Mealtimes and activities

Get moving

• Aim for at least 60 minutes of activity a day.
• Escape the pull of the couch, get up and get moving: play a game of tag with your child or take a walk around the neighborhood.

Eat smart

• Aim for 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Offer them as snacks and have fruit for dessert. 
• Fuel up with breakfast every morning.

Pull the plug

• Limit screen time (TV, computers, and video games) to 1 to 2 hours a day.
• Move the TV out of the bedroom.

Drink well

• Choose water or non-fat milk.
• Limit soda, sports drinks, juice, and sweetened drinks, one can is like drinking a candy bar.

Successful parenting

Parenting is a challenging job. Sometimes a few tips for success come in handy.

• Love. Show your affection: snuggle with your child and tell her how great you think she is; tell her what she did that made you proud today.
• Teach. Manners are important. Teach your child to say please and thank you, and to respect the differences in people around her. Your child learns from watching and listening to you. So, be a good role model.
• Read. Children who are read to daily develop language skills earlier and better than those who aren’t. They also do better when they start school.
• Model. Be a kind and responsible person. Your child looks to you to know how to behave. Do community service together, take time to recycle, and respect the world around you.
• Discipline. Praise good behavior. Do not yell or spank, use time out instead. Apply rules fairly and in the same way every time.
• Play. Life is busy but short. Take time to play with your child often, doing things she likes. These might be silly, but you will both have fun. More than any toys, your child wants to spend time with you. 

Stay safe

At this age, accidents are the biggest threat to your child’s health and life. We care about your child and want to help you prevent these injuries. Follow these accident prevention tips:

Booster seat. Use a belt positioning booster seat secured properly in the back seat for every ride. Keep children in their booster seats in the back seat until they are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall and can pass the Seat Belt Fit Test:

• The seat belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach
• The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder and chest 
• The shoulder belt should not cross the neck or face

California state laws: California state law requires that children be restrained in a safety seat in the back seat until they are at least 8 years old or are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall. It is important to know that this law is a minimum requirement, not a guide for parents who want to provide maximum safety.

Most children need their booster seats until they are between 8 and 12 years old. For more information on using car seats and booster seats correctly, check out the resources and videos on the NHTSA website.

Street safety. Continue teaching your child how to cross the street safely. At this age, he is all guts and no sense. He cannot judge the speed of a moving car and will often forget to look before he crosses. Have him cross with an adult. Do not let your child play by a street.

Bike and scooter safety. Make wearing a helmet when using anything with wheels a rule with clear consequences if he forgets to put one on. California state law requires helmets for any child younger than 18 riding a bike. At this age, your child is too young to ride in the street.

Water safety. Teach your child to swim. It is a skill that will keep him safe. Even when he knows how to swim, never let him swim alone. Teach him never to dive head first into shallow water or water of unknown depth.

Fire safety. Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Check them monthly and consider changing the batteries every 6 months. Have a fire and earthquake escape plan and practice it with your family.

Gun safety. When there is a gun in the home, children are in more danger of being shot by themselves, their friends, or family members than by an intruder. If you have a gun, keep it unloaded and in a locked safe, with its ammunition locked up separately. When your child visits a new home ask if there are guns there and how they are stored.

Pet safety. Teach your child to never approach or try to touch any strange animal, wildlife, or bird. Teach your child “to be like a tree” and back away slowly if he is ever threatened by a loose or wild animal. Learn more about how to stay safe around dogs.

The American Academy of Pediatrics agrees that you can prevent most major injuries. Check out its advice on staying safe at home.

Teaching kids the importance of sleep

“Please. Can I just stay up a little longer?”

No doubt you’ve heard your child protest and plead for a later bedtime. He needs to finish his homework, or feed the fish, or wants to clean up his room. (OK, probably not the last one.)

Your child’s delaying tactics may be convincing and a later bed time can ease a hectic schedule. But there are important reasons to turn the lights out on time.

Why kids need their zzzs

Sleep gives kids’ brains and bodies crucial time to grow, rejuvenate, and thrive. Important brain functions that build capacity and concentration can only occur while sleeping. Sleep allows your child to be alert, relaxed, and attentive. It also improves mood and school performance.

