7 - 8 Years of Age

Physical Development

  • Rides a bicycle.
  • Likes competition and games, but may be accident prone.
  • Repeats tasks in order to master them.

Social and Emotional Development

  • Blames others for own mistakes.
  • Has same sex “best friend” but plays with boys and girls.
  • Likes informal and formal clubs/groups.
  • Peer group/influence becomes increasingly important and/or challenging.
  • Enjoys secrets.
  • May resist helping with household chores.
  • Tattles and may be critical.
  • Begins to understand other’s feelings.
  • May have temper tantrums.
  • May be “dramatic”.

Mental Development

  • Begins to tell time.
  • Understands rules and consequences.
  • Begins to use logical reasoning and to focus on multiple aspects of a problem.
  • Concerned with right and wrong; concepts of honesty and dishonesty are still difficult.
  • Rapid language development.
  • Prints or writes in cursive.

School Issues

  • Talk with your child about school.
  • Discuss with teachers any performance, progress, behavior or learning issues.
  • Know your child’s friends and classmates.
  • Visit the school, volunteer and observe your child in class.
  • Talk about bullying. Set clear expectations for behavior and help develop a “tell someone” plan should he/she see this happening at school or elsewhere.
  • Discuss the acceptable way to handle anger/frustration and how to manage/resolve conflict.
  • Immediately discuss any school concern with a teacher or counselor. Do not wait until things get out of control.

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR CHILD

  • Make your home a safe place from school and neighborhood stresses.
  • Teach money management.
  • Some family responsibilities should not be “paid”. Other chores might be.
  • A weekly allowance can be used to teach your child how to develop healthy saving and spending habits.
  • Show an interest in activities that are important to your child.
  • Explore outdoors: Visit your local Outdoor Discovery Center.
  • Set reasonable expectations.
  • Give your child responsibilities such as making the bed, picking up clothes, setting the table, etc.
  • Create opportunities for activities as a family.
  • Establish rules, reinforce limits and provide appropriate consequences.
  • Do not hit, shake, or spank your child or permit others to do so.
  • Teach how to handle anger and conflict appropriately.
  • Try to eat at least one meal (or more) together as a family each day.
  • Hugs and “smiles of appreciation” build a healthy spirit! Use praise frequently.

 

KEEP YOUR CHILD SAFE

General Safety

  • Children are required to ride in a booster seat until they are 8 years of age or 4 feet tall (57 inches). It is recommended that they stay in the booster seat until the regular car seatbelt fits correctly; the shoulder harness must rest on your child’s shoulder and not on his/her neck. Refer to www.michigansafekids.org for additional information.
  • Model safe behavior by wearing your seatbelt or bike helmet.
  • Require ALL members of your family to use booster seats, seatbelts, bike helmets and protective sports gear.
  • Everyone in your family should always wear CPSC-approved helmets for bike rides.
  • Talk about traffic and bicycle safety.
  • Talk about not using drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
  • Discuss different emergency situations (fire, etc.) and the correct use of 911.
  • Know your child’s friends and their families. Have your child invite friends over.
  • Teach your child to swim and to respect the water.
  • Always supervise computer/internet use. Install parental control/monitoring programs.
  • Limit computer, video game, TV use to two hours or less each day.

Poison Control

  • Keep household cleaners, soaps, medicines and vitamins locked up and out of reach.
  • If your child eats or has contact with something that could be poisonous, call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222 immediately.
  • Do not make your child vomit unless directed to do so by the center.

Burns

  • Store matches and lighters out of the reach of your child.
  • Your water heater should be set no higher than 120 degrees fahrenheit.
  • Use cool mist humidifiers.
  • Working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should be installed on every level of the home and near sleeping areas.

Guns and Sharp Objects

  • The safest thing is to never have a gun in the house.
  • If you have a gun, store it unloaded and locked away. Ammunition must be locked separately away from the gun.
  • Keep knives and other sharp objects out of reach.

 

KEEP YOUR CHILD HEALTHY

  • Schedule a well check appointment with the pediatrician every 1-2 years.

Fever

  • Fever at this age is a normal response to illness. You may give acetaminophen to relieve any discomfort.
  • Please call our office for an appointment if your child’s fever lasts more than 72 hours or there are symptoms that concern you.

Vaccines

  • Keep your child vaccinated on the schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and your doctor. Splitting doses can be risky and is NEVER recommended by your doctor! Check with your insurance company before each well visit. Ask about deductibles, maximum benefits and if they pay for ANY PART of the cost of vaccines.
  • It is normal to have a fever for a couple of days after vaccination.
  • Your child’s next set of vaccines will be due at 11 years of age.

Smoking

  • Do not smoke.
  • Consider stopping if you do smoke.
  • Do not smoke in your house or in your car.
  • Do not allow others to smoke around your child.

Hands

  • Encourage your child to wash hands before meals and snacks.

Nutrition

  • Offer your child skim, ½% or 2% milk.
  • Serve your child 3 regular meals each day with 1 or 2 planned healthy snacks each day. Offer a variety of foods.
  • Snacks may include fresh fruit, applesauce, cheese, whole-grain bread or crackers.
  • Remember that your child will eat when he/she is hungry. Do not force him/her to eat but encourage him/her to try new foods. Keep mealtime pleasant and encourage good manners.

Dental Health

  • Encourage your child to brush his or her teeth with a soft toothbrush after each meal. Floss daily.
  • Have regular dental visits.

Sleep

  • Children this age need about 9-11 hours of sleep each night.

Skin Protection

  • Limit play in direct sunlight. Apply sunscreen (SPF 30) and reapply frequently.
  • If needed, insect repellents with a DEET concentration of 30 % or less may be used.

Adapted from Bright Futures Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents—Third Edition: Joseph F. Hagan, Jr. MD, FAAP; Judith S. Shaw, RN, MPH, EdD; and Paula Duncan, MD, FAAP