CHFD 331 AMU week 5 lesson Elementary and Early Adolescence American Military University
Parenting changes as children get older, offering new challenges to parents at home. School age children spend more time away from home, and their interactions with others become increasingly complex. Parents maintain many of the same fundamental responsibilities with school-age children as they did with preschoolers. They need to continue to provide love and
affection, to set age-appropriate rules and boundaries, and to support physical, cognitive and social development.
Topics to be covered include:
- Normal physical, emotional and social development in during the elementary school and early teen years
- Ways parents can support their child’s development during the elementary school and early teen years
- Techniques to help parents maintain positive relationships with their adolescents as they become more independent and move toward adulthood
- Techniques to help school-age children develop positive relationships with family and peers
- Ways parents can promote healthy lifestyles with school age children
- Effects of media use on children’s development
The Parent’s Role
A child entering the teenage years goes through many changes physically, emotionally, and cognitively. Older children and teens experience the physical and emotional changes associated with puberty, as well as
changing cognitive skills. In addition, children develop and change socially as they move through the teen years, taking on new roles and responsibilities.
Parents have an important role to provide emotional support and monitor and guide thinking and behavior of their children. Thoughtful and loving parenting in the teen years can facilitate a good relationship between parents and their teens, helping to support their teens in the transition from childhood to adulthood. Parents also need to be prepared to step back and let their maturing teen explore independence and gain confidence—but with a safety net—until they reach mature adulthood.
Sleep
Sleep helps attention, emotional well-being, and learning. Adequate sleep helps the body regulate its metabolic processes and weight control. Parents should establish a consistent bedtime schedule as well as bedtime routines to help children develop the habit of sleep. Parents who adopt positive and nurturing parenting styles support healthy sleep patterns in
children.
School-age children usually sleep independently; however, maintaining a normal bedtime routine is part of good sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene includes a number of practices that support healthy sleep, like avoiding caffeine in the afternoon, having a cool, dark room, and a relaxing bedtime routine. For school-age children, this might involve a shower or bath, a
snack, and reading time, either alone or with a parents. It is best to avoid screens, including smartphones and tablets, before bed.
Nutrition
Children who do not have access to quality food perform poorly on tests of attention and memory. This lack of nutrition significantly affects learning. Both inadequate or poor quality food and too much food pose
problems for children.
Parents should establish regular eating times and routines. In addition, parents should be certain that children are eating both breakfast and lunch, either at home or at school. Children require regular meals, and should
have access to healthy snacks, within reason. For many parents, feeding children is a significant source of stress–mealtime battles are common and unhealthy.
Families help to create healthy eating habits when:
- They share regular meals.
- Have a variety of healthy snacks available.
- Avoid battles over food.
- Involve children in meal planning and cooking.
- Serve as a role model by making healthy food choices.