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Well Child Visit Handout - 8 & 9 Years
EIGHT/NINE YEARS
Date of Visit: ___________
Weight: ___________
Height: ___________
NORMAL DEVELOPMENT: Your child may have the following characteristics:
PHYSICAL:
• Continues to be accident-prone, especially on the playground.
• Has more control over small muscles, and therefore writes and draws with more skill.
• Displays a casual attitude toward clothing and appearance.
• May appear slightly awkward.
• Seems to possess boundless energy.
EMOTIONAL:
• Begins to realize that others experience similar feelings of anger, fear, and sadness.
• Is easily embarrassed.
• Becomes discouraged easily.
SOCIAL:
• Can be argumentative and bossy.
• Can also be quite lovable and responsive.
• Shows increasing ability to understand the needs and opinions of others.
• Is preoccupied with finding compatible friends.
• Especially likes to belong to informal “clubs” formed by children themselves.
• Also likes to belong to more structured adult-led groups, such as Scouts.
• Begins to display a sense of loyalty.
• Enjoys secrets.
• Shows some hostility toward the opposite sex.
• No longer wants to assist in household chores.
MENTAL:
• Is often idealistic.
• Is keenly interested in projects and collections.
• Is proud of completing tasks.
• Resists adult guidance at times.
DIET:
• Offer your child three regular meals per day plus nutritious snacks.
• Make mealtimes pleasant and companionable. Encourage conversation.
ORAL HYGIENE:
• Make sure your child brushes his/her teeth twice daily with a pea-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste and flosses. Schedule a dental appointment for your child every six months.
SAFETY:
• Make sure your child is properly restrained in the car. He/she may be tall enough to use the lap/shoulder belts provided in the car without a booster seat. The lap belt should fit snugly at the hip, and the shoulder belt should not cross the neck.
• Install smoke alarms on every floor and change batteries twice a year.
• Make sure your child wears a helmet every time he/she rides a bike. No bicycle riding after dark.
• Show your child how to respond to clothes catching on fire: “Stop-Drop-Roll.”
• Teach your child how to swim. Supervise all swimming and water play. Insist on life jacket use when in a boat or near the water.
• Unfortunately, we are seeing more and more children accidentally shot in homes where guns are kept. All guns should be unloaded and put in a locked cabinet. Better yet, keep no guns in the house!
• Emphasize street safety. Your child should not cross the streets alone until about 9 years of age, and then only familiar, low trafficked neighborhood streets. The age at which he/she can begin crossing streets alone depends on his/her maturity and the nature of the street. Street crossing is tricky for kids and is the cause of many injuries and deaths from 7-13 years of age!
• Do not allow your child to operate power lawn mowers or motorized farm equipment.
• Teach safety rules for interacting with strangers.
• Your child may need protective sports gear—Ask the coach.
PARENTING:
• Even though your child may read well, continue to read to your child every night.
• Limit the amount and monitor the quality of television.
• Provide a quiet, well-lit place for homework. Be available for supervision.
• Show an interest in your child’s school activities and homework. Students whose parents are “involved” do better in school and have fewer discipline problems.
• You may want to start involving your child in an outside group activity like a soccer team, dance class, Girl Scouts, church group, etc.
• Get to know your child’s friends and their parents.
• Provide supervision for your child after school. This is the best protection against future problems.
• Spend some individual time with each child.
• Continue to set limits and establish consequences for unacceptable behavior.
• Continue to help your child learn how to get along with peers.
- Advance Directives Information
- Breast Self-Exam
- Medication Dosing Chart
- Mononucleosis
- Pityriasis Rosea
- Well Child Visit 1 Handout - 4 Months
- Well Child Visit 2 Handout - 6 Months
- Well Child Visit 3 Handout - 9 Months
- Well Child Visit Handout - 12 Months
- Well Child Visit Handout - 15 Months
- Well Child Visit Handout - 18 Months
- Well Child Visit Handout - 2 Years
- Well Child Visit Handout - 3 Years
- Well Child Visit Handout - 4 Years
- Well Child Visit Handout - 5 Years
- Well Child Visit Handout - 6 & 7 Years
- Well Child Visit Handout - 8 & 9 Years