Child development and milestones: Your 6-years-10-months old

Is your little one already fitting into his/her big boy or girl boots? On the brink of reaching the super sevens, your 6 years 10 months old little one is increasingly confident and enthusiastic about almost everything. This is coupled with his/her seemingly endless thirst for knowledge.

You will start noticing that your little one excitedly tells you about what happened at school, and shows pride at even the tiniest achievement made. Are you curious to know what else to expect from your child at this age? We’ve got you covered. 

As we discuss your 6 years 10 months old child’s holistic development, it is important to remember that each child is different and will demonstrate growth milestones at his or her own pace. It is always advisable to contact your child’s paediatrician should you have any concerns.

6 Years 10 Months Old Child Development Milestones: Is Your Child on Track?  

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Physical development

At 6 years 10 months old, your child’s physical development (both gross and fine motor skills) will continue to refine and improve. While there might be growth spurts on some occasions, an approximate height of around 2 inches across the year could be expected.

Parents are encouraged to help children engage in community activities and also to make family activity a way of life. It is recommended that your child takes part in some kind of sport, as active children gain better physical skills than those who are sedentary.

Kids of this age should be physically active for around 60 minutes a day, for at least five days a week.

Your child’s average height and weight* should be as follows: 

• Boys
  – Height: 121.0 cm (47.6 inches)
  – Weight: 22.8 kg (50.2 lb) 
• Girls 
  – Height: 120.7 cm (47.5 inches) 
  – Weight: 22.4 kg (49.5 lb) 

In addition to this, you should also know that your 6 years 10 months old child has:

• Good balance and coordination.
• The ability to dress alone and tie a shoelace.
• A developing sense of body image.
• A few adult teeth. 
• Improved writing and drawing skills. 

Tips

• Assign your child small chores around the house (e.g. using pegs to hang clothes to dry) that will help hone fine motor skills and inculcate in him/her a sense of responsibility at the same time. 
• Encourage your child to play outdoors and initiate games with neighbours and peers around the same age.
• Cycling is a great way to work your child’s muscles and develop self-confidence at the same time as he/she graduates to a two-wheeled bike. Don’t forget that helmet!
• If you haven’t started swimming lessons for your little one, it’s better late than never. Not only is this activity wonderful for gross motor skill development, but it is also a an essential life skill. 

When to talk to your doctor

If your 6 years 10 months old child,

• Loses skills he/she once had.
• Is unable to get dressed alone.
• Is very clumsy.
• Squints when reading or looking at something near/far or complains of poor vision.

Cognitive Development 

Your 6 years 10 month old child’s brain is almost 100 percent developed. It is important to provide your child with balanced meals full of nutrients in order for him/her to maintain both physical as well as mental growth.

At this age your little one will continue to be ever-so-curious about the world around them. Your child will also take pride in demonstrating his/her knowledge and will talk with great confidence about what he/she knows or learns about in school. 

Independence is a strong marker of this age. While it’s great to foster this in your child, ensure that you still keep an eye on your little one as enhanced independence and self-confidence mean he/she might try to attempt dangerous activities. 

Your 6 years 10 month old child has,

• Steadily improving math and reading skills.
• A good sense of time, understanding seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years.
• Mastery of simple addition and subtraction, applying these to solve more complicated math problems.
• Enhanced reading skills, with the ability to read age-appropriate books alone. 

Tips

• Continue to answer your child’s many questions, encouraging critical thinking whenever possible. 
• Help your child apply mathematical knowledge in day-to-day activities. For example, you could let your child pay for small items at the supermarket, ensuring he/she gets the correct change. 
• Give your child STEAM toys (Science, Tech, Engineering, Arts, Math) that boost cognitive development. 
• Creativity and imagination are wonderfully fun ways of improving mental skills. So go ahead and encourage that art-and-craft project or enroll your little one in dance class.

When to talk to your doctor

If your 6 years 10 months old child,

• Cannot focus on a task for at least 10 minutes. 
• Is unable to read a simple sentence. 
• Cannot do simple addition.
• Does not follow or understand simple three-step instructions, e.g., “Please put your books away, wash your hands and come down for dinner.”

