parenting) early childhood (1-4 years) the world opens up

8/14/2019 Parenting) Early Childhood (1-4 Years) the World Opens Up

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Early childh ood is a time of big chan ges for your ch ild. At

age 1, hes still a baby in m an yways. By age 4, h es ready for p re-

schoo l! In t h ese few years, your ch ildsworld will open up. Hell begin tofocus on ad ults and p laym ates outside

of the family. His thinking abilitieswill grow, an d h ell be able to u se his

imagination in p lay. Yourtod dlers growing size, strength ,

and energy will chan ge him into a runn ing, jum ping,climbin g kid. Hes begin n ing to h ave a sense of him self as a separate person. Hell want to explore, be active, and

show h is indep end ence. Th is is wh at early childhoo d isall about .

Parents and Health Professionals:Partners for a Healthy ChildHealth p rofessionals are your partn ers in keeping yourchild h ealth y. Each o f you brings som ethin g special toth e effort. Health p rofessionals know abo ut ch ild h ealthcare, growth , and d evelopm ent. You h ave the day-to-dayexperience th at makes you an expert on your ch ild.You are also th e best person to m ake sure your ch ild getsth e kinds of care sh e n eeds. This tip sheet will help youthin k about some of th e mo st imp ortant h ealth issues inearly childhoo d.

Your health professional will want to see your childfor regular ch eckups at th ese ages:

1 year 2 years 15 m on th s 3 years 18 m on th s 4 years

These visits are important. They give your healthprofession al a chan ce to m ake sure your ch ild ish ealth y an d growing well. They also are a tim e foryou t o ask any q uestion s or discuss your con cern s.At th ese visits, your ch ild will get a ph ysical exam;

h earin g, vision , or oth er screenin g tests; an d on e ormore of the following immunizations:

Hepatit is B Diphth eria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP)

H. influenzae type b (Hib) Polio (IPV) Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV) Measles, mu m ps, rubella (MMR) Varicella (Var) or chicken pox Hepat itis A (in selected areas)

Health Professional Visits During Early Childhood

The World Opens Up

B R I G H T F U T U R E S F A M I L Y T I P S H E E T S

E a r l y C h i l d h o o d( 1 4 Ye a r s)


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Social DevelopmentSocial development is how your child grows inconfidence, in depen den ce, and good feelin gs abouth erself. You ll see th ese qualities in th e way sh e feelsabout p eople an d acts aroun d th em. Your child isbegin n ing to discover a whole n ew world of people andthings to enjoy. Helping her develop socially will create a

strong found ation for later developm ent . Here are someways to help:

Encourage Your Child to Feel Good About Herself and Others Praise your child every day.

En courage her to explore an d try new th ings. Providesafe places for her to do th is.

With in lim its, let your child make simple choices. Forexamp le, which sh irt to wear or which fruit to eat.

Be consistent and clear about wh ich behaviors are okayor not okay.

Use disciplin e to teach an d protect your child, not topu n ish h er or make h er feel bad abou t h erself. Try time-outs, setting limits, and gentle restraint.

Encoura ge Good Feelings W ith in t he Fam ily En courage fam ily mem bers to show affection for each

other.

Do lots of things together as a family.

Spend special tim e alone with each child.

Encourage Your Child to Enjoy Other People Join a parent-child play group.

Take your child to comm un ity activities.

En courage friendships with other children.

Things to Discuss wit h Your Healt h Professional How to h elp your child express anger and oth er feelings

in acceptable ways.

Sign s that will tell you wh ether she is ready for

preschool.

EatingTodd lers learn abou t foods by lookin g, touchin g, andtasting. As they get older, children explore new foods bytalkin g about them , helpin g to shop an d cook, andsharing m ealtimes with th e fam ily.

You m ay notice thatyou r childs growth

and weigh t gainwill slow d own ,compared towhen he was ababy. He might eat alot one day but notmuch the next. Hellalso sho w h is n ewindependence in choosing which foods to eat. Duringth ese years, your ch ild m ay seem to b ecome a fussy eater.Th e foods h e likes an d dislikes might even ch ange fromday to day.

Build Healt hy Food Hab its Offer a variety of health y foods, such as grain s, fruits,

vegetables, meats, and dairy products.

Let your child choose what to eat and h ow much.

Let your ch ild feed h imself. It will be m essy but h elllearn a lot. Give h im cups, bowls, and spoo n s that areeasy to use.

Don t give h ard, sm all foods. Sm all foods like n uts,raisin s, meat ch un ks, and wh ole grapes can get stuck in

his throat. If you h ave a ch ild care provider, make sure sh e also

serves a variety of h ealth y foods.

Things to Discuss wit h Your Healt h Professional Your ch ilds progress in weanin g from breast or bottle

to cup.

