant of wellness and wellbeing. Environmental background defines the primary factors of socialisation and interaction of children. School policies, demographic components, and parents’ work demands influence eating habits and behaviour. Based on Bella’s situation, her wellness and wellbeing is attributed to school policies, demographics and her parents work commitments. Bella’s school policy provides for fruits and vegetables to all children which is meant to supplement healthy dietary requirements that can improve Bella’s nutritional demands. However, she choses not take the fruits and vegetables. The time Bella spends on tv influence her choice and decision of the food to consume. However, the food advertised may not meet the dietary and nutritional needs. Parents' schedule is an important environmental factor that influences children wellness and wellbeing. Bella’s parents have a busy schedule and therefore fail to monitor Bella’s diet. Bella spends a lot of time watching television, limiting her time to interact with other children and make friends. She bases her nutritional demands on television adverts as the mother asserts that she likes sugary foods in brightly coloured boxes as in television. The economic status of the family influences the wellness and wellbeing of children. Bella’s parents have low income which makes it difficult for them to afford fresh food and healthy meals. In addition to low income, the playground is also vandalised and is in a poor state. Hence, Sarah reprimands Bella from playing in the playground. Sarah’s busy schedule hampers her from taking Bella to walks.

Childhood staff and leadership need to address the approaches to adopt in countering the environmental influences of wellness and wellbeing. According to Faigenbaum and Bruno (2020), a suitable environment should incorporate the provision of a healthy diet and allow for physical exercise to improve the health of children. Bella's current environment promotes the consumption of high calory food and limits physical activity. As cited by Moore and Lynch (2018), achieving weight loss involves the reduction of calory consumption, improving physical exercise and change in behaviour. According to Frønes (2016), behaviour change can be attained by a change in the environmental factors as well as reinforcing the consequences of certain behaviour.

In most cases, the strategies that influence behaviour change include goal setting and monitoring, stimulus control, monitoring dietary intake, activities and weight. It is important to motivate children to maintain healthy lifestyles through healthy diets and physical exercise. Childhood staffs can also give individual sessions based on the demands of each child. This allows them to meet specific needs in the form of dietary sensitisation and individual exercise. Exercises can be modified to meet reinforcement requirements and behaviour change. Involvement of children in improving their participation in children play can be advocated by childhood staff by sensitising them on the importance of exercise to healthy living. Also, the staffs need to liaise with the leaders to improve the fields and playgrounds to encourage Sarah to allow Bella to join other children in outdoor activities. Physical activity is an integral part of children’s growth and development. Therefore, it should be promoted to boost the health status of children.

Identify the equity issues that could be contributing to the wellness and wellbeing issues outlined in the case study. Use subject readings and materials to support the identification of these. Identify strategies that early childhood staff and leadership could implement to address these equity issues to promote children's wellness and wellbeing in the early childhood setting. Best practice is based on quality research and theory, so include a reference to this to substantiate your strategies here.

Child wellness and wellbeing are impacted on by macro-level determinants that influence the environment children interact in, obtain their diet and where parents exert their reinforcement. Macro-level determinants are outlined in the form of socio-cultural activities, economic and biological exposures significant for growth and development as well as integration in the society. According to Negussie et al. (2019), children are vulnerable to adverse socioeconomic status influencing their diet and overall wellbeing. Children from the low-income background are susceptible to poor nutrition and obesity due to lack of sufficient facilities for keeping fit and poor dietary provisions. As cited in the text, Bella’s parents cannot afford fresh food and therefore prefer giving her sugary cereals which she can consume without wastages. Low social class and low socioeconomic status reflect in main causes of inequality and hence dictate the social status of people, living standards, education status and type of occupation. Bella’s father is a nurse who works extra shifts to earn more money to sustain his family and buy a home. The parents’ economic status influences bella's diet. The father spends a lot of time working, therefore, lacks time to monitor Bella's behaviour and increasing body weight. In this case, inequality influences Bella’s wellness and wellbeing defining the food consumed by the family and the parents’ working hours.

Equity influences of child wellness and wellbeing can be handled by addressing various equity factors that can promote lasting effects on children wellness and wellbeing. The roles of parents and caregivers need to be clearly defined, and their contribution to managing child health and promoting wellness and wellbeing. According to Frønes (2016), the leaders need to comprehend the different conditions in which children live and appropriate device strategies that influence their dietary requirements and physical activities. Promotion of social factors and environmental factors expose children to healthy development factors promoting wellness and wellbeing.