4 - 6 Year Well Child Visit

Immunizations Today:

  __    DTaP  (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine)

  ___  IPV  (injectable polio vaccine)

  ___  MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine)

 

Next Visit:    

   __ at 5 years of age

   __ at 6 years of age

   __ at 7 years of age

 

NUTRITION

¨      Learn the Food Pyramid as a family and practice it together.  Remember that our children learn much more from our behavior than from what we tell them to do.

¨      Watch what foods you have in the house.  It’s much harder to eat junk food if it’s not there.  Fruits and vegetables make great snacks! (Click here for a list of healthy snacks.)

¨      Use low fat dairy products.

 

HEALTHY HABITS

¨      Encourage routine physical activity.  Play ball, ride a bike or take a walk.  Keep moving and keep your heart healthy.

¨      Minimize television time and choose what you watch wisely.  Encourage children to participate in this decision making with a weekly TV-time budget.  Parents should monitor the shows their children are watching.

¨      See a dentist twice yearly.  Brush teeth twice daily and floss daily.

¨      Talk openly now about the risks of cigarette/alcohol/drug use and set good examples.

¨      Read!  Read together, read out loud.  Exercise your brains!

¨      By four years of age, most children develop a healthy sexual curiosity.  They ask a variety of questions and need honest, brief answers.  If they don’t ask such questions by five years of age, it is your job to bring up the subject.  If you don’t, they may acquire a lot of misinformation from their schoolmates.

¨      Discipline should be respectful to the child and parent, it should not be punitive, and should be related to the deed (“logical consequence”).  Keep discipline brief and offer reassurance once the negative behavior has stopped.  Parents need to set limits throughout childhood.  Speak to us if you feel your child is “out of control.”

 

SAFETY

¨      Always wear seat belt in car.  Children under 12 years old are safer in the backseat.  Kids less than 80 lbs. are safer in a booster seat.

¨      Bike helmets are a must.  Always wear a helmet on bikes, rollerblades, skates, scooters, snowboards and skis.

¨      Never play with a gun. Guns are dangerous.  Every 2 hours in the U.S. someone’s child is killed by a gun.  Guns in the home substantially increase the risk of suicide and homicide.  If you have a gun in your home, we strongly encourage you to get rid of it.  If this is not an option, make certain that the gun is securely locked and stored separately from ammunition.  Teach your child never to play with guns.

¨      Watch for cars when crossing the street.

¨      Swim with a buddy.  Consider swimming lessons.

¨      Keep children out of the sun at peak times (10:00a – 3:00p) and always protect with a PABA-free sunscreen. (SPF 15 or above).  Insect repellent should contain less than 10% DEET.

¨      Sports should be fun.  Competition is inappropriate at this age.  Choose a sport that suits your child’s physical abilities and temperaments.  Do it safely and with proper supervision.

¨      Teach your child his/her telephone number and address.

¨      Go over the dangers of unfamiliar dogs and/or dead animals.

¨      Discuss stranger awareness and good touch/bad touch.

¨      Your child will be entering school soon.  Have him/her tested for readiness.  Discuss with your pediatrician any concerns about their inability to learn or function well in school.

¨      Poison control can be reached at 275-3232 or 1-800-222-1222.

 

SUGGESTED READING

To Listen to a Child, T.B. Brazelton

Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, American Academy of Pediatrics

Caring for Your School-Age Child, American Academy of Pediatrics

The Hurried Child, D. Elkind

Raising Your Spirited Child, M.S. Kurcinka

 

As children become more independent, they develop their own sense of personhood.  They need both the freedom of personal expression and the structure of expectations and guidelines.