The main indicators that reflect proper physical development are the child’s weight and height. At 6 years old, the little man experiences another transitional period, which is accompanied by an active leap in mental and physical development.
Loving parents always closely monitor how their child grows and develops, afraid of missing something important or not noticing deviations. Often all worries remain unfounded, but this does not help them disappear.
In order to dispel the doubts of mom and dad, and especially grandmothers, that something is wrong with the physical development of the baby, this article was written, in which you can find the basic parameters of children 6 years old.
Development of a boy and a girl at 3 years old: similarities and differences
Main similarities and differences:
- From infancy, all boys and girls have differences in development, both physiological and psychological.
- Girls develop more rapidly than boys, and at 3 years old this difference can be noticed by studying their speech.
- Girls at the age of 3 already speak fluently, make up sentences, describe the situation, and have a rich vocabulary.
- It’s interesting, but the vocabulary of girls at 3 years old is much richer (at least 2 times) than that of boys.
- Girls perceive any information very emotionally and sensually and therefore it is easier for them to remember new words.
- Girls' speech is more emotional than boys'. They know how to express feelings with intonation and gestures.
- Girls are able to hear their parents, perceiving their words, and boys should clearly show and explain everything.
- Boys are less predisposed to expressing creative abilities than girls.
- Girls are painstaking, they can sit at the table for a long time and draw, play, watch cartoons.
- Boys tend to be aggressive and more active than girls. That is why they prefer active and sports games.
- Girls are more focused on their personality, while boys are very insecure and attached to their parents.
How do boys and girls develop at 3 years old?
How much should a 3 year old child eat and drink?
The proper development of a child, as well as his health, largely depends on the quality of the baby’s nutrition. Most parents are confident that upon reaching the age of 3, the child becomes so old that he can eat almost everything his parents eat. This statement is wrong.
IMPORTANT: Of course, the menu for a three-year-old baby is much wider than for a child aged 1 and 2 years. However, if baby food is not complete, he will not receive a number of important vitamins and microelements for development. At 3 years old, a child is actively growing and requires a lot of substances.
It is important for the baby to have his own diet, which will be close to the “kindergarten” diet (3 or 4 meals a day). Snacks should not be too large or numerous, and there should be no night feedings at all. Breast milk is no longer food for the baby, it should be completely excluded (even if you are still feeding him).
Other rules:
- Avoid fatty and heavy foods, especially if they occur in the evening.
- A 3-year-old child needs no more than 1600 kcal per day.
- The energy value of meals for a child is of great importance. The most high-calorie meal should be lunch, the least high-calorie breakfast and dinner, and the most sparing one should be an afternoon snack.
- You should take into account the fact that each child is individual: everyone has a different metabolism and therefore some children may love to eat, while others do it without pleasure.
- In any case, you cannot force a child to eat - this will develop negative emotions in him, and he will immediately resist when he is called to the table.
- A child's diet at 3 years old should be varied, rich in vitamins and minerals.
- Children should eat fish and meat (these products contain a lot of animal protein). The daily norm is about 65-70 grams.
- It is best to steam or boil food, but baking and frying in a minimum amount of oil is allowed.
- Mandatory nutritional elements are dairy and fermented milk products.
- Carbohydrates are very important for a child, but not simple ones, but complex ones, for example, grains and cereals.
- Include polyunsaturated fats in your menu (found in fish, nuts, seafood, vegetable oil).
IMPORTANT: The body of a 3-year-old child requires a large amount of fluid. There are no special measures or standards, because children are different (some are large, others are thin, others are fat). Offer your baby different drinks during the day: teas, decoctions, compotes and juices, milk and kefir, and do not limit their quantities.
Nutrition for a 3 year old baby at 3 years old
Daily routine for a 5 year old child
As in previous years, it is worth adhering to the existing five-year daily routine, although it may no longer be so strict and clearly scheduled.
At 5 years old, the child already sleeps about 12 hours a day: 10 hours at night and 2 hours at night. Daytime naps can be replaced with quiet games. For healthy sleep, it is preferable that the room is ventilated. But the best choice is to sleep in the fresh air.
The morning and afternoon should be filled with the most active games, and the quiet ones should be left for the evening. Then the baby will sleep soundly and healthy.
Parents should pay attention to the equality of the psychological, mental and physical development of their baby.
