N6 Educational Psychology 2.9 Physical environment


The environment is important to shape the child’s behaviour. It must be interesting and stimulating. A bored child is a naughty child. There should be enough space for the children to move around freely. When there is not enough space, fighting will occur more often as the children get irritated and frustrated. Often it is not the child that must change, but the environment.


2.10 Meals


What a child eats will affect his behaviour. It is necessary that a child should follow a balanced diet. Also try avoid making mealtime a battlefield


Unpredictable and unusual eating behaviour is very common among pre-school children aged two to five years. Often, at meal and snack time, there is a frequent struggle for control between parents and pre-schoolers on what to eat, how much to eat, and even when to eat. Children have different physical and emotional needs than adults. Recognising these differences can help minimise tensions centred on food and make mealtime more pleasant. Take a deep breath when patience is running low and smile to help ease any tension growing between you and your child.


Here are a few tips to assist a parent in meal/snack planning and food selection.


• Children require smaller portions than adults. About one tablespoon of each type of food for every year of a child’s age is an ample portion size in most cases.


• Young children need to eat healthy snacks throughout the day in addition to regularly scheduled meals. Keep the snacks small and provide water instead of juice or milk so your pre-schooler will be hungry at mealtime.


• Choose lower-fat foods more often, and when choosing high-fat foods, aim for the child- size portions of healthy fats like, avocado, nuts or olives.


• Give pre-schoolers time to try new foods and recipes. If your child does not like them right away, try them several times over the course of several months before giving up.


• Remember, children have their own internal signals for hunger. Forcing pre-schoolers to try every food or clean their plates is not helpful and may be harmful to a child’s future relationship with food.


• Try to provide balanced, varied and tasty meals and snacks. Offer foods from all the food groups: whole grains such as wholewheat bread, whole grain pastas and whole grain cereals. Offer 5–9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, lower-fat and milk products; lean trimmed meats and skinless poultry, fish, dried peas, beans, and nuts.


2.11 Sensory deficiencies


Behaviour problems can also be the result of a sensory problem. A visually impaired child feels frustrated and uncertain. He is too afraid to follow instructions where reading and writing are involved, because he is afraid that he is going to do the wrong thing. A hearing impaired child might seem to be noisy, because he cannot hear himself and determine the level of noise he is making.


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