Early Adolescence
 | HEALTH ISSUES
Offer healthy snack and meal choices. Encourage fruits and vegetables.
Encourage 3 meals daily, including a well-balanced breakfast.
Avoid direct sun exposure. Use a sunblock - SPF 15- 30.
Make an appointment with your dentist for a routine exam and continue routine cleanings
every 6 months.
Continue to have your child brush his or her teeth daily with toothpaste.
Ensure adequate amounts of sleep and physical activity.
Encourage importance of good personal hygiene.
Counsel on avoiding smoking, chewing tobacco;, alcohol; diet pills; steroids; and drugs.
Avoid situations where these items are used and offered.
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| SAFETY ISSUES
Use a seat belt whenever in a moving car or van.
Install and test your smoke detector in or near your child's room.
Obtain your local Poison Control Center’s phone number and keep it on hand (you can
obtain this from our Web site, www.YourPediatrician.com).
Demand use of bike helmet; mouthguards and protective sporting gear when necessary.
Instruct on fire safety.
Do not keep a firearm in your home. If you must, make sure it is locked and out of reach
from your child.
Make sure your child knows how to swim and follow water safety rules (see our water safety KidTOPIC at www.YourPediatrician.com).
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| YOUR CHILD SHOULD…
Have specific interests or hobbies.
Show pride in his or her achievements.
Respect limits and consequences parents institute.
Listen and care about peers and siblings.
Be making steady progress in school.
Share in household responsibilities.
Know how to swim.
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| YOU SHOULD…
Praise your child at every opportunity.
Talk regularly with your child.
Listen to music together with your child. Monitor the types of music your child listens
to.
Play board games and card games with your child.
Limit TV to certain programs and to maximum of 1 hour per day. Practice selective TV
viewing (not channel surfing). Limit video games to the same time limit.
Encourage your child to read books.
Encourage participation in sports, hobbies, learning a musical instrument and other
specific interests or talents.
Be consistent with rules. Reinforce limits and provide consequences. You decide how
strict or liberal to be, just make sure you are consistent.
Set reasonable but challenging goals for your child.
Respect your child's autonomy, privacy.
Offer choices to your child at every opportunity to allow decision making.
Eat meals as a family.
Spend time doing fun family activities and rituals/traditions.
Try to allow expression of feelings (anger, joy, sadness, fear). Offer ways to
resolve conflicts and handle anger. Discuss strategies for handling peer pressure.
Prepare your child for puberty and sexual development. Discuss body image,
changes with
boys and girls, menstruation with girls. Expect sexual curiosity. Encourage abstinence
from sex. Answer questions appropriately.
Encourage your child to have positive interactions with teachers and other adults.
Prepare for school, meet with teachers regularly. Get involved with your child's school
and organized activities.
Assign chores and offer allowance.
Get to know your child's friends and their families. Encourage interaction with good peer
groups.
Be an example of the type of person you want your child to be.
Spend time alone with your partner - one of the best thing you can do for your child is to
maintain a quality relationship with your partner.
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