Category: Development

Important Information about your 9-10 year old

Family

Show interest in your child and talk to their teacher. Discuss bullying and tell your child to ask for adult help if they encounter a bully. Talk about relationships and expectations. Create a quiet space in your home for them to do homework. Give your child household chores and encourage after-school activities. Allow them personal space and reasonable independence. Trust is important at this age.

Development

Your child may begin to see changes in their body. Answer any questions they may have about puberty or sex. Encourage your child to talk about their thoughts and feelings and teach them about non-violent ways to resolve conflicts. Praise your child for their accomplishments and help build their self-esteem. Teach them the importance of respecting their body as well as the bodies of others.

Health

Hygiene is important at this age. Make sure that your child is showering every day. They need to brush their teeth at least twice a day and floss once a day. Be sure they visit the dentist every 6 months. It is important that your child is active for at least 1 hour a day. Limit screen time to no more than 1 hour a day. Do not allow meals in front of the screen (phone, tablet, TV) and no TV in the bedroom. Help your child develop healthy ways to handle stress.

Eating

Your child should be eating 3 meals and 2-3 healthy snacks a day. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eat together as a family and give your child healthy food options. Offer snacks like fruits, veggies, turkey/cheese roll-up, and plain or vanilla yogurt (avoid snacks like yakult or danonino). Have your child drink water or low-fat milk instead of juice and sports drinks. Limit juice to 4 oz a day and no soda.

Safety

Make sure your child uses safety equipment and a helmet when riding a bike/skateboard. Your child must always wear a seat belt in the back seat of the car. Monitor your child’s TV/computer activities to make sure they are only viewing age-appropriate content. Tell them not to share any personal information online or on social media. Talk to your child about peer pressure. Keep medications locked and out of sight. Talk to your child about the dangers of using alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. Have your child wear sunscreen when playing outside.

Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222

After Hours and Weekends
After 4:00 PM and before 8:00 AM
For medical advice when People’s is closed call After Hours Nurse line at 512-478-4939

Download PDF here.

Healthy Basics: Hygiene for your body

What is hygiene?

Hygiene is a way we stay healthy. Good hygiene means paying attention to body changes, smells, and sweat. This helps us fight germs that cause smells on our bodies.

Why is hygiene important?

Most kids worry when their bodies change because there are new sights and smells.

Some kids have:

  • more oil in their skin and hair
  • drier skin and hair
  • more body hair
  • more sweat and new smells

These changes are normal. Good hygiene helps get rid of germs helps us feel good about ourselves. Other people will want to be around us, too.

Secrets to Success:

1. Take a shower or bath if you notice sweat or smells.

2. Change your t-shirt, underwear, and socks if they are dirty.

3. Keep your mouth clean. Brush your teeth and avoid tobacco.

For more help about hygiene, talk to your family, school nurse, nurse practitioner, or doctor.

Steps for good hygiene:

Hair:

  • Wash hair with shampoo and water when it is dirty.

Face and neck:

  • Wash with soap and water to control pimples and oily skin.

Ears:

  • Wash outside and around ears with soap and water.

Mouth:

  • Control bad breath by flossing and brushing teeth twice a day.

Whole body and other sweaty spots:

  • In the shower or tub, wash well with soap and water. Use underarm deodorant to eliminate sweat and germs.

Feet:

  • Wash and dry your feet. Wear clean socks.

Healthy Basics: Make Smart Choices

You CAN make smart choices.

Choices you make today affect the rest of your life. Tobacco, drugs and alcohol are harmful to you and the people around you. Don’t be afraid to ask an adult you trust if you need help or advice.

TOBACCO

Silhouette of a woman speaking

“Try this tobacco. It’ll make you feel grown up.”

Boy in red shirt with hand on chin and a pensive expression

“Smoking and chewing tobacco are really bad for you. They make people cough and get dizzy. Plus, they smell bad.”

Boy in red shirt holding hand out in a 'stop' gesture

“No thanks! That stuff is bad for you.”

ALCOHOL

Silhouette of a man talking.

“Have some alcohol. It feels good.”

Girl with arms crossed in front of her chest and a pensive expression

“My friends have done some stupid and unsafe things while they were drinking. They don’t even remember what they did.”