The morning should begin with exercise, and games in the fresh air should also involve physical activity: running, jumping rope, cycling, playing with a ball. At home, you should pay attention to games and activities that contribute to the baby’s intellectual development.
If a child is raised at home during the preschool period, he should be gradually taught order and independence. He can help in some even simple task, but the understanding that his benefits are in demand helps to strengthen self-confidence. Which has a beneficial effect on the development of other personal qualities.
From the age of five, preparation for school begins little by little. Parents should spend 25-30 minutes a day communicating together for the purpose of learning. There may be several such activities during the day, but you should not overdo it: at five years old, children still do not know how to retain a lot of information in their memory, and long-term activities, in addition to fatigue, can also cause rejection in them. The task of parents is to support the interests of the child and direct them in the right direction.
Height and weight
By the age of 5, the child’s body develops more and more rapidly. Bone and muscle tissue grows. Muscle tissue develops somewhat unevenly: large muscles are faster compared to small muscles. The skeleton is still being formed, organic elements still predominate in it, therefore children's bones are flexible and they are not afraid of the baby's frequent falls. The head also increases due to the actively growing bones of the skull.
According to WHO standards, the average height and weight of a child should be within:
- For boys, height is from 105 to 115 cm, weight - 18.3 - 19.4 kg.
- For girls, height is from 105 to 114.5 cm, weight – 17.7 – 19.1 kg.
What vitamins does a 3 year old child need?
At the age of 3 years, it is important for a child to strengthen his immunity, and therefore proper nutrition is of great value. The child is very active and sociable, always striving to learn or discover something. In addition, the baby often goes to crowded places and kindergartens, where there is a risk of contracting bacteria and infections. That is why the child’s immunity should be strong in order to resist diseases.
What microelements does a baby need:
- Vitamin A. Responsible for the formation of sharp vision. It is also necessary for the regeneration of skin cells, and also strengthens the “young” immune system, making it resistant to viruses and infections.
- Vitamins B. Participate in all metabolic processes of the child’s body, helps in the production of energy by cells, helps the gastrointestinal tract to work actively, improves the condition of the skin and nails. Helps the liver function, normalizes hormonal levels.
- Vitamin D. _ Helps the child's body absorb calcium, as a result of which bones and teeth become strong. Increases immunity.
- Vitamin E. Strengthens blood vessels and the entire circulatory system. Helps in the regeneration of skin cells, mucous membranes and other tissues.
- Vitamin C. Necessary for strengthening the immune system. Nourishes the soft tissues of the body, strengthens the walls of blood vessels.
- Vitamin K. Improves blood clotting
- Calcium. Strengthens bone tissue and teeth, promotes the transmission of nerve impulses.
- Copper. A constant assistant in the formation of red blood cells.
- Zinc. Not only strengthens children's immunity, but also helps wounds heal quickly.
IMPORTANT: If a child is often sick or does not eat well, he can be given additional vitamin complexes purchased in pharmacies.
Vitamins for children 3 years old
Child's weight at 6 years: boy
The WHO norm for male babies has the same wide range as for girls:
- weight in the range of 14.1-15.9 kg is considered below normal, and with a body weight of 27.1-31.5 kg - above average for boys under 6.5 years old;
- at the age of 6.5 years and up to 7 years, the weight range of boys is from 14.1-16.0 kg and up to 29.6-35.8 kg.
All indicators that occupy a place in these ranges are considered normal, but if your child’s physiological parameters are lower or higher than those presented here, then contact your pediatrician to find out the reasons for the deviation from the norm.
How much should a child weigh at 3 years old?
These standards are established by doctors and pediatric specialists. Compliance with these standards indicates the correct development of the child; a small mistake in hundreds of grams is acceptable, but not in kilograms.
Standards:
Weight standards for a three-year-old child
How much should a 3 year old child sleep?
At 3 years old, parents notice several features in their child:
- The child has grown up and even seems like an adult to you, but he still needs full sleep, which lasts no less and no more than 12 hours a day.
- The duration of sleep during the day decreases noticeably and is about 1.5-2 hours (for some, only 1 hour).
- The child's waking time should be on average 6 hours.
- If your child categorically refuses to sleep during the day, the main thing is that he gets enough sleep at night (12 hours).
- At 3 years old, the child should already sleep separately in his own crib.
