- As a parent, you lay the foundation for your child’s life by nurturing, protecting, and guiding them.
- Familiarize yourself with developmental milestones, especially in emotional and social growth, for preschoolers aged 3 to 5.
- There are numerous ways to ensure your child’s safety and well-being.
Growth Milestones
Abilities like naming colors, expressing affection, and hopping on one foot are known as developmental milestones. Typically, children reach these milestones by a specific age. Milestones encompass various areas of development, including playing, learning, speaking, behaving, and moving.
Typically, by the age of 3, your child becomes significantly more coordinated in activities like running or navigating stairs. By the conclusion of their preschool years, they should be able to easily catch a bounced ball, kick a ball forward, and stand on one foot or hop. At this age, children are so active that they often use movements in place of words. For instance, they might run around with their arms outstretched to mimic flying rather than verbally describing it.
Children achieve developmental milestones at different ages. As your preschooler’s 5th birthday approaches, you might consider a developmental evaluation if they:
- Cannot jump in place
- Struggle to hold a crayon correctly
- Cannot stack four blocks
- Are reluctant to separate from their parents
- Show little interest in playing with other children
- Are uninterested in interactive games
- Have difficulty throwing a ball overhand
- Do not respond well to non-family members
- Lack imaginative play
- Are uncooperative with dressing, sleeping, or toilet training
- Struggle with self-control when angry or upset
- Cannot state their first and last name
- Do not use plurals or past tense properly
- Misuse “me” and “you”
- Do not speak in sentences longer than three words
- Appear unhappy or sad most of the time
Positive parenting tips
Here are some ways you can support your preschooler during this stage:
- Keep reading to your child and encourage their love for books by visiting the library or bookstore together.
- Involve your child in simple household chores to help them learn responsibility.
- Maintain clarity and consistency when disciplining. Clearly explain and demonstrate the behavior you expect. If you say no, suggest an appropriate alternative action.
- Foster strong language skills by speaking to your child in complete sentences and using adult vocabulary. Encourage them to use correct words and phrases.
- Guide your child through problem-solving steps when they are upset.
- Offer your child a limited selection of simple choices, such as picking out clothes, deciding playtime activities, or choosing a snack.
Here are some tips to help ensure your growing child stays healthy:
- Share meals with your child whenever possible. Set an example by enjoying fruits, vegetables, and whole grains during meals and snacks.
- Limit your child’s consumption of foods and drinks high in added sugars, solid fats, or salt.
- Offer age-appropriate play equipment, like balls and plastic bats, but allow your preschooler to decide what to play. This encourages them to enjoy being active.
- Ensure your child receives the recommended 10–13 hours of sleep each night (including naps) for preschoolers aged 3–5 years old.
Preschoolers and Screen Time:
Avoid placing televisions in your child’s bedroom. Limit their screen time to no more than one hour per day of quality programming, whether at home, school, or afterschool care. Develop a media use plan for your family to manage screen time effectively.
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