Lack of sleep can lead to:

• Temperament or mood problems.
• Behavioral problems such as aggressiveness, defiance, or oppositional disorder.
• Difficulty concentrating and poor grades.
• Worsened symptoms of conditions such as ADHD.
• Headaches, obesity, and injuries.

As a parent, you have a lot at stake too. Would you rather have a cranky, defiant child or a well-rested, alert, and happy child?

How much sleep and when

Every child is a little different, so one may need slightly more or less sleep than another. In general, at age 6, children need between 10 and 12 hours of sleep every night. Setting a sleep schedule and sticking to it, even on the weekends, is important.

Bedtime routine

A regular bedtime routine will help your child wind down and prepare for a good night’s sleep. Allow 10 to 30 minutes, and make the routine whatever is comfortable for you and your child. For example:

• Brush teeth, wash face, select clothes for the next day, say prayers, read.
• Include time to help your child wind down without TV or video games.
• Limit caffeine, including chocolate or cola.
• Do not allow TV in the bedroom.
• Make the bedroom inviting to sleep: dark, quiet, with a nightlight if necessary.

Sleep problems

At 6 years, some children have sleep disturbances that interfere with normal, adequate sleep. Though challenging, most of these will get better or disappear as your child grows up.

Night terrors. These will wake your child up about 90 minutes into her sleep and she may sit up in bed screaming. This can last up to 30 minutes and can be scary for parents. Your child is not aware of what is happening and won’t remember it afterwards. Night terrors occur most often when your child is stressed or tired. The best treatment is to reduce the stress in her life and make sure she gets enough rest. Talk to your pediatrician if the problem persists.

Nightmares. These are normal for children of all ages, but may be reduced by limiting stress and exposure to scary or inappropriate stimuli.

Sleepwalking or talking. Sleep talking is quite common and usually not a concern. Sleepwalking, however, needs to be managed carefully for your child’s safety. If your child sleepwalks, take precautions to prevent accidents:

• Close windows and doors tightly.
• Block access to balconies or stairwells.
• Never shake or shout at a sleepwalking child.
• Talk to your pediatrician about how to handle the problem.

Bedwetting. This common sleep problem among young children usually goes away as they grow up. It can be helped by limiting fluids before bed and waking your child to go to the bathroom during the night. Read more about bedwetting in Healthy Kids newsletter, Volume 7, Issue 4. 

Sleep apnea. Heavy snoring and difficulty breathing while sleeping affects 1 to 3 percent of children. It is best to discuss possible causes and treatments with your pediatrician.

The Sleep for Kids Web site teaches kids what happens while they are asleep and has fun games to play. It also has a parent/teacher section that provides helpful sleep information and resources.

How and why to limit screen time

On average, American kids spend about 5 hours per day using various screen media for entertainment, including TV, video games, and the Internet. This means that over the course of a year they spend more time in front of a screen than in school.

Both your pediatrician and the American Academy of Pediatrics want you to limit your child’s screen time to no more than 2 hours a day.

The average child watches an average of nearly 3 hours of TV a day. That equals 7 to 10 years in front of the TV by age 70. Think of the other, more active and meaningful pursuits she could have been doing: reading, exercising, or playing with friends.

The disadvantages of too much TV

Seeing violence on TV is related to real-life aggressive behavior. As much as 10 to 20 percent of real-life violence may be linked to media violence. The National Television Violence Study found:

• Nearly two-thirds of all programs contain violence.
• Children's shows contain the most violence.
• Violence is usually made to look glamorous.
• The bad guys often go unpunished.

In a random survey of parents with children in kindergarten through sixth grade, 37 percent reported that their child had been scared or upset by a TV show.

But can TV help if kids watch the right shows? Not really. A recent study showed that TV viewing by young children does not improve their language skills. So much for the idea that watching educational TV can help your child’s brain development.

The advantages of limiting TV time

There are real benefits to limiting screen time. They include:

• Improved diet.
• Lower risk of becoming overweight.
• Less exposure to violent content.
• Better sleep quality.

And while it may seem far in the future, there are long-term consequences of too much TV viewing. The American Academy of Pediatrics links increased violent or aggressive behavior, substance abuse, sexual activity, obesity, poor body image, and decreased school performance to too much screen time.

For more detail, you can check out the American Academy of Pediatrics' guide to TV ratings.