Your 9 to 11 Year Old Child
Diet:
·
 Offer 3 regular meals and healthy snacks. Try to
increase consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
·
Eat
meals as a family if possible with the TV turned off.
·
Limit
fast foods, junk foods, sweets, and sport/energy drinks.
·
Your
child should drink 16-24 oz. of skim or low fat milk each day. If
milk is not consumed, other dairy products, like yogurt and cheese
are important for calcium needs- as this is a time for rapid bone
growth. “Milk with cereal” is inadequate for your child’s calcium
needs.
·
Multivitamins may be used if your child’s diet is consistently
inadequate.
Elimination:
·
If
your child is still wetting the bed at this point, tell your
provider.
·
If
constipation is a problem-call for helpful hints.
Sleep:
·
A
regular bedtime routine is very important to children. Between 9
and 11 years of age, the average child should sleep 9-10 hours each
night.
·
If
your child snores, please let us know!
Development:
·
From
9 years of age, children steadily improve their motor skills and
coordination. Regular physical activity is very important for
healthy hearts and bodies.
·
At
this age, many children become involved in a variety of outside
activities, take care to make sure your child does not become
overscheduled and parents need to balance enriching activities with
“down time” and family time.
·
Peer
relationships and acceptance become increasingly more important.
Your child/preteen needs to learn how to handle peer pressure. This
can be very stressful. Try role playing with your child.
·
Children perceive and respond to stress based on their experience
and also their temperament. Children improve in their ability to
handle stress if they have the emotional support of family and
friends.
·
Supporting and enhancing your child’s self esteem and self
confidence are critical during this period. Know the signs of low
self esteem…these may be avoiding tasks, making excuses,
withdrawing, making self critical comments, etc. Foster your child’s
sense of personal competence. Offer him opportunity to earn
privileges by demonstrating his responsibility- assigns chores but
your child may decide when to complete them and what the
consequences are for not completing them. In addition, these daily
chores and responsibilities are an important part of
·
Signs
of puberty may begin to appear. The average breast development is
age 10 for girls; and testicular enlargement at age 11 for boys.
Talk to your child about how the body changes and develops. Use
correct terminology. If development is occurring, prepare your
daughter for her first period.
·
 Answer your child’s questions about sex in an open,
honest manner. There are many books to assist parents with this
topic. If you are uncomfortable with the topic, we will address
concerns at the checkup.
Safety:
·
Children ages 9 through 15 years must be secured in a booster seat
or a lap/shoulder restraint in the back seat. Be a role model and
buckle up too!
·
Guns
are dangerous! If you must keep a gun, hide and lock it up. Keep
ammunition locked, too, in a separate place.
·
Teach
the “rules of the road” when on foot or on a bicycle. Use a properly
fitted bicycle helmet/protective gear and teach bicycle and
roller-blade safety.
·
Use
an age/weight appropriate “Type 1 or 2” life jacket at beaches and
on boats. If your child is a non-swimmer, enroll your child in
organized swimming lessons. Knowing how to “swim” does not ensure
the child’s safety in or near water.
He/she must be supervised. Your child should be taught where and how
to dive safely.
·
Use
PABA-free sunscreen with SPF >15.
·
 Skating shoes or “heelys” are very dangerous- use
protective equipment or avoid them altogether for your children.
·
Use
appropriate protective equipment during sports – helmet, mouth
guard, and shatterproof eye gear.
·
Discuss stranger safety and playground safety. Make sure your kids
know what to do when a stranger approaches.
·
Open
up a dialogue with your child about avoiding tobacco, alcohol, and
drugs.
·
Develop a fire escape plan for your home and practice. Practice
don’t run…stop, drop, and roll.
Other Things to
Keep in Mind:
·
Dental Care - Schedule dental visits every 6 months, have your child
brush at least twice a day using a soft toothbrush and fluoridated
toothpaste. Flossing should be done everyday.
·
Each
year, your child should take on more responsibilities in the
classroom and in the home. Most children can help clean their rooms,
make their beds, pick up their toys, and help out in the kitchen or
the yard. These daily chores and responsibilities are an important
part of learning that life requires work not play. Consider a small
allowance so your child can learn to manage money.
·
Limit
the amount of TV and monitor the types of shows your child watches.
Limit video games avoiding the violent games. Set reasonable rules
and guidelines for tv/computer use and post them.
·
 The
computer should be in a prominent location in the house to monitor
your child’s internet activity. It should never be in your child’s
bedroom. Teach your child to never give out identifying
information-home address, school name, or telephone numbers while
chatting. Get to know the services and websites that your child
uses. Get to know their “online friends” just as you would all of
their other friends. Find out what types of information the site
offers and whether there are ways to block objectionable material.
Encourage your children to tell you if they encounter messages that
are suggestive, obscene, threatening or make your child feel
uncomfortable.
·
As
their bodies change, children will continue to be curious about
their developing body parts. Let your children know that the
“privates” because we keep them covered and because you are the only
one in charge of them. Teach your child that it is never all right
for an adult to tell a child to keep a secret from you, to express
interest in private parts or to ask a child for help with his/her
private parts.
·
Teach
your child that it is always OK to ask a trusted adult for help if
he/she is scared or worried. SHAPE \* MERGEFORMAT
·
Spend
time with your child everyday – encourage reading and hobbies, take
an interest in your child’s day at school, and get to know your
child’s friends.
At Today’s and Each
Yearly Checkup:
·
Your child will have a physical examination. Your questions
and concerns will be answered. A hearing screening may be performed
if necessary. A routine urinalysis will be done.
·
Your child/preteen may need a TB skin test, tetanus with
pertussis (Tdap) vaccine, meningitis vaccine (Menactra), and female
preteens may receive human papilloma virus vaccine (HPV) (Gardasil).
Your child may need a booster dose of Varicella (chicken pox). The
Hepatitis A series of 2 may be started.
Children’s
Acetaminophen Dose:
Every 4-6 hours and no more than 4 doses/day
 48-59 lb.=2 tsp.; 2 160 mg chews
60-71 lb.=2 ½ tsp.; 2 ½ 160 mg chews
72-95 lb. = 3 tsp.; 3 160 mg chews
Children’s
Ibuprofen Dose:
Every 6-8 hours
48-59 lb. = 2 tsp.
60-71 lb. = 2 ½ tsp.
72-95 lb. = 3 tsp.
Additional Reading:
The Care and
Keeping of You - The Body Book for Girls
American Girl Books
Girls: What's So Bad About Being Good? How to Have Fun, Survive the Preteen
Years, and Remain True to Yourself
Additional
Instructions:
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