Working with Babies from birth to 12 months



Working with Babies from birth to 12 months

Introduction

The nature & nurture theory explains the development from childhood to adulthood. Children are most receptive to learning in the early days of their childhood. Learning and development are not merely the topic of providing quality education. The concept elaborates the importance of environmental, physical and emotional factors that come to play. The first year of a child sets the foundation for his physical and mental development. Therefore, it is extremely important that we understand the founding elements of a child's development. So that, practitioners and parents pay attention to the little details and do not miss them. The brain based technique suggests that children learn best through activities and play (Call & Sally, 2008). In the early years foundation stage, a child should receive what works best for him. By that, I mean goodness in the physical health along with environmental health. The nature & nurture theory elaborates the importance of nurture in the natural context. The theory suggests, nature provides ingredients that make up a brain while nurture serves as an architect. The element of nurture is of vital importance as it determines the development of a child (Call & Sally, 2008). In this paper, we analyze the factors influencing the development of children in the first year of their lives. The paper presents descriptive accounts to explain each element that influences them in one way or the other. Beginning from the environmental setting, the write up discusses the child protection guidelines, responsibilities of practitioners, teaching activities, and child care systems. The discussion begins with factors that influence health and development of babies.

Discussion

Childs development theory

There is a pool of child development theory that elaborates the development of a child. Gussel explains the development of a child through Maturationist theory. The theory emphasize on the contribution of the genes towards a child's development process (Margaret et al, 2004). Ecological system theory highlights the influence of family, society, political system, school, and community, over development of a child. Bowlby explains that a child has the tendency to attach to a human figure. The Primary Object Clinging theory elaborates a child's nature in developing bonds with humans (Bowlby, 1958). These theories highlight the researches of the individual's finding. Key worker system obtains its inspiration from the child's development theory pertaining to human attachment.

E1: Factors influencing the health & development of babies

Nutritional needs

There are a lot of factors that affect the development of a baby. A child draws influence from the surrounding environment. The environment includes factors associated to finances, society, parenting, and state legislation. For physical development of brain, the first year is of vital importance. For that matter, parents should make sure that their baby gets proper diet that meets his nutritional needs. The diet contributes towards physical nourishment of the brain and other related organs. Food and warmth are the two main physiological needs of a baby (Bowlby, ...