Solution.
Wellness and Wellbeing
Wellness is an integrated and changing level of functioning that is dependent on self-responsibility and is focused on potential maximization. Wellness is not only tied to health but also to attitude and thinking. Wellness is a continuous process in a person’s life and results to growth and achievement in spiritual, physical, occupational, emotional, and social dimensions. Wellness applies to both adults and kids, and depends on factors such as the biological, environment, and the social factors among others. Several factors influence the attainment of wellness hence making it highly dynamic (Robbins, Powers & Burgess, 2009).
Some of the social, environmental, and biological factors that influence the achievement of wellness include the genetics where an individual from a strong gene pool. Such individuals can withstand various illnesses or agents that cam compromise wellness. Individuals with a weaker gene pool may find themselves exposed and vulnerable to various risks. The environment is also another influencing factor that influences the attainment of wellness. People surrounding an individual might be the source of stress hence affecting the psychological wellbeing of an individual. The same people might be the source of happiness hence reducing stress and improving wellbeing.
The environment might also be the source of disease causing agents and hence compromise the health of an individual. Some social factors such as friendship and love improve wellness on all the fronts. A person in a friendship or in love is psychologically undisturbed hence for instance can avoid diseases emanating from psychological disturbances. Diet and eating habits is another factor that influences achievement of wellness. Nutritious food and there quantity are very critical in determining the wellness of an individual (Robbins, Powers & Burgess, 2009).
Religion can also influence the level of a person wellbeing. Spiritual life makes people optimistic and hence most probably more complete. Another example of a factor influencing the attainment of wellness is watching too much television. Watching for too long makes a person very tired and hence may influence the functioning of such as an individual (Robbins, Powers & Burgess, 2009).
Attainment of wellness is usually unequitable due to the class and socio-economic status. The class and the social strength of an individual dictate where and individual will live hence determining the environment. The economic status determines the kind of life an individual lives including shelter and diet. In most cases, people do not choose their economic status and they find themselves either poor or rich. In some instances, the poor cannot afford to acquire things that boost the attainment of wellness hence are at a disadvantage (Graham, 2007).
The failure to apply human rights approach is another reason why attainment of wellness might be unequitable. Every person is entitled to wellness irrespective of their social status but this usually faces many challenges due to lack of commitment by the people and governments. Unfairness is another factor that makes the attainment of unequitable whereby the poor lack the necessary avenues to attain wellness. The wealthy also usually compare themselves with the wealthier hence gets disturbed (Graham, 2007).
Children are a part of the society and hence inherit the factor that affects wellness from their parents. For instance, the class and socio-economic status of their parents affect children. The economic status of the parents will determine where the children will grow hence influencing their environment. Poor parents will most likely bring up their children in bad environments hence affecting their wellbeing. Wealthy parents can afford classy environments where the wellness of their kids is highly improved.
Human rights will mostly affect wellness of the kids in the sense that children growing up in countries where access of resources such as education is based on the human rights approach will have their lives improved regardless of their socio-economic status. Finally, unfairness trickles down from the parents to the kids. Parents who feel unwell when they compare their status with others might influence their kids because they are a part of their environment (Graham, 2007).
Educators with the understanding of the factors influencing the wellness of kids will always understand the task they are tackling. Educators tackling poor kids will know how to handle them considering the factors influencing their wellness. These educators can coin their syllabuses to nullify the effects of various factors on wellness on kids regarding whatever they want to achieve (Robbins, Powers & Burgess, 2009)..
References
Graham, H. (2007). Unequal lives. New York: McGraw-Hill, PP. 177-181
Robbins, G., Powers, D., & Burgess, S. (2009). Understanding wellness A wellness way of life (8th ed., pp.7-14). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Solution.