Girl smiling and raising arms cheerfully

“No thanks! I’m already having fun.”

DRUGS

Silhouette of man with spiky hair talking.

“My older brother said drugs are cool. Try some.”

Boy in blue shirt with hand on chin and pensive expression

“Kids who do this stuff seem so spaced out. How will I be able to focus in school or play sports? And I might do something stupid.”

Boy with arms crossed and assertive expression

“No way, man! Drugs are for losers.”

SMART CHOICES

Boy hold baseball mitt in a field and smiling.

“I don’t need to drink or smoke or use drugs to have fun.”

Girl holding groceries for elderly man in wheelchair

“I feel good when I help others.”

Three children standing together holding a trophy

“That project was hard! I’m proud of us.”

Important information about your 7-8 year old

Family

Ask your child about their school, activities, and about their worries. Tell them to talk to you or an adult if they are being bullied. Make a quiet space for your child to do their homework away from the TV. Maintain family routines, and try visiting parks, museums and libraries regularly. Be sure to spend separate special time with your child if there are other siblings.

Development

Help your child deal with their emotions by modeling good behavior and habits. Discuss rules with your child and talk about consequences. Give your child chores and let them do things for themselves. Watch for body changes in your child and answer any questions they may have about their changing bodies.

Health

Do not allow more than 1 hour of screen time a day. Monitor what they are watching and tell them not to share personal information online. No TV in the bedroom or meals in front of the screen (phone, tablet, TV). Daily exercise is important for your child. Make it a family routine to play outside every day. Your child should brush their teeth twice a day and floss once a day. As your child gets older, they will still need plenty of sleep. They should sleep 9 to 12 hours a night.

Eating

Make sure your child eats 3 meals and 2-3 healthy snacks a day. Teach them to eat when hungry and stop when satisfied. Have snacks ready for your child like fruits, vegetables, turkey/cheese roll-up, and plain or vanilla yogurt (avoid snacks like yakult or danonino). Children need 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Half of every meal should be fruits and vegetables. Limit juice to 4 oz a day and no soda. Make sure your child is eating a healthy breakfast.

Safety

When riding in the car, your child should always be using a booster seat in the backseat. When riding their bike, they must always wear a helmet. Get to know your child’s friends and teach your child about peer pressure. Teach your child about “stranger danger”. Tell them that no adult should ask them to keep secrets and no one should touch/see their private parts. Remove firearms from home or lock the firearm and ammunition in separate locations. Your child should wear sunscreen when outdoors.

Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222

After Hours and Weekends
After 4:00 PM and before 8:00 AM
For medical advice when People’s is closed call After Hours Nurse line at 512-478-4939

Download PDF here.

Important information about your 6 year old

Family

Talk with your child every day about school and encourage them to share their worries. Let them know they can talk to you or an adult if they are being bullied. At this age, your child should have simple chores. Teach your child to help others and discuss rules and consequences with your child.

Development

Teach anger management. This will help your child deal with emotions and prevent aggressive behavior. Some examples are going for a walk, talking, or drawing to calm down. Give your child plenty of affection and read with them every day. Praise your child for good behavior and for doing things on their own. Allow up to 1 hour of screen time a day (phone, tablet, TV). Do not let your child eat in front of the TV or tablet. No TV in the bedroom.

Health

Good hygiene is important. Your child should be washing their hands often after playing outside, using computers/phones, or playing with pets. Children should brush their teeth at least twice a day and floss once a day. Help your child brush their teeth after them. Schedule dentist visits every 6 months. Take your child to the park or have them play outside every day. Make sure your child sleeps 9 to 12 hours every night.

Nutrition

Your child should eat 3 meals and 2-3 healthy snacks a day. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Give snacks like fruit, vegetables, turkey/cheese roll-up, and vanilla or plain yogurt (avoid snacks like yakult or danonino). Give your child milk and water instead of juice or sugary sports drinks. Eat together as a family. Children learn by example so remember to eat healthy in front of your child.