Any problems your child h as with eating or drinking.

Questions or concerns about your childs growth an ddevelopment.

1 Year 18 Months

My Child IsChanging!

Uses a spoon and cupUses two-word phrasesThrows a ballKisses and showsaffection

Begins to take stepsand talkWaves bye-byePlays pat-a-cake andpeek-a-booSays a few words plus mama and dada

2 Early Childhood

Feeds self wi th fingersListens to a storyDrinks from a cupUnderstands simplecommands

15 Months


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Oral HealthThe good h abits your ch ild learns n ow can last a lifetime.Good h abits in clude brushin g, flossin g, seein g a den tistregularly, and protecting teeth from injury.

Prevent Tooth D ecay Teach your child to drink from a cup instead of a

bottle. If sh e sucks from a bott le for a lon g time, th esugar from th e milk or juice stays in h er mou th toolong. The sugar can lead to to oth decay. Water in abottle is okay. It h as no sugar and won t h urt h er teeth .

Take your child to th e dentist for her first visit whenshes abou t 1 year old.

Un til she is 2, clean h er teeth twice a day with a sm all,soft tooth brush. Use just water, n ot too th paste.

Wh en shes 2, begin p utting a little toothpaste on hertooth brush. Use a fluoridated tooth paste,an d just a pea-size am oun t. Teach you r

child to brush her own teeth at age 3.Watch to m ake sure sh e brushescorrectly an d spits out t h e tooth paste.

Your own saliva can pass bacteriafrom your m out h t o your childs,so make sure you brush an d flossregularly. Dont eat ou t of a comm ondish with you r ch ild or use the sam espoon or fork.

Protect the Teeth a nd Mouth from Injury

Use the safety tips in the box on page 4 to h elp protectyour ch ilds teeth from injury.

Things to Discuss with Your Dentist or Health Professional How often to bring your child to the dentist.

Wh ether your child n eeds fluoride supplements toprotect her teeth.

Wh en and h ow to floss your ch ilds teeth.

Wh at to do if your ch ild hu rts h er mo uth o r breaks atooth.

How to help your child stop sucking h er thum b.

Physical ActivityKeeping active isnt a problem for most toddlers andyoung children. Theyre always on the go! There are lotsof ways to ch ann el this energy in positive ways.

Build Healthy Habits for a Lifetime Try to find p h ysical activities th at are fun for the wh ole

family.

Let your child play as long as he h as energy an dinterest. High energy may com e in spurts.

Limit the amoun t of time your child watches TV andplays video or com put er games.

Be a role mo del. Be ph ysically active you rself.

Look for comm un ity programs that en courage physicalactivity.

Things to Discuss wit h Your Healt h Professional The kin ds of activities your child sh ould be able to do.

Physical activities th at are especially h ard for yourchild.

2 Years 3 Years 4 Years

Can sing a songKnows reality fromfantasyTalks about dailyactivities and experiencesCan hop, jump on onefoot

Can go up and downstairs one at a timeCan kick a ballCan stack blocksImitates adults

3 Early Childhood

Rides a tricycleKnows name, age, sexCopies a circle and acrossDresses self


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Prevent InjuriesPut you r child in a car safety seatevery time h e rides in th e car.Attach th e car seat accordin g tothe manufacturers directions. Besure that th e seat is the right sizeand type for your childs age an dweight.

The b ack seat is the safest placefor a child to ride. Youngchildren shou ld never sit in t h efront seat of a car with airbags.

Never leave you r childalone on a ch angingtable or other h ighplace.

Keep safety gateson stairs and closeth e latches on

windows.

Keep sh arp o bjects,such as scissors andpen s, in a safe place.

Lock up m edications, hou seh oldcleaners, and poisons.

Make sure your ch ild cant get atelectrical wires, outlets, orappliances.

Remove guns from th e hom e orkeep th em u nloaded and lockedup.

Keep your child away from lawnm owers, overhead garage doors,and electric tools.

Teach you r child street an dplaygroun d safety. Warn h im

n ot to chase balls into th e street.

Practice water safety. Teach you rchild to swim. Empt y buckets,

childrens pools, andbath tubs righ t after

use. Put a fencearound an y pools.

Check playgroun ds forsafety. Look forthings like sharpedges, splinters,and broken

equipment. Findplaygroun ds with

soft surfaces like woodch ips or grass.

Prevent BurnsKeep your child away from h otstoves, fireplaces, grills, heaters,

iron s, an d h air dryers. Turn pothan dles toward th e back of th estove.

Keep cigarettes, lighters,ashtrays, and matches out of sight an d out o f reach .

Set tem perature of hou seh oldwater h eater below 12 0F.

