Your child at age 7
Many
parents can't help but wonder if their children are growing and developing the
right way. Sometimes common milestones can be a useful tool.
But
remember that all children are different and special. Milestones should be
guidelines, not hard and fast rules.
If you
have specific questions about how your child reached a certain 7 year
milestone, you should check with your family doctor or your child's
pediatrician.
Watch
out for these types of milestones:
- Language and academic
- Development
- Social and emotional
Language and education
A
seven-year-old child, usually a second grader, usually develops more complex
sentences as he gets older.
- They will learn to speak better and be able to follow longer series of commands than when they were 6 years old.
- They began to see that some words have more than one meaning. This helps them understand jokes and puns and begin to verbally express their sense of humor.
- Children at early school age may show a rapid increase in their mental abilities.
Now
children:
- Know the concept of number.
- Know the day from night and from left to right
- Can tell the time
- Can repeat three digits in reverse order
Get to
know your child's school administrators and teachers. Participate in homework.
If you think your 7 year old is falling behind, stay calm but watch out for:
- Reading difficulties or other possible signs of disability
- Something that worries your child, such as bullying
- Mental health problems or stress
Development
- Milk teeth fall out, giving way to permanent teeth.
- The sensation of the image of the body began.
- Children of primary grades also complain more about pain in the abdomen, in the legs, etc. This may be because they are becoming more aware of their body. However, parents should check these complaints to ensure there are no injuries or illnesses.
Resist
the urge to compare your child to others or to the "norm" you've
heard about.
Your
doctor should have a growth chart for each child. He or she will use it to
decide if there may be a growth problem rather than a general recommendation.
Don't
force your child to eat more to reach a certain "standard" weight.
Remember
that everyone is unique.
Social, emotional
- From 6 to 8 years old, children become more and more independent from their parents. They will try to show how big they are and do things that can be dangerous.
- Peer acceptance becomes more important than before in the early school years. They learn to collaborate and share.
- Boys tend to play with boys and girls with girls.
- Parents should allow children to choose their own sports and toys - what is "for boys" or "for girls" and so on. And keep a number of diverse, non-stereotypical examples.
- Around now, children are starting to develop their skills and concentration, as well as understand teamwork, to start playing organized sports.
- As their language skills improve, children get better and better at describing what happened, how they feel and what they think.
- Lying, cheating and stealing are quite expected in the early school years. Children learn where they are, what is the difference between right and wrong, and what is acceptable.
Other ways parents can help
- Use stable time limits for video games, computer use and television. Make sure your screen time doesn't reduce your physical activity, getting enough sleep, and spending time with your family.
- Continue reading to your 7 year old and ask him to read to you.
- Think about parental controls on computers and TV.
- Don't be afraid to talk to your kids about difficult topics like peer pressure, violence, drug use and sexuality. Find age-appropriate ways to answer questions without adding confusion or fear.
- Support your child's self-esteem and encourage him to have fun and express himself.
- Consider swimming lessons and fire safety training for your child.