The Importance of Wellness
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T HE IMPORTANCE OF WELLNESS F O R CHILDREN with an emphasis on Foster Children
Counseling for Wellness Term Paper
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2 ! ! Webster’s dictionary defines wellness as, “The condition of good physical and mental
health, especially when maintained by proper diet and exercise. (Webster’s II 2005) ! Armed with this definition and my love for children who are not recognized for their
importance or meaning, it is my sincere desire to find a way to make wellness a part of the “must haves” when it comes to taking care of the children in our foster care system. Children who are displaced from their biological parents and/or families are often left in homes where not only do they feel very alone and scared, they feel as though they have no voice and no choice when it comes to asking for their needs to be met. As children, most do not know what their true needs are, or how to get their needs met. In today’s age, less attention has
been given to strategies for promoting children’s resilience and healthy developmental trajectories. ( Pedro- Carroll 2001) ! From the definition in Webster’s dictionary, we can see two very important con-
cepts. First, for children to have have proper wellness in their life, they need good physical and mental health. Second, this is maintained by proper diet and exercise. (Webster’s II 2005) ! For children in loving homes, we would all like to think that both of these attributes
would ring clear in all environments where stability is a factor, however that is not always the case. Children who are loved dearly by a two-parent family can also be fed unhealthy foods on a daily basis and lack any type of physical activity. (Kumpfer 2003) ! Stress factors and not having any “down” time also allows for poor mental wellness
in these same children. Families who are heavily involved in their children’s lives can #
3
constantly be running from one place to another on a daily or weekly basis. Parents do this to assure that
T HE IMPORTANCE OF WELLNESS F O R CHILDREN with an emphasis on Foster Children
Counseling for Wellness Term Paper
#
2 ! ! Webster’s dictionary defines wellness as, “The condition of good physical and mental
health, especially when maintained by proper diet and exercise. (Webster’s II 2005) ! Armed with this definition and my love for children who are not recognized for their
importance or meaning, it is my sincere desire to find a way to make wellness a part of the “must haves” when it comes to taking care of the children in our foster care system. Children who are displaced from their biological parents and/or families are often left in homes where not only do they feel very alone and scared, they feel as though they have no voice and no choice when it comes to asking for their needs to be met. As children, most do not know what their true needs are, or how to get their needs met. In today’s age, less attention has
been given to strategies for promoting children’s resilience and healthy developmental trajectories. ( Pedro- Carroll 2001) ! From the definition in Webster’s dictionary, we can see two very important con-
cepts. First, for children to have have proper wellness in their life, they need good physical and mental health. Second, this is maintained by proper diet and exercise. (Webster’s II 2005) ! For children in loving homes, we would all like to think that both of these attributes
would ring clear in all environments where stability is a factor, however that is not always the case. Children who are loved dearly by a two-parent family can also be fed unhealthy foods on a daily basis and lack any type of physical activity. (Kumpfer 2003) ! Stress factors and not having any “down” time also allows for poor mental wellness
in these same children. Families who are heavily involved in their children’s lives can #
3
constantly be running from one place to another on a daily or weekly basis. Parents do this to assure that
References: Delay, T. (2000). Fighting for Children. American Psychologist. Vol 55(9), Sep 2000, 1054-1055 Kumpfer, K.(2003). Prevention That Works for Children. American Psychologist. Vol 58(6), Jun/Jul 2003, 425-432 Myers, J., Sweeney, T. (2005). Counseling for We$ness Pedro-Carroll. (2001). The Promotion of Wellness in Children and Families: Challenges and Opportunities. American Psychologist. Vol 56(11), Nov 2001, 993-1004 Santrock, J. (2008). Life-Span Development Webster’s II New Co$ege Dictionary, Third Edition #