Seven and
Eight Year Old Visit
Parenting
• If your child is not doing well in
school, now is the time to get involved.
Ask your child’s teacher for special help
or tutoring resources.
• If your child is anxious about going to
school, talk to her about the possibility of being bullied by another
child.
• Encourage your child to always do their
best and keep communication lines open so you will be aware of any
problems at school. Explain to your child that sometimes just talking
something through will help them to deal with it.
• Help your child begin to do more and more
things on her own.
• Show affection and pride in your child’s
special strengths. Use praise liberally.
• Be a positive role model in terms of
activities, values and attitudes.
• Do not hit, shake, or spank your child or
allow others to do so. Talk with your child about establishing
reasonable consequences for breaking rules. Follow up with those consequences each time a rule is broken. Be consistent.
• Answer questions about puberty and
reproduction simply and honestly at a level your child can
understand. If your child attends
family life education at school or in scouts discuss
the information with them. Let them know it is okay to talk about
your body’s development. Children this age usually grow about 2 inches
per year and increase 5 pounds of body weight.
Nutrition and Physical
Activity
• Help your child choose appropriate foods
from all food groups. The energy needs of children this age vary
greatly and may change with growth spurts.
• Eat together as a family when
possible. Make meal times
pleasant. Serve healthy snacks and avoid junk food,
sweets and fast food, which is high in fat and calories. You are the best role model for your
child.
• Children this age need about 2 cups of
low fat milk per day for calcium for strong bones and teeth. Other dairy products such as low fat yogurt and cheese are good substitutes
for milk.
• Be physically active at least sixty
minutes every day. Play hard several times per day and do something
every day that makes you sweat.
• Limit TV and computer time or trade
increments of screen time to be matched with physical activity.
• Incorporate family fitness into your
daily life.
Oral Health
• Your child should have a dental home.
• Be sure your child continues to brush his
teeth twice daily and floss once.
• If your child is playing contact sports,
always wear protective equipment, including mouth guards to
protect their teeth. Contact your dentist for any accidental injury to
the teeth.
Safety
• Your child now spends more time with
other children and families. Parents must help children understand
safe play habits. Teach your child that safety rules at home apply to
them at other homes as well.
• Be sure before and after school
activities are supervised.
• Your child should understand emergency
phone numbers and how to make a call in case of fire or other
emergency. Teach your child to dial 911,
• Help your child understand it is always
OK to ask to come home or call you if she is not comfortable at someone
else’s house.
• Teach your child it is never all right
for an adult to tell a child to keep secrets from parents, or to express
interest in private parts.
• Teach your child not to open the door to
anyone they don’t know. Friends should only come over when you
have given permission and can supervise.
• Children this age should continue to sit
in a booster seat until they are 4 feet, 9 inches tall. The back seat is the safest place for a
child.
• Teach your child the rules of the road
for safe cycling. Your child is not old enough to ride at dusk or in the
dark.
• Make sure your child wears protective equipment when biking, skating, skiing, riding a scooter,
horseback riding, etc. If you
cannot afford a helmet talk to someone at
Southern Indiana Pediatrics.
• If your child cannot swim, now is the
time to teach them to swim. Children should never swim unsupervised,
even if they know how to swim. Never let your child swim in fast moving water. Teach your child not to dive unless an adult has
checked water depth.
• When boating, children should always wear
US Coast Guard approved life jackets.
• Teach your child to apply sunscreen.
• Exposures to second hand smoke increase
the risk of heart and lung disease in your child. Please stop smoking and insist that
others not smoke around your child.
• Tell your child that cigarettes are bad
for his lungs, heart, skin and teeth. Teach them to say no to other kids who offer them cigarettes
or tobacco products.
• Internet safety is an important
issue. Keep your computer in a
place where you can observe your child’s
use. Regularly check the internet usage history. Install a safety filter. Teach children to never give their name, address or phone number on a
Web site unless their parents approve.
• Teach your child what to do if they
arrive home and you are not there.
Where are safe places in your neighborhood?
