7 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 7, most children can add and subtract simple objects or numbers. They tend to have a concrete perspective—things are either great or awful, ugly or pretty, right or wrong. They are learning to develop social skills and to read better.

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. Offer a healthy dessert like fruit with a small scoop of yogurt or ice cream if your child eats at least three bites of each food on the plate.
2. Promote normal development by reading with your child every day and limiting screen time to less than two hours per day, preferably with 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 sports and community groups. Spend time playing directly with your child every day. Good play toys for this age include LEGO and other building blocks, markers and paper, musical instruments, outdoor sports with 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 pool access, continue using a booster seat in the back seat of the car until your child reaches 4 feet 9 inches (no front passenger seat until age 13), enroll in swim lessons, make sure your child does not have free access to the internet, and store all medications and cleaners out of reach.
5. Establish a predictable bedtime that allows your child to get about 10 hours of sleep each night.
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 prior to 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 8, consider using a bedwetting alarm (available at bedwetting 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/, log into your Patient Portal.

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