'A four-year-old boy in our nursery has suddenly started chewing on his sleeves or other parts of his clothing, or on soft toys, for long periods of time. Are children of this age still teething?' Dr Pat Gilbert replies:
At four years of age all the 'milk teeth' will have erupted, and the second set of teeth, the 'permanent' teeth, will not as yet have begun to appear. This will occur around six years of age, when the milk teeth will fall out to make room for the permanent set. It is worth looking in the child's mouth, however, to be sure that there is no decay going on in his teeth. This could be giving him pain, which he tries to relieve by chewing. Look also for any sore spots in his mouth.
Ask the boy's parents if he chews things at home, or if this is something that happens only at school. Also, make discreet enquiries as to whether there have been any major upsets in his life recently, such as moving house, or a bereavement.
From a more practical point of view, be sure that he has plenty to occupy his hands during the day, and try to give him extra attention when he does start to chew his clothing.
Whatever the weather
'On my last placement I was surprised to find that the children were allowed to go outside regardless of the weather. There was a covered area but it was still very cold. Is this good practice?' Jean Evans replies:
Nowadays it is common practice to go out in all but foggy weather. As long as children are adequately protected either from the sun, cold or rain, they will benefit from the change of environment and fresh air. Obviously any child who looks really uncomfortable and is clearly not enjoying the experience should not have to stay outside. A covered area is a bonus as children can be protected from rain or strong sun and also have equipment to play with. One of the main advantages of outdoor play is that children can enjoy the sensory experiences associated with changes in the weather. They can feel the wind on their faces and notice how the air smells after a shower of rain. With suitable footwear they can splash in puddles and observe closely what happens as rain drips from fences and soaks into the ground. However, there are precautions to be taken. Children should not be outside for too long in the direct sunshine or when it is very cold, and should be thoroughly dried when they return indoors. It is better to have two breaks of ten minutes at different times than a longer break of 20 minutes. Having a flexible timetable is one of the bonuses of nursery life.
Learning from home
'I am due to go into hospital soon for surgery, from which it will take up to six months to recover. I hope to be able to complete a childcare course from home and would like to know if there are any training centres that provide home study courses that lead to a qualification that would be recognised by nurseries and nanny agencies. I have completed a GNVQ in Health and Social Care at foundation level and I started the CACHE NVQ2 in childcare but did not complete the course.'
Meg Jones replies:
It is to your credit that you wish to study following your operation. However, while it is possible to follow recognised courses by distance learning - the Certificate in Pre-school Practice, NVQs, Certificate in Childminding Practice, for example - these all require you to be working with children to gain practical experience in order to get the award. You could take a course where you would be gaining the underpinning knowledge, like a GCSE in child development, or a correspondence course, but in themselves, these would not give you the qualifications you seek. You also need to check out who gives accreditation for diplomas and certificates to judge their usefulness to you. Talk to your local training providers. It may be possible for you to start a course, or continue with the NVQ you started, by home study initially for the period you are grounded, with the intention of going into a placement when you are well to finish it off. In any case, six months is too short a period to gain any recognised qualification, so you will need to extend your time scale.
Try looking up the Open Learning Centre International on www.olc.ccta.ac.ukand www.ruslandcollege.co.uk/child_dev
