SIX YEARS

 

 

HEALTH ISSUES

 

• Offer healthy snack and meal choices, limiting sugars. Encourage fruits and vegetables. Offer many options.
• Continue to have your child brush his or her teeth daily with a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. You should assist them to ensure proper cleaning.
• Ensure adequate amounts of sleep and physical activity.
• Encourage importance of good personal hygiene.

 

SAFETY ISSUES

 

·        Use a seat belt whenever in a moving car or van. If your child is less than 60 lbs., consider continuing to use a booster seat. Always have your child in the back seat as it is the safest place to be if in an accident. Use the "H" or "I" clip if you have a retractable shoulder harness.

• Never put a child under 12 years of age in the front seat of a car with a passenger side airbag.
• Install and test your smoke detector in or near your child's room.
• Childproof your home (poisons, medicines, guns, cigarettes, hot liquids). 
• Make sure any playground environment is safe.
• Obtain your local Poison Control Center’s phone number and keep it on hand
• Use a bike helmet for your child (and yourself) when riding.
• Supervise most activities, especially around lawnmowers, large dogs, and cars. Do not allow your child to ride on a riding lawnmower.
• Keep matches out of reach and instruct on fire safety.
• Do not keep a firearm in your home. If you must, make sure it is locked and out of reach from your curious child.
• Continue to teach your child not to take rides or food from strangers; also, teach that his or her "privates" should not be touched or looked at by anyone other than mom, dad, or a doctor.
• Provide a safe after-school environment.
• Teach your child how to swim and follow water safety rules.
• Supervise activities with friends.

 

 

 

YOUR CHILD SHOULD…

 

• Be able and willing to follow rules at home and school; respect authority.
• Be able to draw a picture of his or her family and describe the picture to you.
• Know how to swim.

 

YOU SHOULD…

 

• Praise your child at every opportunity.
• Talk and sing regularly with your child.
• Listen to music together with your child.
• Play board games and card games with your child.
• Limit TV to certain programs and to maximum of 1 hour per day. Practice selective TV viewing (not channel surfing).
• Encourage your child to read book on his or her own as well as interactively with you.
• Reward, good behavior as much as possible. (Not every time with gifts mere praise is also efficient).
• Be consistent with rules. Be firm. You decide how strict or liberal to be, just make sure you are consistent.
• Respect your child's autonomy, privacy.
• Offer choices to your child at every opportunity to allow decision-making.
• Encourage assertiveness but not aggressive behavior.
• Allow for self-care opportunities.
• Have a bedtime routine and put your child to sleep in his or her own room. If they wake up at night, take them back to their own room and, if needed, lay down with them in their room until they are asleep again.
• Eat meals as a family.
• Establish and maintain family rituals/traditions.
• Try to allow expression of feelings (anger, joy, sadness, fear). Offer ways to resolve conflicts and handle anger.
• Expect curiosity of genitalia and sexual matters. Use correct anatomy terminology. Answer sex-related questions in a simple manner. Read age-appropriate books on sexual matters.
• Assist your child with communications with teachers and adults.
• Prepare for school, meet with teachers regularly. Get involved with your child's school and organized activities.
• Assign chores and offer rewards (point scoring system, allowance).
• Be an example of the type of person you want your child to grow up to be - they are like sponges and absorb everything around them!
• Spend time alone with your partner - one of the best things you can do for your child is to maintain a quality relationship with your partner.