Safety

Teach your child to be cautious around cars and never to cross the street alone. Enroll your child in swimming lessons. Have your child wear sunscreen when outside. They should always wear a helmet when riding a bike. Teach your child to be safe around adults. Tell your child that no adult should ask them to keep secrets and no one should see/touch their private parts. Remove firearms from home or lock firearm and ammunition in separate locations. Test smoke detectors monthly, and make sure to replace batteries every year.

Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222

After Hours and Weekends
After 4:00 PM and before 8:00 AM
For medical advice when People’s is closed call After Hours Nurse line at 512-478-4939

Download PDF here.

Important information about your 5 year old

Family

Talk to your child’s teacher when possible. Encourage your child to tell you about school and if they are being bullied. Have your child do small chores or ask them to help around the house. This will teach responsibility. Timeouts should be used as quiet time for your child in a neutral area of the house (one minute for each year of age) with no toys or distractions. Make sure not to talk to them while they are in timeout but be sure to explain to them why they were in timeout.

Development

At this age, your child may have trouble controlling his/her anger. Teach them to talk about their feelings when they are upset. Praise your child for good behavior and give them plenty of affection. Your child will want to be more independent so allow them to do things without help. Have your child follow rules at home in preparation for school. Let your child pick books to read for bedtime.

Health

Limit screen time to no more than 1 hour a day. This includes tablet/phone time as well as educational TV shows. No eating in front of the screen (phone, tablet, TV) and no TV in the bedroom. Encourage the entire family to play together outside every day. Your child should be washing their hands often after playing outside, using computers or phones, and after playing with pets. Children should brush their teeth at least twice a day with pea-sized amount of toothpaste. Brush their teeth after them up until they are seven years old. Make sure your child is getting a good night’s rest. They need 10 to 13 hours of sleep. Lack of sleep will make your child fussy and cranky.

Nutrition

Give your child 3 meals with 2-3 healthy snacks a day. Make sure they eat a healthy breakfast every day. For snacks, give your child fruit, vegetables, turkey/cheese roll-up and plain or vanilla yogurt (avoid snacks like yakult or danonino). Give your child milk 2-3 times a day and limit their juice to 4 oz a day and no soda. Teach your child to eat when they are hungry and stop when they feel satisfied.

Safety

Your child should still sit in a booster seat. Teach your child about bus safety and to never cross the street alone. “Stranger danger” is an important lesson for your child. Tell your child that no adult should ask them to keep secrets and no one should touch/see their private parts. Never let your child ride a bicycle without a helmet. Your child should wear sunscreen when playing outside. Teach your child how to swim and always watch them around water. Install smoke alarms in your home.

Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222

After Hours and Weekends
After 4:00 PM and before 8:00 AM
For medical advice when People’s is closed call After Hours Nurse line at 512-478-4939

Download PDF here.

Tips for your 5 year old child

HELP ME BE HEALTHY.

At this checkup, my doctor will:

  • Test my vision and hearing.
  • Ask how I play with other kids.
  • Ask what I like to do.
  • Ask what I eat.

Ask my doctor questions:

  • What does my doctor think about my weight?
  • Some doctors will want to screen me for cholesterol and anemia. What does my think?

TAKE CARE OF MY TEETH.

  • It might be time for my six month dentist visit. Call and set up a visit for me.
  • I might be fussy because I have new teeth trying to come in. My dentist can check and say what’s going on in my mouth.

HELP ME BE SAFE.

  • Help me learn the difference between friends, helpful peo­ple, and strangers. When we go to a place where there are many people, show me who the helpful people are, like police, clerks at the store, lifeguards at the pool, or park workers at the amusement park. Just in case I can’t find you, I will know a safe person to ask for help to find you.
  • Be careful about having matches and lighters around the house. I like to try to do what I see you do with the matches and lighters. People my age have been known to start fires playing with these. Don’t smoke around me.

PLAY WITH ME, IT HELPS ME LEARN.

  • Let me have a friend over so we can play games together.
  • Read with me. Help me learn to read my name and the words on street signs and labels on containers.
  • Play guessing games with me. Pretend to do something and let me guess what you are doing.
  • Make different expressions with your face and let me tell you what feelings I see on your face.
  • Let me have a job to do around the house like setting the table, putting clothes away, or helping you do something else.
  • Teach me our family’s name, my phone number, and my address. If you and I can’t find each other at the park or store, I can ask someone to find you.
  • Teach me what the healthy foods are.
  • Show me how to answer the phone and make a phone call, especially in case of an emergency.
  • Help me pick the TV programs I watch. Remember, I copy the language I hear and the behaviors I see.

