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Child Care News for Parents & Carers
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February 5, 2020
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Kia ora, this week we look at the important role early childhood settings play in supporting children, and families, to develop better heart health. How to manage the inevitable techno-tantrums when they strike in your house and updated information on the novel coronavirus.
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Healthy heart initiatives at early learning services
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Home is where the heart is, but when it comes to heart health, early childhood education (ECE) services also play an important role in teaching youngsters how to eat well, stay active and look after their hearts in childhood and beyond.
Throughout February, many ECE services are also raising funds for the Heart Foundation by holding a Big Heart Day and continuing to work towards their Healthy Heart Award.
To see how ECE services support young children’s heart health and learn more about Big Heart Day and the Healthy Heart Award, we spoke with Frances Arenhold from the Heart Foundation.
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How to deal with techno-tantrums
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Although an age-appropriate amount of screen time can be beneficial for children’s learning, too much time on a digital device does your child no favours.
The Ministry of Health’s Active Play Guidelines for Under Fives clearly recommend no screen time for under-twos, and less than an hour a day for children aged two to five, and research suggests that too much screen time can negatively affect youngsters’ health and development.
Day to day, digital devices can also have an impact on children’s emotions, and you might find that your child throws a ‘techno-tantrum’ when the time comes to switch off their screen.
The good news is that this kind of emotionally charged outburst is manageable. This week we look at the techno-tantrum in more detail and share an expert’s tips for encouraging healthy screen habits and dealing with technology-related meltdowns.
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Novel coronavirus – Information for Parents
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News reports about the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus are impossible to ignore and a potential cause of anxiety for many parents and carers with children in schools and early learning centres.
While there are no confirmed cases of the coronavirus here in New Zealand, the Ministry of Education is keeping a close eye on the situation and is releasing regular status updates as well as information for parents on how to protect children from contracting the virus.
Current recommendations are as follows:
- If your child is unwell they should not be at their early learning service or school. Please contact Healthline at 0800 611 116 or your GP for medical advice. Healthline has translators and interpreters available 24/7 in 150 languages and they do have Mandarin and Cantonese speaking staff available.
- For child who may be at high risk of exposure because they have travelled recently to China or have been in close contact with someone confirmed with the virus, consider delaying the start of their school year for 14 days or delay attending their early learning service and voluntarily stay away.
- If your child attends school or an early learning institution while showing symptoms then they may be asked to return home by the Principal of a state school, an early learning service provider or home-based educator.
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