5-6 year old Child's Well Visit: Care Instructions

Your Care Instructions

Your child is busy at school and has many friends. He or she will have many things to share with you every day as they learn new things in school. It is important that your child gets enough sleep and eats healthy food during this time.

By age 5-6, most children can read and do some simple addition. They are learning to develop social skills and tend to still have magical thinking and non-judgmental attitudes toward others.

Follow-up care is a key part of your child's treatment and safety. Be sure to make and keep all appointments, and call your doctor if your child is having problems. It's also a good idea to know your child's test results and keep a list of the medicines your child takes.

How can you care for your child at home?

1. Promote normal growth by offering a variety of foods, even if your child is picky about eating. At each mealtime, offer at least one thing you know your child likes, along with several other options to create a balanced meal. Encourage your child to “walk around the plate” by trying all the foods and explain the different food groups and why each is good for the body.
2. Promote normal development by reading with your child every day and limiting screen time to less than one hour per day. Preferably, choose screen activities you can do together. Remember to keep all screen time well before 6 p.m. to avoid interference with falling asleep and staying asleep.
3. Promote normal social development by providing plenty of opportunities for your child to interact with peers through preschool, pre-K (kindergarten), or playgroups. Spend time playing directly with your child every day. Good toys for this age include building blocks, crayons and paper, toy animals and dolls, musical instruments that are safe for kids, outdoor sports equipment like balls, swimming, and learning to ride a bike.
4. Ensure a safe environment for your child: install a self-locking gate between pools and the house to prevent unattended access, continue using a high-back car seat in the back seat of the car, enroll your child in swim lessons, make sure your child does not have unrestricted internet access, and keep cleaners such as colorful dishwasher and laundry pods locked away.
5. Teach your child to stay in their own bed. Sometimes 5-year-old children become afraid of the dark. Use a dim room light or night light, or keep a flashlight handy for your child to use as desired. Soft music can help create a calming nighttime mood and routine.
6. Most girls are completely dry at night by this age, but some boys may still be working on staying dry. If your child is a bedwetter, restrict fluids for two hours before bedtime (for example, no fluids after 6 p.m. for an 8 p.m. bedtime), and awaken your child for a bathroom break around 10 or 11 p.m. (2-3 hours into sleep). If your child is not dry by age 6 (for a girl) or age 9 (for a boy), consider using a bedwetting alarm (available at bed-wetting stores).

Immunizations

• Flu shots are recommended yearly for all children 6 months and older.

When should you call for help?

Contact your doctor if:

• You are concerned your child is not growing or learning normally.
• You are worried about your child's behavior.
• You have questions or need more information about your child's care.

Where can you learn more?

Go to http://www.nurturepediatric.com/

Care instructions adapted under license by Nurture Pediatrics. This information is for use with your licensed healthcare professional. If you have questions about a medical condition or these instructions, always ask your healthcare professional.