WATCH HOW I GROW.

Watch for me to:

  • Hop on one foot.
  • Dress myself, zip zippers, button buttons, and comb my hair.
  • Play board games and card games with others. We take turns and follow the rules.
  • Copy two solid lines that cross, so it looks like a plus sign ( + ).
  • Name at least four colors.
  • Name at least two shapes like a circle or square.
  • Be able to follow directions that tell me to put something in, on, under, or behind something else. For example, “Put your book on the bookshelf.”
  • Draw pictures. When I draw a person, it has at least three parts.
  • Speak so you can understand most of what I say.
  • Hear when you talk to me and hear you call me from another room.

Some skills are easy for me. Other skills are harder.

Talk with my teacher about what’s easy and hard for me to do. If you have questions or think I need some help because of some things I can’t do, please ask my doctor, nurse, teacher, or someone in the special education office in my school dis­trict.

In these first 5 years, we both have learned a lot. There is much more for us to learn.

I will need you to take some time to:

  • Listen to what is happening in my life each day.
  • Look at the papers I bring home from school.
  • Help me understand how important it is to pay attention in class.
  • Help me do my school work.
  • Talk to my teacher.
  • Support me and encourage me to do the best I can do.
  • Tell me that you are proud of me when I have done the best I can do.

I will probably do better in school if:

  • I know you care about the work I do at school.
  • I know you think school is important.
  • You help me with my school work.
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Tips for your 4 year old child

HELP ME BE HEALTHY.

At this checkup, the doctor will:

  • Weigh and measure me.
  • Check me from head to toe.
  • Test my vision.
  • Give me a few vaccines. I will need to get some vaccines before I got to kindergarten. Ask if there are vaccines I need now.

Take my health journal with us so we can write the date I got my vaccines.

Notice what I’m able to do.
If you think I’m clumsy and fall a lot, if I don’t talk or play with others, or if i don’t enjoy moving around, you might want to talk to my doctor about this and have me checked. Call for an appointment now!

TAKE CARE OF MY TEETH.

  • It might be time for my six month dentist visit. Call and set up a visit for me.
  • I’m still too young to brush my teeth by myself. Help me keep my teeth clean.

HELP ME BE SAFE.

  • Teach me to be very careful in a garage or storage area. While ours may be safe, other people’s garages or storage areas may have insecticides, paints, equipment, and other things stored that are dangerous to me. Explain to me that garage door openers are not toys and that I’m not to play with a garage door.
  • Practice crossing the street and walking through parking lots with me. I’m short. People can’t see me in their rearview mirror when they are backing up. I need to be by your side, holding onto your hand or your clothes.
  • Make sure I wear a helmet when I start to ride a bicycle/tricycle.
  • Remember, I still need to be watched and can’t be left alone.

HELP ME DEAL WITH MY FEARS.

I might be afraid of monsters, snakes, or many other things. Don’t force me to get near some­thing that scares me. If I’m afraid of the dark, use a night light or leave the hall light on.

PLAY WITH ME, IT HELPS ME LEARN.

  • Let me use play dough. I like to make it into shapes. cut it with cookie cutters, and roll it.
  • Let me tear or cut paper and paste these pieces onto another piece of paper.
  • Let me tell you the stories from my favorite books.
  • Play listening and guessing games with me. Make the sounds of differ­ent animals and let me guess what the animal is. Another guessing game is to find something that I can see, describe it for me, and let me tell you what it is.
  • Let me trace in the sand or do a finger painting.
  • Let me help make and serve our snacks and meals.
  • Take me to the zoo, library, and other places that have special events just for kids my age.
  • Let me help you do things around the house so I can learn how to be a helpful family member.
  • Make an obstacle course with boxes, chairs, and tables, and let me find my way around all these things.
  • I should not watch much TV. One hour is the most I should watch in a day – it doesn’t matter if it’s a video or a TV show. I should be active and learning how to do things. The TV that I watch should help me learn. Watch my favorite TV program with me. That way we can talk about it. Don’t let me watch shows that upset or scare me.

