In this essay, I will discuss the physical and psychological needs of a three year old and how to meet these in a setting. For the development of a child, both physical and psychological needs are very important. As a learning practitioner it is fundamental to understand these two aspects, for when nurtured in harmony, it creates a responsive child. The children’s growth is dependent to some factors such as genetics and interactions with his environment. There have been studies with regards on how physical and psychological needs affects the children from infant to adulthood. There are key developmental transitions in physical development and three year olds are categorized as walkers, talkers and pretenders (Macleod-Brudenell & Kay 2008 p86).
To further explain physical and psychological needs, let us define the word need? It is a noun that means “requirement; circumstances requiring action” (Waite, 1998 p423). This research is mostly based on the MCI Modules 4 & 5 Contemporary Issues and Advanced Early Years 2nd Edition.
The Physical needs of three year olds are of utmost importance since they are in the middle of their growth from infancy and an older child. A child will need proper nourishment, exercise that is for his age, ample rest and sleep, playing and learning, hygiene and health and safety. These needs are mainly to have a strong physical body for better physical development. A three year old will often want to merge their skills by doing an action repeatedly. Hygiene is an essential part of a child’s growth. Nails should always be cut, hair is groomed clothes are washed and his/ her surroundings should be clean. Health includes proper nourishment and exercise. Food should be given in a routine so their body can accumulate the right vitamins and minerals. Three year olds are adventurous and they will put anything in their mouths. So by inducing plenty of foods with vital nutrients such as fats, minerals, fiber, carbohydrates, water and protein will provide anti-bodies against infections and disease.
Exercise for three year olds maybe dealt in different perspectives. Singing and action songs are examples of good exercise. Exercise helps develop muscle, the heart and lungs. It also allows for the development of good posture and co-ordination. Sleep is another essential need of a child, both REM and non-REM sleeps. REM sleep and non-REM sleep are both fundamental for a healthy nervous system. Some of the effects of children who lack sleep can be serious. “It can cause irritability, poor concentration visual problems and even hallucinations and psychotic behaviour”(MCI Undated b p 14).
As a learning practitioner in Hong Kong, settings for development of gross and fine motor skills are differently met than those in the United Kingdom. Lack of space is a major issue on handling children to have a fun and healthy time out in the sun. Majority of schools (local and international) and classroom settings do not have the access to outside playground. The downside to not having the exposure to sun means most children become deficient in vitamin D, which is a product of the reaction of the sun’s ultra-violet rays on the skin. It helps to prevent illnesses such as rickets, which is a softening of the bones. Some children suffer bowing in the legs due to lack of vitamin D (Emedicine 2013). Sometimes they have to go to public areas or parks to conduct motor skills development. Although these minor difficulties are being experienced, most classroom environments try to meet the standards, like putting up child-safe play areas with slides, hula-hoops, mini trikes, toy cars and mini trampolines. These helps harness gross motor skills – “the ability to move using whole body movements”(Macleod-Brudenell & Kay 2008 p72). Fine Motor skills are easily developed in Hong Kong schools by activities such as, Painting, Puzzles, Polishing, sewing, sand and water play. Macleod-Brudenell & Kay (2008 p72) define fine motor skills as “The ability to perform skills that require hand and eye coordination”.

Due to the hot climate with high humidity, kindergartens and nurseries in Hong Kong provide settings that have air-conditioning units and that are well ventilated to make sure that children have an adequate learning environment. Good air ventilation prevents airborne infections and inhalation of house dusts, which can trigger children’s allergies. It also prevents the child inhaling petrol fumes, second-hand smoke due to Hong Kong’s very congested area. Some school settings, like the one I currently work in, take extra measures by investing in state-of-the-art air purifiers. Hong Kong is a crowded and an over populated city with very little space. Since it has 2 major seasons, winter and summer, majority of the schools have uniforms that parents purchase for their children’s use. The fabrics of the uniforms match the needs of every season. To allow comfortable clothing for the child no matter what type of weather be it hot or cold.

The classroom environment setting should be bright and calming. I strongly believe from past experience that overly colourful and busy walls are too much for a child to take in. They tend to get over stimulated which leads to lack of focus. Children should be allowed to move freely around the classroom and choose an activity based on their ability. Each child has unique abilities and develops in different ways.

