Interactive Anticipatory Guidance Provider Guide
8-Year Checkup
- Family Well-Being
- Keep a usual family routine
- Advocate with teacher for child facing school difficulties or bullying
- Monitor computer use and ensure computer safety
- Keeping Child Safe
- Choose safe, quality after-school care
- Place child in belt-positioning booster seat in back seat until vehicle’s safety belt fits child properly, typically until child is 4 feet, 9 inches or 8 to 12 years old. At that time, make sure child rides in back seat secured by lap and shoulder safety belts
- Supervise when child is in or near water, even if child knows how to swim
- Ensure home is safe from fire and carbon monoxide poisoning hazards
- Develop family plan for exiting house in a fire and establish meeting place after exit
- Get to know child’s friends and their families
- Assess home for lead exposure
- Lock up guns
- Teach child how to answer the door and telephone
- Teach self-safety including stranger danger and personal privacy
- Teach safety rules for running after balls, crossing street, riding bicycle and boarding bus
- Require always wearing protective gear during sports
- Require wearing a helmet when child uses bicycle, skates or other mobility equipment
- Healthy Eating
- Provide three nutritious meals and two snacks a day
- Help child maintain healthy weight
- Limit sweets, sodas and high-fat foods
- Emphasize the importance of breakfast
- Provide five servings of fruits and vegetables daily
- Limit juice and ensure adequate calcium
- Regular Care and Routines
- Reinforce two times a day teeth-brushing routine plus daily flossing
- Establish a consistent bedtime routine
- Encourage outdoor play for one hour a day
- Healthy Development
- Establish consistent limits, rules and consequences
- Continue daily chores to develop sense of accomplishment and self-confidence
- Encourage child to tell the story his or her way
- Limit TV and screen time to two hours a day
- Show affection and praise for good behaviors
- Encourage constructive conflict resolution and demonstrate at home
- Discuss school activities and schoolwork