Before your child gets in thebath , put your wrist in th e waterto m ake sure it is n ot too h ot.

Limit th e time your child spendsin th e sun . Put sun screen (atleast SPF 15) on your ch ildbefore he goes outside.

Install sm oke alarm s and check th em regularly.

Prevent ChokingDon t allow your child to playwith th ings th at can cover hisn ose an d face, like plastic bags orballoons.

Keep you r child away fromsmall, hard o bjects that h e couldswallow. For exam ple, keepbutto n s, coins, or marbles out of reach.

Keeping Your Child Safe at Home and at Play

SafetyNow th at your ch ild can m ove fast, has lots of energy,an d likes to explore, you n eed to b e extra careful abouth er safety. Plan ah ead. Th ink about th ings you can do t oprevent injuries and kno w wh at to do if she gets h urt.

Plan Ahead Know wh en to go to th e emergency room. Know wh ere

th e closest on e is an d h ow to get there quickly.

Keep the num ber of a poison con trol center near yourphone .

Find out wh ich hospitals are covered by yourinsurance. Ask about financial assistance if needed.

Take a class to learn first aid an d ch ild CPR.

Every once in a wh ile, do a safety check of your hom ean d ch ild care facility.

Things to Discuss wit h Your Healt h Professional A plan for dealin g with m edical em ergencies, injuries,

or poisonin gs.

The ho spitals and clinics your health p rofession alworks with .

Ways to get in touch with your h ealth p rofession alafter office ho urs.

4 Early Childhood


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Child Care and EducationYoun g ch ildren n eed lots of attent ion an d chan ces toplay and learn. Ch oose child care that gives th ese to yourchild. Th e h om e or child care cen ter where your ch ildspends h is day shou ld be safe an d carin g. It shou ld h avetoys, books, and activities that encou rage learning.

Choose Child Ca re Carefully Take tim e to research your child care option s carefully.

The chart on p age 6 can h elp you choose high-qualitychild care.

Be just as careful when you h ire a babysitter for th eevening. Pick a matu re person wh o can give your childthe loving attention h e needs and wants.

Make Sure the Care Is Right for Your Child Every so often, m ake a surprise visit to you r child care

provider. Is th e staff caring an d gen tle with your ch ild?Does your child p lay well with t h e oth er ch ildren?Look around the center and think about safety andhealth issues. Are toys with small parts out of reach of toddlers? Is the center clean?

Make sure your child is happ y there. Does he look forward to going? Does he talk cheerfully about h isday?

Help Your Child Learn Every day, take advant age of learnin g opportun ities.

Talk, read, play, and visit friends together. Go on short

trips and neighborh ood ou tings.

Things to Discuss wit h Your Healt h Professional Warning signs that show that your child is un happ y in

a child care program .

Any p roblems with hearin g, vision, or speech thatm igh t affect learn ing.

5 Early Childhood


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Step 1: Interview caregivers.

Call and a sk about :cost and financial assistance

h ow m any ch ildren are cared for

size of th e adu lt staff m eals an d food th ey provide

their license, accreditation, andcertification

Visit an d look for:a good relationship b etween staff and children

h appy, active children

a clean, safe center, inside and

ou t

a variety of toys and learnin gmaterials

Ask them :Are paren ts allowed to visit th eirchild during the day?

How do th ey discipline youn gchildren in th eir care?

How do they handle childrensem ergencies and illnesses?

Step 2: Check references.

Talk with other parents whouse the cent er and ask:

Is the caregiver always reliable?

Is th eir child hap py th ere?

Does th e caregiver seem t orespect th eir values an d culture?

Would they recomm end th ecaregiver?

Step 3: Make the decision.

Ask yourself:Will my child be happy an dsecure?

Can th e caregiver meet mych ilds n eeds?

Do t h e caregivers values agreewith mine?

Is th is ch ild care suitab le andaffordable?

Do I feel good abou t ch oosingth is caregiver?

Step 4: Stay involved.

Be sure t o:m ake tim e to talk with yourcaregiver every day

talk with your caregiver aboutissues and concerns

ask about your childs growthand development

Choosing the Right Child Care

Source: U.S. Departmen t of Health and Hum an Services, Adm inistration for Ch ildren an d Families, Child Care Bureau. Four Stepsto Selecting a C hild Care Provider . Adm inistrat ion for Ch ildren an d Families Web site. Available at http:// www.acf.dh hs.gov/program s/ ccb/faq/4steps.htm . Accessed April 22, 199 9.

Compliments of Pfizer Inc.

2001For inf ormat ion about Bright Futures,please contact (7 03) 524-780 2 or [email protected]. Visit ourWeb site at www.brightfutures.org.

parenting) early childhood (1-4 years) the world opens up

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