Six-year-olds are so cute. They still have the sweetness of really young children, but they’re developing the ability to reason and think like older children. If your kids are anything like mine, 6 is an age when they are noticing what friends get to do, wear, and say and they want to try it out too. This is also a time when there’s a lot of variation in reaching 6-year-old milestones of physical, social, and mental abilities. But there are some things that, across the board, 6-year-olds shouldn’t be doing.
So buck the trends if you have to, and remember, just because something is considered normal by society, that doesn’t automatically make it good or right. Does your 6-year-old do any of these 6 things?
1. Having Unsupervised Screen Time
Believe me, I know it’s convenient to hand your child an iPad and let him or her play in order to buy yourself some time to breathe, but it’s just too risky. Use the parental control settings on all the devices your kids play with. Better yet, try to be with them when they’re online. At a minimum, make sure you’re in the same room. If your child is 6 or younger, you can change the course of his or her screen time use. It might be tough (get ready for some tantrums and tears), but it’s not too late to develop new habits.
For starters, no tech during meals at home or when you’re out to eat. Even if your child starts pitching a fit or gets cranky when you’re eating at a restaurant, go old-school and whip out the crayons or go look at the fish tank. Next, if your drive is less than an hour, no electronics: no phone, no iPad, no movies. Car time with your 6-year-old is a treasure chest just waiting to be opened. Use this time to ask questions, listen to the radio, or talk about what you see outside.
2. Getting Too Little Sleep
Sure, we can function on less than an optimal amount of sleep, but our bodies and brains aren’t growing like a 6-year-old’s. Researchers say that children age 6 through 13 need 10 to 12 hours of sleep a night. So, if your child gets up at 7 a.m. for school or daycare, put him or her to bed by 9 p.m. If you want to hit those 6-year-old milestones, you might need to start the bedtime routine earlier to make sure your child is getting enough sleep.
3. Watching and Listening to Big Kid and Grown-Up Stuff
My heart has ached many times when I’ve gone to a theater to see a grown-up movie only to spot little children munching on popcorn waiting for the movie to start. Sure, the theme of the movie might be fun—superheroes, adventure, comedy—but the language and the violence are too much for little minds. Feed your kids a steady diet of age-appropriate content as long as you can.
4. Riding Without a Booster Seat
I know, 6 sounds like a big kid age, but the American Academy of Pediatrics says children should use booster seats until they are four feet, nine inches tall. Before they reach that height, seat belts will not fit properly and won’t keep them safe. Want to know if your state requires a booster seat for your 6-year-old? Check here.
5. Getting Involved in Too Many Activities
Six-year-olds need more free play than structured play. Try to avoid getting caught up in the travel-ball craze or playing year-round sports, rigorous academic tutoring, or intense music lessons. Let your kid be a kid and try not to stress that you’re not giving him or her enough “opportunities” to develop talents.
6. Worrying About How They Look
Little children shouldn’t have to worry even one second a day about their looks. Yes, it’s OK to teach them how to get ready before they go out, making sure their clothes are clean and their teeth are brushed, but they should be completely oblivious to matters of weight and being fit. Of course, we want our children to have a healthy mindset, but it’s not good if our children think you’re concerned about them being fat or out of shape. At 6, our children need us to focus on their development from the inside out, not the other way around.
What do you think the key is to parenting a 6-year-old well?