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) thought that personality was formed in essence before adulthood. In his theory he assumed that each individual consists of three personalities, the id, ego and superego and three year olds fall between the anal and phallic psychosexual stage of development. In case study no. 1 (Macleod-Brudenell & Kay 2008 p94), the child was suffering from overly strict or extremely permissive toilet training. It states that the balance between encouraging and supporting the child should contribute to her healthy development and she is fixated at this stage. This shows how a positive home environment is important to a child. A three-year olds psychological need is somewhat hard to define for they fall into that stage of infancy an older child. Erikson and Sigmund Freud themselves have different views on how to differentiate the psychological development of a child.

As a parent and a teacher, it is important to understand the emotional distress a child is feeling on the first days of school. Their thought and fear of being left by their parent is emotionally terrifying. My daughter would cry, throw her self on the floor and cling to my handbag when I dropped her at school. Unfortunately Hong Kong children take longer to settle into school life as on the first couple of days the parents drop them off. Then the parents would go back to work and then they have to deal with the terrifying emotion that now the nanny is going to abandon them.
The teacher told me that after a few minutes of being in the classroom my daughter soon settled. As my daughter had a positive home environment she developed the sense of survival, belonging to the class, participation and had self-esteem. This led her to quickly make friends. She soon started to settle into the routine and understood that the nanny or I would be back in a couple of hours to pick her up.

My daughter’s school shortened the normal three hours a day to just one hour during the first week. This is to help the child slowly transition into the school setting or environment. This lasted for one week. The first two weeks of my daughter being in school, the teachers shortened circle time and focused more on Montessori activities to give them a sense of independence and a feel of the classroom. Gradually she warmed up and eagerly wanted to go to school to meet her teachers and friends.

Since I am a parent and a practitioner in Hong Kong, here are some legislative data that I have gathered. I was born and raised in the United Kingdom till I was 12 years old and the culture is very different over here. In 1951, The Protection of Woman and Juvenile Ordinance was passed in Hong Kong. Following this in 1982, the Social Welfare Department set up a child protection hotline. These milestones were still only the beginning and many children were still being abused. That is why in 1991 education regulations barred corporal punishment in schools. In 1993 The Protection of Woman and Juveniles Ordinance was renamed as The Protection of Children and Juveniles Ordinance. The biggest milestone came in 1994 when Hong Kong had The United Nation Convention on the Rights of a Child extended to them by the United Kingdom. Then in 1995 The Child Protection Policy Unit (CPPU) was formed and the Child Abuse Investigations Unit (CAIU) to handle intra-familial sexual abuse and serious physical abuse cases. The Child Protection Special Investigation Team (CPSIT) was formed by the Child Protective Services Union (CPSU) of the Social Welfare Department and the CAIU of the Hong Kong Police. In 2000, the CPPU was renamed to the Family and Child Protective Service Unit (HKU, 2011).

But of all legislations, the UNICEF’s Convention on the Rights of A Child is by far the best that has been made. The Convention defines a child as any human being under the age of eighteen, unless the age of maturity is attained earlier under a state’s own domestic legislation. Two optional protocols were adopted in May 2000, The First restricts the involvement of children in military conflicts and the Second prohibits the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. A Third Optional Protocol relating to communication of complaints was adopted and opened for signature in February 2012 (Wikipedia, 2013). From a fact sheet with a summary of the rights under the CRC Article 3 “the best interests of the child” (UNICEF undated), must be the primary concern in decision-makings that may affect them. Adults are reminded that they should always think if will it affect a child when they decide to do something or what will it do to them. It specifically applies to finance, policy and lawmakers. Article 27 then states about children having adequate standard of living. Governments should help families and guardians who cannot afford to provide this, particularly with regard to food, clothing and housing that will ensure to meet the their physical and mental needs.

Physical and Psychological needs are fundamentals of a three years olds growth and development. It is important to understand that these needs start from home, where emotions and physical development are being established via interactions of the child and adults. The nursery setting is crucial to continue in developing these needs of the child. It is always factual that schools are our second home, were the teacher or the caregiver is the role model which will affect the children’s development mentally, spiritually and physically.