IMPORTANT: There is such a thing as a “3-year crisis.” It is characterized by manifestations of independence in the child. The baby keeps shouting “I do it myself!” and just as furiously refuses to sleep, claiming that he doesn’t need it. But, if you follow his lead, you can cause overexertion, capriciousness and nervous exhaustion in the baby.
At 3 years old, it can be quite difficult to put a child to sleep. Therefore, you need to come up with your own personal bedtime ritual in order to gradually change the period of activity to calmness (otherwise the child will jump in the crib, play, kick, and be capricious). The child who is physically tired goes to bed well. Therefore, try to saturate your baby’s day with active games and feasible exercise. But make sure that overexertion does not occur, it is the enemy of healthy sleep.
Night sleep is vitally important for a child. During night sleep, the body restores all its important functions. The lack of daytime sleep should always be compensated for by night sleep (especially if you lived according to an already stable schedule). Another important rule is that the baby should wake up on his own during the day and in the morning (without parental awakening). If you have to wake your child up in the morning, just try to put him to bed earlier at night.
The meaning of sleep for a 3-year-old child
What to focus on?
Approximate guidelines for the anthropometric development of 6-year-old children can be found in special centile tables. It should be remembered that they provide only the most average indicators.
At 6 years old, the child's growth is quite moderate. Girls are usually slightly shorter than boys (1–3 cm), but their weight may be slightly higher (1–1.5 kg). The hereditary factor should not be discounted. Children with short stature will be slightly behind the norm, while children with tall parents will be ahead of their peers.
If your baby is active and healthy, don't worry until his weight falls below the lower limit on the chart. Conversely, if a child weighs as much as indicated in the average values, but unhealthy thinness or lethargy is obvious, you should be wary and visit a doctor.
On average, during the sixth year, a baby can grow by 1–4 cm and gain 1–2.5 kg. Lagging or significant advance in height or weight can be caused by various factors, such as:
- heredity;
- nutrition;
- parasites;
- stressful situation;
- low hemoglobin;
- endocrine or neurological disorders.
You should pay attention to this and consult with specialists in a timely manner - they will find out why the height or weight of a child at 6 years old does not fit into the normal range.
How many words should a 3 year old child speak and know?
A three-year-old child's speech skills change dramatically compared to previous years. Parents notice that the baby is already consciously speaking in sentences, and not babbling everything. In addition, the baby can speak words in the singular and plural, and decline them by case. The vocabulary of children at 3 years old is about 500-600 words, but this is an average figure, because many words are not pronounced by children.
What a baby should be able to say:
- Say your first and last name
- Know the names of parents, grandparents, and close relatives.
- Be able to write short sentences of approximately 5 words.
- Insert prepositions into speech
- Use nouns and verbs, pronouns.
- Memorize small poems and short songs.
- Recognize and name household objects
- Tell what he sees in the picture
- Make singular and plural
- Conduct a dialogue by asking and answering questions
IMPORTANT: At the age of 3 years, many children become “why kids”. They ask many questions on different topics and try to find out the answers to them.
Features of speech skills at the age of 3 years
Boy's height at 6 years old
For boys, the indicators are slightly different:
- With a height in the range of 101.2–106.1 cm, a six-year-old child is considered very short, and with a height of 125.8–130.7 cm, he is considered very tall.
- As for kids aged 6.5 years, their growth parameters are as follows: 103.6-108.7 cm are very short boys, and height in the range of 129.1-134.2 cm corresponds to tall kids.
What shapes, animals, numbers should a 3-year-old child know?
At 3 years old, a child is already smart enough to distinguish between geometric shapes and numbers. He should already be able to count to 5 with complete confidence (and some children do this in Russian and English, for example, if their parents taught them). The child accurately counts his fingers, shows his age and counts objects (sticks, pictures, toys, candies). In addition, the baby must know what numbers look like and be able to name them correctly.
A 3-year-old child is well acquainted with geometric shapes:
- Circle
- Square
- Triangle
- Oval
- Rhombus
IMPORTANT: The child tries to draw these figures, even if some are not very good at it.
What should a 3 year old child be able to draw?
At 3 years old, a child is drawn to knowledge and enjoys being creative. My favorite activity is drawing. He chooses colored pencils and helmets, trying to try out every color and shade.
