Way back then... Masud Hoghughi Whilst in South Africa suddenly in mid-presentation, stopped and for no apparent, logical reason, turned to our leadership and said," You must please teach child and youth care workers about diet..... You have to know about diet to be a child and youth care worker."
It was really only much later that, for me, the message started to become clear. He was not talking about balanced meals... and yet he was talking about balanced meals. He was talking about the effect of certain foods on children's moods and behaviour.
Even now, although Africa has a great deal to give, this is another aspect of child and youth care where WE can learn from Europe, Asia and the America. It is most likely, I think, that I am writing this for Africa.
Mary Whiting reveals research-based facts about the effect of diets on young children's behaviour (www.teachingexpertise.com Early Years Update October 2005)
She writes:
" It may sound amazing,but studies of children (and of teenagers and prisoners) have repeatedly shown that disruptive and even violent behaviour can be dramatically altered simply by changes to diet."
The blog talk on this site, "unlearning to learn" was inspired by a child care residential group experience relating to food in a somewhat dramatic way. And this may well be an African experience
On first arrival at a residential facility for children and young people, my late wife and I were blown over by the way food was served and eaten. Large amount of brown and white bread were put on the table at every meal. The children grabbed at it and consumed slice after slice before they started the main meal. Sometimes this could be 5 slices, easily The result was that foods were often left uneaten - like, for example certain vegetables.
This we believed had to be reversed.... and fast !!
So, a rule was created, parental style:. "Eat the meal first. Bread will be provided after the main meal and restricted.to two slices of brown bread only."
Well,..... the effect of making that change was a child revolt. They came out in force, they marched, they sang, they chanted, they scrawled graffiti on the walls,They acted wildly, seldom settling down, the fought among themselves, they emotionally and verbally attacked staff and each other, and the language was a shock to parental ears. It was a concentration camp.... they are being starved !!!!
Being new, help had to sought and the advise came from the best person I knew in the field in South Africa. (my guru). "You have it all wrong", he said. You are working with deprived children right now and their first priority is to feel full, and to have confidence enough to believe that food will not 'dry up' or be with-held. Let them feel the satisfaction of feeling full .If you don't allow this, at first, and if they fear deprivation is a likely-hood again..... then you must expect acting out. Given time, this will change"
We went back to bread on the table.
We opened what we called a " 24 hour kitchen". On each floor there was a constant supply of simple food-stuff for children who got hungry after school and especially at night.
Hoarding stopped, and the behaviour change across the boards was astounding.
We soon learnt that new-comers into the facility who came especially fro deprived backgrounds would crave that full feeling and would "stuff" as we called it. They took about 3weeks or more to settle down.
Masud Hoghughi , I think, had something else in mind. And it was really only after years that, for me in Africa, the comment meant providing food to children and young people with the knowledge of the effect of additives, preservatives, colourants, flavourants (like mono-sodium glutanate MSG).....especially tartrazines (red and yellow - as in some custards), sugar,caffiene, carbohydrates, and the list goes on.........And for some children,especiallly gluten sensitive children, and hyperactives, we had to learn aut the effects of specific foodstuff on their behavior.
Centralised kitchen facilities makes the management of dietary intake for individual children really quite difficult, I think. But the introduction of decentralised kitchens, especially in the group home system made it all very easily manageable. Still, facilities , even in Africa cannot afford to ignore the dietary impact of foods on the behaviour of children and young people..... it simply constitutes part of what we call professional care.
MaryWhiting refers to the research work of Dr Ben Feingold in particular, an American research worker and child health specialist, but adds,"Various other researchers have also found that on a sound, additive free diet, aggressive children can become normal and likeable again"
This was borne out by our experience when we started to make careful and professionally motivated decisions and changes to the diets of children and young people in care. The behaviour changes were dramatic, almost immediate and much in their best interests.
Again, I have a sense that I may be talking mainly to Africa, but it seems to me that this is a need to know area of care for us. Especially in Africa.
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