Newsletter

April 2009

Development

Have you ever wondered why your 5 year old sometimes acts like an adult and sometimes like a baby?  Do you feel frustrated with this fact?

5 year old children are filled with excitement, an inquisitive nature and a desire to be independent.  They are happy most of the time.  The world of a 5 year old child, however, can be overwhelming.  This is the time in their life when they will no longer be considered “a baby”.  Graduating from a baby to child has a lot of responsibility associated with it.  Your youngster may become confused and frustrated when expected to act like a “big kid”.  Don’t be surprised (and try not to be frustrated) if you see your child regress, still have an occasional temper tantrum or start to wet the bed after having been potty trained for a couple of years.  These are all normal responses to the stress of growing older.

When is my child ready for kindergarten?

Most public schools (and many private) have date cut-offs that are strict.  Most children will need to have reached their 5th birthday by a certain date (for example September 1 of the year the child enters kindergarten).  These restrictions are well thought out.  Your child must be able to sit still for short periods of time, follow directions, have minimal separation anxiety from parents, and be able to nap in an unfamiliar environment.  Most children who are 5 years old can accomplish these things.  If your child has difficulty with any of these issues it would better serve him/her to wait to start kindergarten until the following school year.

Some parents chose to wait until the 6th year of life to start kindergarten.  The reasoning they site is that the parent felt his/her child was emotionally immature or the parent wanted his/her child to have a physical or psychological advantage over the other children in high school.  Yes, parents are apt to think this far ahead.  While there are advantages to this theory, there are also disadvantages.  Your child may be older when in high school and better able to cope with the peer pressure and academic demands of the high school years.  However, if your child is too physically mature (especially girls) it can lead to unwanted advances from upper classmen.  There is no right or wrong answer.  Do what you think is appropriate for your child.

Safety

We are entering into the summer season.  This means children will be spending (and should be) more time outdoors.  Here are some summer safety tips to remember:

Be sure that your child wears sunscreen to prevent sunburns.  However, be sure s/he gets at 10 minutes per day of sun exposure (no more) to produce adequate vitamin D.

Be sure your child always wears a helmet when riding a bicycle, tricycle, or scooter.  Be mindful that teaching your child to always wear a helmet begins when s/he first learns to ride (even if this is at 18 months of age).  Once s/he knows a helmet must always be worn, s/he will be less likely to cave into peer pressure in the future which usually involves not wearing a helmet.