Introduction
Home economics refers to the profession or field of study, which deals with the management and economics of the home as well as the community. This curriculum involve the formal study, which include topics like institutional management, sewing, home furnishing, handicrafts, cleaning, consumer education, food preservation, family relationships, child development, hygiene, food preservation, nutrition, clothing and textiles, and cooking. This curriculum indeed prepares students for professional careers or homemaking.
I support this curriculum simply because it will go a long way in reducing the problems that young girls undergo after giving birth to young babies. When the give birth while at school it follows that they certainly drop out of school. In addition to that, they may also suffer from physical as well as mental illnesses. They may also cause problems to the family such as feelings of hate, anger and also denial. Since these girls are not informed due to the absence of a curriculum in the schools in this generation, they may not be able to know the importance of seeking a proper medical care during their pregnancy and this is a great risk to them in terms of medical complications. I am particularly supporting this idea of introduction of a curriculum about care of young girls who have children to be introduced in schools because of the great gap that exists between them and their mothers since most of their parents do not get time to discuss with them such matters about their care while at home. I therefore recommend the importance of introducing such a curriculum. It is apparent that such young girls do not know how to go about their medical care, their nutrition and also the probable complications of pregnancy. Research which has been carried in the past has demonstrated that many school going children are getting pregnant at tender ages due to the generational approaches to life which is quite different from the past. There is a great need to address these emerging trends by looking into the ways in which to tackle some of these issues. I strongly support this curriculum since it will create awareness to the children on the importance of taking care of themselves despite the peer pressure which usually surrounds them (Roberts & David 29-71).
It will help them to prepare for the baby by stocking up things like food and other items of necessity such as clothing for both the mother and the baby. This curriculum will teach the young girls on how to certain basic things to the child. Such important things will include: how to hold the baby, how to bath it and how to feed it. Similarly, the young mother will learn how to feed herself after delivery in order to quickly promote the healing and also faster recovery. This helps the mother to be healthy so as to be able to take care of the child although in the present generation the young girls who give birth are unaware of this. Research has shown that it is recommended that breastfeeding mothers should eat food when they feel hungry. This curriculum I believe will clearly stress the importance of maintaining a proper balanced diet for the young girls who are lactating and it will recommend the preferred meals for them. It is recommended that a lactating mother should have her nutrition comprising of grains such as wheat, barley and oats. It should also contain fruits which may be fresh, frozen or dried. The diet should also contain proteins such as nuts, poultry and fish as well as beans. The curriculum will teach them about the importance taking a rest after having their baby so as to regain energy and strength both physically and emotionally. It is important for such a young girl who has given birth to limit the number of visitors so as to enable her to have enough rest since this is of great importance to her health. It is important that this curriculum will teach the young mothers the importance of using diapers for their babies and also the need to use sterilized equipment in order to avoid any kind of infection or disease. On the same note it is important to indicate that they maintain high standards of hygiene by keeping all milk bottles clean always by washing them in hot soapy water so as to eliminate any germs that may cause infections to the baby. It is therefore advised that they should use the following methods of sterilization: chemical sterilization, microwave steam sterilization, boiling sterilization and steam sterilization. Another important thing that young mothers especially in this generation have to be taught in the new curriculum is how to carry oneself after delivery. It is good for them to learn that regular exercise is very important when one takes a walk if one is unable to do an aerobic activity. This exercise makes one to keep in shape and feel good (Ross 45-66).
I support the curriculum since it will encourage these young girls to find and stay with friends who they feel they are comfortable with so as to avoid depression and loneliness. It will equip the young girls with important skills like the ability to ask others for assistance instead of suffering in silence because they feel they have done something non acceptable to the society. They also get information on the most important things that they have to do first and others that may have to wait such as making the bed daily. This curriculum will address various issues that school going girls who get babies at young age may not know but are crucial to their health as mothers. There is the issue of antenatal and post natal care which are almost unknown to them (Beaver 419-491).
In conclusion, I believe that this particular curriculum is very much needed in our children's schools, especially in this generation because it will enable the young mothers to provide for their young ones and sustain their home.
Works cited
Beaver, Marian. Babies and Young Children: Diploma in Child Care and Education. Cheltenham: N. Thornes, 2001. Print.
Roberts, Melinda A, and David T. Wasserman. Harming Future Persons: Ethics, Genetics and the Nonidentity Problem. Dordrecht: Springer, 2009. Print.
Ross, Marilyn J. Success Factors of Young African American Women at a Historically Black College. Westport, Conn: Praeger, 2003. Print.