Wellness and Wellbeing of Children in Early Childhood Education
Introduction
Children’s health is influenced by interactions with multiple determinants linked to complex development processes in the environment. Parents are faced with daunting processes of choosing the best early childhood education service for their children. As noted by (Handerson, 2012), positive mental health is critical for the wellness of a child as well as the wellbeing to maturity if acquired effectively in early childhood. As a result, children offered mental health and wellbeing support in the early stages of life have a strong foundation to develop skills, values and behaviors needed to have positive mental and physical health in adulthood. According to McCallum and Price (2010), wellness refers to a positive state of health in human beings while wellbeing refers to a state of doing well in life and being healthy, happy, prosperous, and maintaining a morally and physically fit life as an individual or as a community. Not only does nurturing of wellness and wellbeing of a child as an early childhood educator make a difference to their lives, but also contributes to the development of a prosperous mind that is beneficial to the society (Handerson, 2012). What children go through during the early years has consequences through their paths in life.
Body
- Setup
Early childhood settings play important roles in promoting wellness and the feeling of wellbeing in children, their families, and the entire community (Davis et al., 2010). As such, the aims and goals of promoting health and wellbeing should be supported by early childhood professionals, early childhood service providers, and the parents. In most settings, parents and childhood professionals support these goals but other factors like mental, spiritual, and physical health, intertwined with emotional stability, environmental and social health affect the attainment of wellness and wellbeing. Following the ratifications that were made by the World Health Organization in 1974, health was later defined as the complete state of physical, mental, and social wellbeing of a living organism and not mere absence of disease. This indicates that all the factors of health should remain present for a child to have better wellbeing (Handerson, 2012).
- Physical, emotional, and mental wellness and wellbeing
In a child’s development, physical health offers size and shape characteristics, sensory and responsiveness, disease and disorders susceptibility, recuperative abilities, and proper body functioning (Handerson, 2012). If a child is denied physical wellness, it becomes hard to achieve physical activity, strong and healthy bones and joints, well build patience and muscle force, self-respect, and uphold healthy life (McCallum & Price, 2010). Emotional wellness is a condition that fluctuates depending on other factors in the environment. Infants achieve satisfaction by attaching to individuals or groups whom they believe can help them survive or explore their surroundings. Mental health defines the unique intellectual abilities that a child has to use when reasoning impartially, carrying out serious examination, and thinking clearly over the challenges that may arise in the environment.
- Environmental, spiritual, and social wellness and wellbeing
Although children are naturally inquisitive, the learning process out of the successful or unsuccessful attempts may be hampered by the inability to deliberate on all aspects out of a situation (Davis et al., 2010). Environmental, spiritual, and social health are intertwined in a way that one must be present for the effects of the other to be felt. According to Handerson (2012), the environmental health is determined by the understanding of the internal and the exterior environmental circumstances, how people interact to preserve the circumstances and the beliefs that influence the interactions. As a result, communication and interaction determines the social health of a community which influences the development of skills among infants.
Conclusion
Children develop and respond to change quickly during early childhood. The development processes exhibited at this stage are fundamental in determining their future wellness and wellbeing. If not natured, children’s attainment of wellness and wellbeing is affected by physical, mental, and emotional health, which intertwines with spiritual, environmental, and social health. Early childhood professional need to conceptualize early childcare as an opportunity to offer learning and socialization skills rather than mind development.
References
Davis, E., Preist, N., Davies, B., Sims, M., Harrison, L., Herrman, H., Waters, E., Strazdins, L.,
Marshall, B. & Cook, K. (2010). Promoting children’s social and emotional wellbeing in childcare centers within low socioeconomic areas: Strategies, facilitators and challenges. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 35(3), 77-86. Print.
Handerson, C. (2012). Health as social construct. In Liamputtong, P., Fanany, R. & Verrinder, G.
(eds), Health, illness and wellbeing: perspectives and social determinants. South Melbrone, SM, Oxford University Press.
McCallum, F. & Price, D. (2010). Well teachers, well students. Journal of Student Wellbeing,
4(1), 19-34. Print.