What a child should be able to draw:
- Sun
- Circle
- Square
- House
- Sea
- Cloud
- little man
- Wave
- Band
- heart
- Triangle
- heart
Drawing of a child at 3 years old
Acceleration
When considering the question of a child’s growth at 6 years old, it is impossible not to mention such a modern phenomenon as acceleration. This process affects mainly the population of developed countries, starting from the twenties of the twentieth century, and it is characterized by the fact that children and adolescents in their physiological development are ahead of their peers from the previous generation.
This isn't just about growth. As well as weight, change of baby teeth and puberty of children and adolescents. Now, for example, the growth of a child at 6 years old corresponds to the indicators that were the norm thirty years ago for ten-year-olds. There are differences between children based on gender. Let's look at this in more detail.
What should a 3 year old child be able to do?
At this age, the child shows interest in many creative activities and lessons. The skills that a child possesses indicate how actively he is developing.
What a child should be able to do:
- Draw with pencils
- Draw with paints (brush and fingers)
- Sculpt from plasticine and dough
- Open and close bottle caps
- Grab and collect small objects with your fingers, carefully place them in jars and boxes.
- String beads on a tight cord
- Count and name numbers
- Build from a constructor
- Say hello and goodbye
- Call relatives and friends by name
- Eat on your own
- Sitting on the potty independently
- Tell us briefly about yourself
- Know the names of animals and some birds
- Name household objects
- Distinguish up to 10 colors
- Repeat simple rhymes and songs
Psychology and emotions of a child at 3 years old: behavioral characteristics
Peculiarities:
- The child acquires the need for constant communication
- It is important for him to be respected by adults and peers
- Age is characterized by an unstable emotional background.
- It is noticeable that a three-year-old child’s self-esteem is inflated
- Often he does not worry about what he is doing and what the consequences will be.
- The child becomes inconsistent
- Constantly strive for independence
- They don’t like it when their freedom is limited
- Very often he shows aggression towards things he doesn’t like.
- Is often stubborn
Age characteristics of children 7 years old
Many caring mothers quite often ask the question on forums: “What are the age characteristics of 7-year-old children?” Let's look at the main ones.
The height and weight of a 7-year-old child are the most important indicators of his development, which must meet certain standards established by the World Health Organization.
Average height of a child at 7 years old:
- boy - 116 cm...125 cm
- girls - 116 cm...124.8 cm.
If the height of a 7-year-old child does not exceed 111 cm or, conversely, more than 130.6 cm, then this indicates a pathology of the baby, which means that he must be shown to a doctor. In general, a deviation from the average weight in one direction or another can be due to the characteristics of the baby’s body or caused by a hormonal disease, namely an endocrinological or hereditary nature.
Average weight of a child at 7 years old:
- boy – 21…25.4 kg
- girls – 20.6…25.3 kg.
Serious deviations from the weight norm (less than 18 kg or more than 30 kg) are a violation of the baby’s development, and, therefore, a reason to contact a pediatrician.
Speech of a child at 7 years old
The speech of 7-year-old children should not be ignored. It should be coherent, articulate, rich in adjectives, free from defects and similar to the speech of an adult. If there are speech disorders, the child should be shown to a speech therapist and psychologist.
Changing baby teeth
Let us dwell on one more physiological feature of a 7-year-old child - the replacement of milk teeth with permanent ones. Moreover, the timing of the eruption of each tooth is individual for each baby. The condition of the teeth and the correctness of their replacement is monitored by a dentist, who annually monitors the child’s oral cavity. On average, experts give the following sequence about what kind of teeth 7-year-old children have:
- Molars appear first (their appearance is expected from 5 to 8 years of age)
- second: central incisors (can appear at 6… and at 9 years)
- third: lateral incisors (their appearance is possible at 7 years of age and closer to 10 years).
It is very important that a 7-year-old child takes proper and regular care of his teeth, and that his parents monitor this:
- morning and evening, brush your teeth with toothpaste or powder, preferably containing fluoride
— after eating, rinse your mouth with clean water, removing any remaining food. Therefore, snacking is not advisable.
- visited the dentist annually and as needed
— ate foods rich in calcium, and also periodically took vitamin and mineral complexes.
Although the last two points apply more to parents, who must provide their child with everything necessary.
