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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.