Physical Development
Exuberance is the name of the game this year! Physically this is a year of busy activity. With a body that will grow about 3 inches and about 4 pounds this year, your child will likely be full of energy. Either get lots of sleep yourself to match the pace or stand aside. There's a need to use that body so allow for lots of physical activity, including running, jumping and climbing. It's a good time to provide for plenty of outdoor active time.
Because of the difference between adult energy and a 4-year-old's energy, it is sometimes tempting for adults to assume a child is "hyperactive." More likely the child is just acting like a typical, energetic 4-year-old. But, if you have real concerns, ask your child's doctor for an opinion.
Physical coordination is improving now, too, with an increased ability to throw a ball, get dressed and undressed without much assistance, and take care of bathroom needs independently.
Enjoy this active period together when you can. It can be fun to share some of the silliness. Remember, though, that a body that produces all that activity needs rest to "charge the batteries." Most fours need about 12 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period.
They may have difficulty settling down to actually sleep during the day but at least quiet rest is really needed.
Enjoy Family Fun Walks
Family walks are a great way to share the pleasures of walking with even the youngest family members.
It's important that younger family members start a habit of exercise, since researchers have found that between 35 and 40 percent of third grade children are already developing heart disease risk factors such as excess weight, elevated cholesterol, and abnormally high blood pressure.
One way to make walking fun for younger family members is to get out and enjoy nature. Touch the bark on trees, pick up a stone or two, and stop to watch a bug Enjoy Family Fun Walks crawling across the sidewalk or path.
A variation to try is a Counting Walk where objects are counted in sequence-one mailbox, two fence posts, or three telephone poles.
Color walks are perfect for younger children. The goal is to hunt objects of a specific color. Today might be Red Walk Day; tomorrow, a Green Walk Day.
Walking is not a fountain of youth, but several studies have linked walking to a decreased risk of heart attack and increased overall good health.
Focus On: Children and Television
It's an electronic world.Television has become one of the most important influences in our lives. Parents wonder about the effect it has on their children.
There can be both positive benefits and detrimental effects associated with the electronic connection. Control is a key word. Balance between positive and negative is determined by who is in control- people or machine!
Positives
Let's look at some positives of electronic media:
- TV can expand our views to take in a worldwide perspective.
- TV can be a major educational tool for health, drug abuse prevention, cultural values, and diversity.
- TV can be a discussion starter for families to consider their own values.
- TV can be a vocabulary builder for very young children.
- TV can be fun and entertaining.
Negatives
However-TV also presents potential problems:
- TV can be a stumbling block to literacy-there has been a decline in reading ability with an increase in TV viewing; imaginations are not challenged in the same way as when children read or someone reads to them.
- TV steals time from other life experiences. This is critical for preschoolers who learn best from direct contact and personal involvement with the world.
Really doing and seeing things firsthand is so much better than watching someone else do the same thing on TV.
- TV allows passive, antisocial behavior in a time when we need to be encouraging communication and connection between people.
- TV can stifle the imagination by providing its own images.
- TV perpetuates distorted values and reinforces false stereotypes about men, women, minorities and family life.
- TV encourages the "couch potato" syndrome and contributes to childhood obesity.
So strive for balance. TV will be part of your preschooler's life, but avoid using it as an "electronic babysitter." Use it for the window to a bigger world that it can be, but hop up off that couch. Get out and enjoy the real world together.
Ask for a Helping Hand
Parenting is a big job ... just ask any parent! Most days we can cope, even enjoy, all that is to be done. But, sometimes, balancing work and family gets to be quite a challenge. Everyone needs help from time to time; we need to share the load, at least temporarily.
When you see someone who needs help, offer it. Be willing to ask for and accept help when you need it. Willing relatives, friends, or other parents can be a welcome sight during an especially hectic time. If you want more ideas on parenting, ask at your county extension office for a series of fact sheets called "Balancing Work and Family," Pm-1404 a-f.
Look for these Resources
Check your library or bookstore. One book of ideas is Creative Movement for the Developing Child by Clare Cherry, Fearon Publishers, Belmont, California.
For future reference look for Albert, the Running Bear's Exercise Book by Barbara Isenberg and Marjorie Jaffe, Clarion Books, New York, New York. Through story and illustrations this book gives exercises suitable for 5- to 9-year olds.
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