Parents who have children 6-7 years old should take into account the characteristics of the student’s nervous system and provide him with a full night’s sleep, lasting 10-11 hours. During this time, the baby will regain his strength, nerves and life potential. In case of lack of sleep, a disturbance in the activity of the nervous system will occur, which means that performance will decrease, fatigue and irritability will appear, which will lead to neuroses in the child. Remember that a 7-year-old child’s sleep should begin no later than 21.00, in a comfortable sleeping place, in a well-ventilated area.
Daily regime
The daily routine of a 7-year-old child is no different from the daily regimen of a six-year-old child if he started school at 6 years old. Namely:
- getting up (around 7 am)
- morning exercises, washing, dressing - everything will take 30 minutes
- breakfast – 20 minutes
- travel to school (time depends on where you live)
- school until about 12.30
- way from school
- lunch – 30 minutes
- rest – 1 hour
- walk, as well as outdoor games - 1.5 hours
- Homework completion – 1.5 hours
- evening walk in the fresh air until 19.00
- dinner – 20 minutes
- child’s free time: board games, attending training, reading books... - 1 hour
- evening toilet before bed – 30 minutes
- sleep - at 21.00.
Development of motor skills in children 3 years old: normal
Classes:
- Teach your child to hold a pencil and brush correctly when drawing.
- Practice drawing and tracing objects (toys, geometric shapes).
- Draw circles, spirals, other geometric shapes and lines.
- Practice shading and coloring your drawings carefully.
- Teach your child not to go beyond boundaries when coloring.
- Teach your child to hold scissors and use them, cutting along the line.
- Practice appliqué with your child using dry glue.
- Practice sculpting activities by creating balls and sausages
Child development at the age of 3 years
Physical development of a 3-year-old child: normal
Child's skills:
- Ability to use equal strength with right and left hands
- Walk on straight feet, on heels and toes
- Depending on the requirements, take small and large steps.
- Jump and gallop, run in a hop
- Pace yourself in walking and running
- Holding hands with peers in play and with parents
- Overcome obstacles
- Throw and catch the ball
- Push the ball with your feet, hit it
- Play sports games
- Dance
- Control your body
- To hold balance
- Stand on one leg
- Tilt your torso
- Pedal bicycles
- Walk backwards forward
- Going up and down the stairs
- Move your arms and legs while swimming
Factors that influence the physical development of a child
Adults are so different: tall and short, plump and thin. To say that a tall and stately man is abnormal because he seems simply huge compared to a short and thin man is wrong. The same goes for children.
The height of a child at 6 years old can be within a wide range, which was compiled by experts from the World Health Organization (abbreviated as WHO). It differs slightly from the internal Russian table, which slightly narrows children’s parameters.
But nevertheless, the weight and height of a child at 6 years old is influenced by several factors, which look like this:
- Genetic predisposition. Very often, tall parents grow up to have tall children and, conversely, short parents grow up to have short offspring. It doesn’t happen, of course, without exceptions, but in this case there is always a tall person in the family tree.
- Child's physical activity. For the full growth of a young body, it is necessary to start playing some kind of sport, or at least running, jumping and jumping to your heart's content on the playground.
- Proper balanced nutrition. It is especially important to supply children's bodies with proteins and calcium for proper growth of bones and muscles.
- Environmental factors.
- Illnesses that occur when a child begins to attend school. Also, illnesses often appear due to a polluted environment. They can weaken and slow down the development of a young body.
What social and everyday skills should a 3-year-old child master?
At 3 years old, the child is developed enough to care for himself independently in everyday life:
- Eat and drink independently
- Hold spoon and fork, glass
- Pouring water from a jug into a glass
- Throwing trash into a bin
- Collect scattered toys
- Place dishes on the table
- sit on the potty
- Undress and dress (with the exception of some items of clothing that are quite difficult to put on yourself).
- Putting on shoes
- Opening and closing doors, knocking on doors
- Cover yourself with a blanket
- Correct and refill pastels (not ideal, but show the desire and ability to do this).
- Show a desire to help parents with cleaning (grab a vacuum cleaner, broom or rag).
- Water the flowers (under adult supervision)
- Asking for needs to go to the toilet or eat
- Independently take things, books, toys from shelves and put them in place
- Move and push chairs at the table
- Avoid dangerous objects (fire on the stove, hot batteries, power sources, sockets).
