EIGHT 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 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Show pride in his or her achievements.
• Be making steady progress in school.
• 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). Limit video games to the same time limit.
• Encourage your child to read books.
• Encourage participation in sports, hobbies, learning a musical instrument and other interests.
• Reward good behavior as much as possible.
• 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.
• 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 sexual curiosity. Use correct anatomy terminology. Answer sex-related questions in a simple manner. Read age-appropriate books on sexual matters.
• Encourage your child to have positive interactions with teachers and other 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).
• Get to know your child's friends and their families.
• 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.