Staying Healthy
- Eat together often as a family.
- Start every day with breakfast.
- Buy fat-free milk and low-fat dairy foods, and encourage 3 servings each day.
- Limit soft drinks, juice, candy, chips, and high-fat food.
- Include 5 servings of vegetables and fruits at meals and for snacks daily.
- Limit TV and computer time to 2 hours a day.
- Do not have a TV or computer in your child’s bedroom.
- Encourage your child to play actively for at least 1 hour daily.
Safety
- Your child should always ride in the back seat and use a booster seat until the vehicle’s lap and shoulder belt fit.
- Teach your child to swim and watch her in the water.
- Use sunscreen when outside.
- Provide a good-fitting helmet and safety gear for biking, skating, in-line skating, skiing, snowboarding, and horseback riding.
- Keep your house and cars smoke free.
- Never have a gun in the home. If you must have a gun, store it unloaded and locked with the ammunition locked separately from the gun.
- Watch your child’s computer use.
- Know who she talks to online.
- Install a safety filter.
- Know your child’s friends and their families.
- Teach your child plans for emergencies such as a fire.
- Teach your child how and when to dial 911.
- Teach your child how to be safe with other adults.
- No one should ask for a secret to be kept from parents.
- No one should ask to see private parts.
- No adult should ask for help with his private parts.
Your Growing Child
- Give your child chores to do and expect them to be done.
- Hug, praise, and take pride in your child for good behavior and doing well in school.
- Be a good role model.
- Don’t hit or allow others to hit.
- Help your child to do things for himself.
- Teach your child to help others.
- Discuss rules and consequences with your child.
- Be aware of puberty and body changes in your child.
- Answer your child’s questions simply.
- Talk about what worries your child.
School
- Attend back-to-school night, parent-teacher events, and as many other school events as possible.
- Talk with your child and child’s teacher about bullies.
- Talk to your child’s teacher if you think your child might need extra help or tutoring.
- Your child’s teacher can help with evaluations for special help, if your child is not doing well.
Healthy Teeth
- Help your child brush teeth twice a day.
- After breakfast
- Before bed
- Use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste with fluoride.
- Help your child floss her teeth once a day.
- Your child should visit the dentist at least twice a year.
- Encourage your child to always wear a mouth guard to protect teeth while playing sports.
