Your son at 10
At 10,
your son is constantly growing. He begins to solve problems logically and
probably becomes more independent.
Your son's body
He
will become stronger, his balance, endurance and coordination will improve. His
ability to play team sports is improving. He should be able to use some tools
and his ability to do small things like drawing may increase.
He
will have plenty of energy and should get at least an hour of physical activity
a day. His diet should be rich in fruits and vegetables and low in fat, sugar
and salt.
Time
spent watching TV or playing with electronic devices should be limited to 2
hours a day or less.
Some
of your son's permanent teeth, especially those closer to the back, are still
growing at this age.
Your son's brain
At 10,
your son's brain continues to develop. At this stage, his school work may be
uneven and his interests may change rapidly. But his attention span increases
and his judgment improves.
Most
likely, he reads and writes well and can speak clearly. He develops abstract
and critical thinking skills, can follow detailed instructions, make plans and
solve problems.
He
should be able to read and understand more advanced books and math problems,
including fractions, word problems, and multiplication and division using long
numbers.
His
curiosity is probably growing and he may ask a lot of questions about the world
around him. He may start to show more creativity in things like writing,
design, or performing arts. He may also start developing hobbies or collecting
things.
At
this age, he should understand how his behavior affects others. He must also
recognize and consider the opinions and points of view of others and have an
idea of what is right and wrong, fair or unfair.
Your son's relationship
At 10,
your son is probably still very attached to you. But he will begin to form
stronger bonds with his friends and classmates, and group identification and
peer pressure will increase at this age.
Most
of his friendships will be with other boys, but he may be more interested in
girls. Friendship is largely based on common interests. Loyalty to teams, clubs
or other groups is strong. At this age, things like sports and board games will
become more common than fantasy.
As he
becomes more physically proficient, he will likely become more competitive.
Conflicts with siblings may occur more frequently.
As
puberty approaches, he may have more mood swings. He may be more sensitive or
easily frustrated, or become more self-conscious about his body.
He
will always tend to view adults as authority figures, follow their rules, and
accept your family's beliefs. But he is likely to question authority, view
older children as role models, and better understand what others think of him.
Checklist
During
your son's annual doctor's visit, your doctor should check:
- His height and weight
- His sight and hearing
- His physical development and behavior
- His vaccination record to make sure he is up to date on vaccinations
In addition, your doctor will ask you some questions to assess your son's risk for diseases that may develop later in life, such as tuberculosis, high cholesterol, and anemia.