Friends and
Activities
Finding compatible friends is very
important. Children at this age are imaginative and get
along well with friends their own age. They are becoming
very concerned about what other kids think about them. They
are beginning to understand that the emotions others
experience are similar to their own.
- Talk with your child about both the
enjoyable and difficult aspects of friendships.
- Teach your child about helping people
"save face" when they are angry or embarrassed.
- Be sure your child has the opportunity
to learn about leadership. Group activities allow your
child the chance to learn leadership skills.
- Try to keep rules to a minimum. The
role of peers in the life of children at this age
increases, and children may resist adult authority at
times.
- Teach your child to apologize and
require that your child help people who they have hurt.
Behavior
Use more encouraging than discouraging words
when speaking with your child. Kids have a strong need to
feel like they are valued in the family and with their
friends.
- Tell your child everyday that you love
him.
- Find words that encourage schoolwork
and friendships. Tell your child when you notice that he
is on time or getting her work done on schedule.
- Keep rules that are fair and
consistently enforced.
- Help your child develop a strong sense
of right and wrong.
- Don't make demands upon your child
that are above his ability.
- Allow your child some choice when
alternatives exist.
- Don't allow competition to get out of
hand. Allow a child to compete against himself and set
personal best records.
The ingredients to build a strong conscience include a warm
and caring family, a strict code of conduct, and consistent
and firm enforcement of the rules. Model how you wish your
child to behave.
Reading
The elementary school years are a period
which parents and children can enjoy reading together.
Reading will promote learning in school, too. Make reading a
part of the pre-bedtime ritual.
Television
and Electronic Media
Limit TV, computers, and electronic game
time to a total of 1 or 2 hours per day. Encourage
participation in family games and other activities.
Carefully select the programs you allow your child to view.
Be sure to watch some of the programs with your child and
discuss the show. Avoid violent programming and using the TV
as an electronic babysitter. Do not put a television in your
child's bedroom.
Nutrition
With supervision, your child may enjoy
helping to choose and prepare the family meals. This will
help teach him good food habits. Mealtime should be a
pleasant time for the family. Avoid snack foods. Choose
meals that have foods from all food groups: meats, diary
products, fruits, vegetables, and cereals and grains. Most
children should limit the intake of fatty foods. Children
watch what their parents eat, so set a good example. Bring
healthy foods home from the grocery store.
Sexuality
It is important to begin discussing
sexuality. Children should be asked if they have any
questions about sex. At first, they often don't want to talk
about sex. Do not impose information on them. Once kids
realize that parents feel comfortable discussing sex, kids
will often ask their parents for information. Parents and
kids should discuss the values that parents want their
children to have about sexuality.
Safety Tips
Accidents are the number one cause of deaths
in children. Kids like to take risks at this age but are not
well prepared to judge the degree of those risks. Therefore,
children still need close supervision at this age. Parents
should model safe choices.
Avoiding Fires and
Burns
- Practice a home fire escape plan.
- Check your smoke detector battery.
- Keep a fire extinguisher in or near
the kitchen.
- Teach child emergency phone numbers
and to leave the house if fire breaks out.
Car Safety
- Everyone in a car must always wear
seat belts or be in an appropriate booster seat.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety
- Crossing busy streets needs to be
supervised. Children at this age will generally look in
both directions, but they do not reliably look over
their shoulders for oncoming cars.
- Make sure your child always uses a
bicycle helmet. Model this behavior when you ride a
bicycle.
- Your child is not ready for riding on
busy streets. However, begin to teach your child about
riding a bicycle where cars are present.
- Don't buy a bicycle that is too big
for your child.
Avoiding Drowning
- Even children who are good swimmers
need to be closely supervised around swimming pools and
open water.
Avoiding Falls
- Make sure windows are closed or have
screens that cannot be pushed out.
- Do not allow play in areas where a
fall could lead to a serious injury.
- Do not allow your child to play on a
trampoline unsupervised.
Safety Around Strangers
- Discuss safety outside the home with
your child.
- Make sure your child knows her address
and phone number and her parents' place(s) of work.
- Teach your child never to go anywhere
with a stranger.
Dental Care
Brushing teeth regularly after meals is
important, but it is most important to brush teeth at
bedtime. It is also a good idea to make an appointment for
your child to see the dentist.
Immunizations
Your child should already be current on all
routinely recommended vaccinations. Sometimes influenza or
other vaccines are recommended at this age depending on your
child's health and where you live. Additional vaccines are
also sometimes given when children travel outside the
country. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about
immunizations. Be sure to bring your child's shot record to
all visits with your child's doctor.
Next Visit
The American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends that your child's next routine check-up be at 10
years of age.
