Healthy Kids

Development milestones

Seven is heaven! Your child has passed through all of the challenges of the toddler years, is comfortable in school, and still loves to spend time with you. This should be a calm and fun period. Enjoy it by spending lots of time with your 7-year-old. She will be enthusiastic and curious. She will enjoy sharing the new skills she is mastering in school.

You can encourage her school success in several ways:

• Help her unwind after school with a cuddle and a snack.
• Set up firm routines for preparing for school in the morning and doing homework in the afternoon.
• Choose a fixed time and place for homework. Be nearby to answer questions and share in her new knowledge.
• Make learning important and fun by showing your interest, having lots of books and games at home, and letting her see you reading and learning.

Most children by age 7:

• Grow about 2 1/2 inches and gain about 7 pounds in a year.
• Lose about 4 baby teeth each year. These are replaced by permanent teeth.
• Have a solid sense of time. They understand seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, seasons, and sometimes years. (But that doesn’t mean they are on time. It may still take them years to get ready for school in the morning.)
• Can solve simple math problems using objects, such as counting beads.
• Pronounce words correctly. (For example, most children do not substitute the sound "fr" for "thr" in words like "through.")
• Use a pencil to write their name and use safety scissors easily.

Your child may:

• Tend to talk a lot in situations where she is comfortable.
• Play in larger groups occasionally, but also need time alone.
• Be developing friendships, usually with other children of the same gender. She may even have a best friend, but it is normal for this friend to change from week to week. You can help your child understand that she can have many good friends at one time.
• Be overcoming some fears she had when she was younger, but still can be terrified of the unknown. For example, going to a new school can be a tremendous stress for a 7-year-old. Many children also fear being in trouble with their parents or other adults. They are generally worried about the opinions of others.

Many children this age are becoming:

• Better readers, but sounding out vowels can still be hard.
• More coordinated in activities that use the large muscles, such as swimming and climbing.
• More aware of and sensitive to the feelings of others. This trait is called empathy.

You can find more information about your child’s development on kp.org. 

Keep in mind that children develop at different rates. So, if your child isn't doing all of these things just yet, you'll likely see them soon. If you are concerned about your child's development, talk to your pediatrician at your next well-check, or send a secure message with your question.