Your child at age 5

As kindergarten approaches, your 5-year-old is on the cusp of a brave new world: new friends, new routines, and all sorts of new ideas. As a rule, children of this age are full of creative energy. They also know everyday things like food and money. At the same time, they may find it difficult to deal with strong feelings. One minute it's easy, the next you feel like you've hit a terrible two again.

Knowing your child's milestones at age 5 can help. They tell you about the types of skills your child will gain, giving you an idea of what is normal and what to expect next. When considering milestones, it is also helpful to know how to support your child's development and how to keep them safe.

Milestones at age 5

You can expect your child to have these skills by age 5 or soon after. Keep in mind that milestones are guidelines - children reach them at their own pace. Some children acquire these skills before the age of 5, others later. However, if these milestones make you worried that your child is retarded, talk to your child's doctor.

Language and communication skills

Knows how to make rhymes
Says full name, address, and phone number
Speaks clearly and uses sentences with five or more words
Tells longer stories using complete sentences
Uses future tense, such as, “We will go to the park soon.”

Movement and physical skills

Does somersaults -- head-over-heels tumbles
Dresses and undresses without help
Hops and may skip
Stands on one foot for at least 10 seconds
Swings and climbs
Uses a fork, spoon, and sometimes a table knife
Uses the toilet without help

Social and emotional skills

Agrees to rules more easily
Cooperates easily one moment, but very demanding the next
Does more on her own, like visiting a next-door neighbor by herself (with adult supervision)
Gets the difference between make-believe and reality
Knows about gender, such as who’s a boy or girl
Likes to act, dance, and sing
Wants to please friends -- and act like them, too

Thinking and mental abilities

Copies triangles and other shapes
Counts 10 or more things
Draws people with six or more body parts
Knows about everyday things around the home, like food and appliances
Names at least four colors
Prints some letters and numbers
Stronger grasp on the idea of time

How to help your child

There are many things you can do every day to help your child learn and grow, such as:

Set aside enough time for running and playing, and help with activities such as using a hand walker and learning to swing.
Let your child do housework
Let your child choose activities with friends and allow them to solve problems among themselves
Point out common words and symbols in books or on the go
Read to your child every day - ask questions about the stories, such as "What do you think will happen next?" »
Offer activities such as drawing, writing letters, and creating projects with glue, scissors, and other art supplies.
Talk to your child and listen carefully - ask him about what he likes and dislikes, what worries him and what he did with his friends today.
Work with your child on how to deal with strong feelings such as anger.

As for TVs, smartphones, computers and tablets, doctors recommend:

Keep appliances away from bedrooms
Limit screen time to 1 hour per day for quality programming
Tell us about what you watch together and how it applies to the world.

How to keep your child safe

As children acquire new abilities, they can do more and more on their own. This is exactly what you want, but it means changing how you protect them.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Always place your child in the back of the car in a car seat or child seat.
Learn about guns and safe handling in homes where your child will be playing.
Do not keep firearms at home. If you have one, keep it uncharged, locked away, and separated from the balls. And make sure the kids can't get the key.
Do not let your child play outside, including riding a bike - teach that the sidewalk is the limit
Show your child how to cross the street - look both ways and listen for traffic - but help your child cross the street until about 10 years old.
Sign your child up for swimming lessons, but don't let your child swim alone and always keep a close eye on and around the water.
Teach your child not to play with lighters and matches - and check smoke detectors regularly.
Wear a helmet when cycling, skating, skiing and other activities where falls can cause head injury.

You can also start teaching your child basic safety principles such as:

Ask only certain adults for help, like those with uniforms or name badges
Don’t open the door to your house or apartment unless you’re with an adult
Make sure your child knows his full name, address, and phone number
And teach your child that certain body parts are off limits. Tell the child that:
No one can ask you to keep a secret from your parents
No one can ask you to see or touch your private parts -- the parts that a bathing suit covers
No one can ask you to look at, touch, or help with their private parts