Activities
- Kids can start to develop life long
interests in sports, arts and crafts activities,
reading, and music.
- Encourage participation in activities.
Remember that the goal of competition is to have fun and
develop oneself to the greatest capacity. Winning and
losing should receive limited attention.
- Physical skills vary widely in this
age group. The sports that kids will excel in will vary
depending on whether the activity requires endurance
(such as, distance running), power (such as, swimming),
or excellent visual skills (such as baseball or
softball).
- Limit electronic media (TV, DVDs, or
computer) time to 1 or 2 hours per day of high quality
children's programming. Participate with your child and
discuss the content with them.
Behavior
- Kids at this age may take risks.
Although they confidently think they will not get hurt,
parents should watch them closely, especially when they
are near roadways, open water, or near a fire or
electricity.
- Kids seem to have boundless energy.
Prepare in advance for ways to let your child enjoy
physical activity.
- Dawdling is a normal response at this
age and demonstrates that a child is having a difficult
time planning and thinking through the steps of
accomplishing a task.
- Adults play important roles in the
life of children at age 6. Children will develop close
relationships with teachers. It can be upsetting to a
child when adults they love (including parents and
teachers) go through difficult times or changes.
Nutrition
Having many or most meals together as a
family is desirable. Mealtime is a great time to allow the
child to tell you of her day, interests, concerns, and
worries. Let your child have plenty of opportunity to
participate in the discussion at the table. Be flexible if
your child occasionally needs to eat on the run.
Food preferences will vary. Balance good
nutrition with what your child wants to eat. Major battles
over what your child wants to eat are not worth the
emotional cost. Bring only healthy foods home from the
grocery store. Choose snacks wisely.
Good table manners take a long time to
develop. Model table manners for your child.
Safety
Fires
- Practice a home fire escape plan.
- Keep a fire extinguisher in or near
the kitchen.
- Tell your child about the dangers of
playing with matches or lighters.
- Teach your child emergency phone
numbers and to leave the house if fire breaks out.
- Turn your water heater to 120°F
(50°C).
Car Safety
- Everyone in a car must always wear
seat belts or be in an appropriate booster seat.
- Don't buy motorized vehicles for your
child.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety
- Supervise street crossing. Your child
may start to look in both directions, but is not ready
to cross a street alone.
- All family members should ride with a
bicycle helmet.
- Do not allow your child to ride a
bicycle near busy roads.
- Children who ride bicycles that are
too big for them are more likely to be in bicycle
accidents. Make sure the size of the bicycle your child
rides is appropriate. Your child's feet should both
touch the ground when your child stands over the
bicycle. The top tube of the bicycle should be at least
2 inches below your child's pelvis.
Trampoline
- Health professional groups advise
avoiding the use of outdoor trampolines.
Heights
- Make sure windows are closed or have
screens that cannot be pushed out.
Strangers
- Discuss safety outside the home with
your child.
- Be sure your child knows her home
address, phone number and the name of her parents'
place(s) of work.
- Remind your child never to go anywhere
with a stranger.
Discourage Interest in Tobacco Products
Tobacco use is unhealthy. Parents are
influential in teaching children to avoid tobacco.
- If a parent smokes, the parent should
set a quit date and stop smoking. Modeling nonsmoking is
a powerful example with important health consequences.
- Talk to your child about smoking. Ask
him what he knows about smoking and if he knows anyone
harmed by tobacco.
- Tell your child that smoking is
related to the cause of death for 1 in every 5 people in
the United States.
- Teach your child to be civil and
polite when he is around people who smoke. Also teach
your child to avoid breathing in other people's smoke.
Dental Care
- Your child should brush his teeth at
least twice a day and should have regular visits to the
dentist.
- Parents need to check their child's
teeth after he has brushed.
- Flossing the teeth before bedtime is
recommended.
- Permanent teeth may soon come in or
may have already started coming in.
- The groves on the permanent teeth are
prone to cavities. Parents and dentists need to watch
the teeth carefully and consider whether sealants
(plastic coatings that adhere to the chewing surface of
the molar teeth) may help prevent tooth decay.
Immunizations
Your child may already be current on all
routinely recommended vaccinations. Sometimes influenza
shots are recommended at this age depending on your child's
health. Be sure to bring your shot record to all visits with
your doctor.
Next Visit
The American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends that your child's next routine check-up be at 8
years of age.
