Good and bad points about the use of physical comfort in an early years setting?

Question

evaulate the use of physical comfort and sensory relaxation in the early years 0-8 years

Answer 1

I am not sure if you are talking about pacifiers and blankies and things or cuddles and things like that so I will give you my thoughts on both

If you are talking about blankies then we do not allow these a pre-school (2.5-5 year olds)if they are old enough to be attending pre-school then they do not need to have comfortors like these we have enough toys and activities out to be able to distract them.  sometimes parents try to give us these and I say its ok they won't need them and the look quite shocked like they can't believe me and when they come bouncing out later in the day they are always pleased.

As for cuddling yes if a child wants to come and sit on our lap and have a cuddle for a bit of comfort then no problem these children are only young and they only need one for a few minutes for a bit of reassurance and then they are ready to go off again.  If they are doing this often throughout the session though then we will take them over to an activity and encourage them to play and move off when they are  more settled.

hope that helps

Answer 2

A time to relax gives childrens bodies chance to recover from rushing about. It allows the childs muscles and heart rate to relax and let growth occur.

Physical comfort is good tohelp children relax and feel safe. If a child is uncomfortable they are less like to relax and stay at the quiet activity and therefore the body not get the rest it needs.

Letting a child relax is also good for their mind, give them a chance to focus, and to think..its a good time for storytelling as the mind can concerntrate without the strain of moving around.

Negative-some children like to relax too much and dont ge the physical exercise they need leading to poor motor development, obesity and sometime digestive problems!

In terms of comfort items such as blankies, pacifers etc...they are good in a setting as they give it a touch of home-something that makes the children feel safe and secure. Safe and secure children tend to be open to learning and forming attachements outside of immediate family.

However the negative is if they wont go or do anything wihthout it wiht them. Pacifiers can cause speech delay and difficulty forming sounds as well as problems with dentisty. And blankies can carry dirt and grime (I was a pain as a child and carried mine EVERYWHERE hating if it was washed!!!)

Sensory relaxation helps very young children as it can capture their attention and imagination..light and sound rooms give children stimulation and aids in concerntration, recognising movement, looking at patterns, recognising sounds and rythms etc especially good for Special Educational Needs children.

Negative: can be expensive!!!

Answer 3

don't think im evil or anything, but i think all that stuff makes kids soft. when they get older, they're going to always want that sort of comfort and things can't be comfortable all the time. and when kids get to comfortable, especially when they're young, they just fall asleep, thats not good if they're supposed to be learning. and at some institutions they'll just let your kids sleep. you're paying all this money for childcare or education and your childs sleeping, watching tv or chasing bubbles, what a joke