The first discussion in this essay will focus on the reasons why institutional policies are broken; should those policies ever be broken; and discuss possible solutions that could eliminate the need to break these rules, which would lessen the pressure employees felt when the policies of the organization were not followed. The second discussion will be about the violent behavior in school-aged children and explore possible solutions to dealing with the explosive rage exhibited toward childcare workers. A problem with breaking rules during the flu and cold season puts not only other children’s health at risk, but the staff’s also.
The cleaning schedule for childcare facilities should be on a daily schedule. Many organizations keep a spray bottle of bleach and water to wipe down tables, chairs, desks, and play areas. Others dip all of the toys in a bucket of bleach water at the end of the day to sterilize them, but this does not clean toys that are handled and played with amongst the children before the end of the shift. Facilities hold policies that if the children are running a fever, coughing, sneezing, and have runny noses, the parents should keep the child home or find alternative care while the child recuperates.
Many of the organizations realize that in today’s world extended families could be located thousands of miles apart; and finding trustworthy alternative childcare is difficult. Thus, many facilities break their own policies in taking the sick children into their care to help the families, knowing that parents must go to work. The facilities also realize a financial loss in their economic budget when parents hire alternative childcare during the times that the children are ill. And ideal situation in childcare would be to recognize and implement childcare through all the ups and downs that families experience.
I propose that childcare facilities create an area away from the main rooms of bustling activities for the ill child or children. The separate wing would be a quieter place with subdued lighting to induce restful activities while the child recuperates from their compromised physical conditions. The instructor/teacher/worker, who is assigned to that area for the shift, can initiate quiet activities and instruction time. This separate area allows for more nap times in a less busy environment; extra hydration can be given to the ill child without hindrance from the other children.
Having assigned personnel to take care of the sick children and keeping them isolated from the main population of the facility, would do more in restricting the spread of the flu and cold viruses to the rest of the children and staff. Parents would not have to struggle with finding alternative childcare, and the facilities would be able to maintain a stable income by taking care of ill children. Most childcare facilities are considered small businesses; therefore, they would be eligible for certain grants to merge these two types of care packages for the parents’ choice of options.
Or the facility could charge an extra fee for that month to the child’s family to offset the extra expense in tending to an ill child. The second position of this essay deals with the problems of explosive rage in children towards classmates and staff. Alarming rates in acts of violence have increased dramatically in lower elementary grades. “Elementary school principals and safety experts say they’re seeing more violence and aggression than ever among their youngest students, pointing to what they see as an alarming rise in assaults and threats to classmates and teachers.
” 1 Working with the parents to control the unacceptable behavior of their children has failed, so facilities have approached the problem with stricter discipline to get the attention of the children and the parents. It is rare to see full time counselors or social workers in the elementary grades. Many schools districts have opted to share these positions to ease the budget demands. Police have to be called in to subdue parents upset with the disciplining of their child.
For instance, Minnesota has had to suspend nearly 4,000 kindergartners for violent behavior in 2004 to 2006. This is counterproductive to the classroom environment and hinders students from learning. To gain control of the classroom or childcare area, I propose that priorities be re-evaluated to obtain a higher budget level for implementing full time counselors and security positions. Ongoing certification classes for educators and childcare workers should place emphasis on what constitutes effective treatment for violent children.
It is not just a gift to be able to work with difficult children, it takes the philosophy of the teacher/worker that they can make a difference, for the good, in the children’s attitudes. I believe that full time social workers or counselors in the childcare institutions can keep track of the nutrition, health, and sleep patterns of the child that exhibits aggressive behavior. Unions of childcare workers can unite to press Congress for more active research, comparing pre-natal care as it relates to aggression in children. Communities can work along with the schools or other children’s facilities with after school programs.
Many ideas can be implemented for the prevention of juvenile delinquency; it only takes someone or some group to initiate and facilitate them. References 1 Toppo, Greg; USA Today, Online; (2003, January 12); retrieved June 7, 2007, from: http://www. usatoday. com/news/nation/2003-01-12-school-violence-usat_x. htm Gordon, Gerard; 1996; Managing Challenging Children; Australia, Prim-Ed Publishing. Taylor, Cecelia Monat, Ph. D. , R. N. ; Merness’ Essentials of Psychiatric Nursing, Thirteenth Edition; (1990); St. Louis, Missouri; The C. V. Mosby Company; pgs. 369-392.