WATCH HOW I GROW.

I’m always learning and trying.
I will learn some things faster than other things. If you have questions about what I can and cannot do, talk to my doctor or nurse. Call my preschool or Head Start teacher or the Special Education office in our school district. If you’re worried about how I’m doing, don’t wait for my next doctor visit. Call and ask now. The sooner we find out if there is something to worry about, the better it will be for me.

Watch for me to:

  • Put on my t-shirt all by myself.
  • Tell you the names of my friends.
  • Wash my hands with soap, rinse them, and dry them with a towel.
  • Use a normal tone of voice.
  • Ask you many questions.
  • Copy a line that goes up and down on my paper after you show me how to do it on your paper.
  • Copy a picture of a circle.
  • Tell you what I need If I’m cold, tired or hungry.
  • Tell you how I use something when you ask me to talk about something I use almost every day. For example, “What do you do with a fork?”
  • Point to a picture of something you are describing to me. I can answer questions like “Which one says meow?” or “Show me what flies!”
  • Stand on one foot for a few seconds.
  • Jump forward with my feet together.

You may notice that I also:

  • Know at least one color.
  • Use sentences with four or five words most of the time.
  • Brush my teeth.
  • Take care of myself at the toilet.
  • Play with other children.

REGISTER ME FOR KINDERGARTEN.

Call a school near where we live. Ask when and how you can register me for kindergarten.

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Pediatric Symptom Checklist (ages 4-17)

These pediatric symptoms can indicate behavioral issues in your child, you can use this checklist to see if you may need to request any services.

Example checklist:

  • Fidgety, unable to sit still
  • Feels sad, unhappy
  • Daydreams too much
  • Refuses to share
  • Takes things that to not belong to them
Download Checklist

Important information about your 4 year old child

Family

Go out to parks, museums, or libraries as a family. Timeouts should be used as quiet time for your child in a neutral area of the house (one minute for each year of age) with no toys or distractions. Do not talk to them when they are in timeout. Explain to them afterwards why they were in timeout. If timeouts do not work, use reward charts or praise behavior, or take away toys for unacceptable behavior.

Development

Children imitate their parents, so it is important to model good behavior for your child. They may have frequent changes in emotion, so praise them for being sensitive towards the feelings of others. Read together everyday and let your child play with other children. Prepare your child for school; sing together the ABCs, teach them their colors and how to count to 10. Speak to your child using clear words and sentences. Talk to your provider if you are interested in preschool or Head Start for your child.

Health

Limit TV and screen time to no more than 1 hour a day. Have your child play outside every day instead of watching TV. Do not allow your child to eat in front of a screen (phone, tablet, TV) and no TV in the bedroom. Take your child to the dentist every six months and make sure they are brushing their teeth twice a day. You should brush their teeth after them until they are seven years old. Limit how much juice they drink. Juice has a lot of sugar and can cause cavities. Teach your child to wash their hands often. At this age, your child’s curiosity about genitals is normal but not in public. If they are exploring in public, gently redirect, and do not make them feel ashamed.

Nutrition

Your child should eat 3 meals with 2-3 healthy snacks a day. Allow your child to decide on how much to eat. Avoid using sweets and snacks as rewards for good behavior; it can cause bad habits. Offer healthy snacks like veggies, fruits, turkey/cheese roll-up and plain or vanilla yogurt (avoid snacks like yakult or danonino). Give your child less than 16 oz of low-fat milk a day. Limit their juice to 4oz a day and no sodas.

Safety

Your child should still be sitting in the back seat of the car. Your child should always cross the street with an adult. Remove any guns from your home, or keep guns and bullets locked separately. Teach your child about “stranger danger”. Tell them that no adult should ask them to keep secrets and no one should touch/see their private parts. Your child should wear a helmet when riding a bike.

Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222

After Hours and Weekends
After 4:00 PM and before 8:00 AM
For medical advice when People’s is closed call After Hours Nurse line at 512-478-4939

Download PDF here.