Nutrition
Happy Birthday to your five-year-old! Encourage good eating habits and continue to offer healthy snacks. Your child may enjoy helping to choose and prepare the family meals with supervision. This will help him or her learn healthy eating habits. Use 1%, 1/2% or skim milk. You may want to use a multivitamin. If your well water tests negative for fluoride, we will prescribe it.
Development and Behavior
Five-year-olds usually are able to dress and undress themselves, brush their own teeth, understand rules in a game, copy a square, draw a person with a body, print some letters and answer “why” questions. Your child will soon enter kindergarten. Signs of readiness for school include: the ability to play well with other children, take turns, follow simple directions, conform to simple rules regarding behavior, get dressed, and separate from parents easily. If you have concerns about your child’s school readiness, please consult us.
Safety
Keep your child in a forward facing car seat or booster seat in the back seat until the are 8 years old, 80lbs and 4 feet 9 inches tall. As your child grows, focus on accident prevention. In the home, establish and practice a fire escape plan. Teach your child to never play with matches or lighters. Check smoke detectors regularly, and keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Teach your child emergency phone numbers. Supervise street-crossing, and make it a habit to wear bicycle helmets in your family. Closely supervise your child around water. Teach your child your address, home phone number and parents’ work numbers. Teach your child never to go anywhere with a stranger or without your permission. Teach your child about inappropriate touching.
Monitor TV, movies, video games for age-appropriate material. Trampolines and gasoline motor vehicles are very dangerous and should not be used by children.
Keep all medicines, vitamins, cleaning supplies, poisons and rearms locked away. Keep the poison control center number 1-800-848-6946 next to your phone. Remember, we no longer recommend Syrup of Ipecac or Activated Charcoal for poisoning.
Health Maintenance and Shots
Today your child will be screened for vision and hearing problems. Your child will also receive the DTaP, Polio, Chicken Pox and MMR immunizations if not given previously at 4 year check. If your family is at risk for high cholesterol, blood may be taken to measure your child’s cholesterol profile. We recommend that your child see dentist for routine checkups.
Next Appointment
At 6 years your child will receive a checkup, and be measured for height, weight and blood pressure. No immunizations or laboratory studies are scheduled unless directed by your pediatrician/provider. Yearly checkups are recommended throughout childhood. Call the office before that time if you have any questions or concerns.