Social and Emotional Development 

Children at this age are quite sensitive to the feelings and emotions of others. As such, you will notice your little one comforting you if you hurt yourself. He/she will consciously make an effort not to upset others as well. 

They become more fearless about things that bothered them earlier. They are seen to actively pursue new relationships and make friends rapidly. Relationships with peers could be increasingly important and kids this age tend to make friends with those of the same gender. Your little one also loves to please, and you’ll see him/her making an effort to do this with you and other “important” adults like teachers. 

Your 6 years 10 months old child will also, 

• Prefer to play in larger groups of peers.
• Get overly-upset if pulled up or disciplined. 
• Have a best friend (or more).

Tips

• Encourage your child to express his/her feelings, especially if he/she shows non-verbal signs of negative emotions, like anxiety. 
• Ensure that you are generous with appreciation and always give encouragement and positive feedback.
• Lead by example. Children this age are very observant, and will copy your behaviour. 
• Keep praising your child for the little things he/she does right, like putting things back in the correct place, picking up toys and so on.

When to talk to your doctor 

If your 6 years 10 months old child,

• Refuses to play with others.
• Shows signs of anxiety, like refusing to go to school or wetting his/her bed. 
• Is very aggressive when playing with others. 

Speech and Language Development 

This is the age where rapid development in speech takes place. In other words, children aged 6 years 10 months old develop their vocabulary and reading skills and expand their knowledge and word base in leaps and bounds. 

Your child will also start demonstrating creative, coherent, interesting and complex writing skills.

You’ll also notice that your little one is able to make up complex, long sentences with big words. He/she might also try to use new words learnt in sentences. 

Your 6 years 10 months old child can,

• Tell the time, and correctly name days and months.
• Describe points of similarity between two objects.
• Explain events that happened in the past using correct chronological sequence.
• Argue and reason using logic. 

Tips

• Enroll your child in libraries and reading clubs.
• Encourage reading by introducing your child to books of his/her interest followed by some research.
• Spend some reading time together.
• Provide opportunities for creative writing and encourage him/her to put their creative thoughts into writing.

Image courtesy: Stock image

When to talk to your doctor 

You may need to speak with the doctor if your 6 years 10 months old child,

• Shows speech difficulties, including stammering and stuttering.
• Cannot use a full sentence to describe events. 
• Refuses completely to read or write. 

Health & Nutrition 

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At this age where your child’s physical, social and cognitive abilities are growing, it is important to fuel this growth with the best nutrients. With the variety of options available in the market today, choosing the right food for your growing child is a priority. 

At 6 years and 10 months old, your child needs approximately 1700 to 1830 calories a day to fuel all that growth and development. 

• Boys: 1,826 Kcal/day
• Girls: 1,714 Kcal/day 

Below is a guide to help you supply these required nutrients by adding these food categories to your child’s daily diet.

Grains

These include oats, rice and barley, as well as foods that are made of them, such as bread and cereal. Ensure you give whole grain options to your child to facilitate good digestion through adequate fibre. 

Your child will need around four ounces of food that contain grains each day, with one serving amounting to one slice of bread or half a cup of pasta, cereal or rice. At least half of your child’s daily grain intake should be wholegrain. 

Fruits and Vegetables

The good news is that your child by now should be less fussy with vegetables and fruits than previous years. Offering a range of essential vitamins and minerals needed for your child’s healthy growth, it’s important to ensure your child eats a good mix of fruits and vegetables every day. 

Your little one should be eating at least one orange vegetable and one dark, green leafy vegetable every day. 

Ideally, your child should consume around three to two servings of fruits and vegetables respectively every day,  with one serving being equal to around half a cup. 

Dairy

Milk products and many foods made from milk are considered part of this food group. It is better that you give your child fat-free or low-fat products, as well as those that are high in calcium.

Your child needs around 17 to 20 ounces of dairy every day, with one serving being equal to the following amounts of dairy products: milk – one cup; cheese – 50g or two large eraser-sized pieces; yoghurt – 3/4 cup or around the size of a tennis ball. 

Image courtesy: Stock image

Protein

Growing children need protein to help them build and repair cells, enzymes, and hormones as well as to provide energy.

Low-fat or lean meats, eggs and poultry are the best sources of this essential mineral. Fish, nuts, seeds, peas, and beans are also good sources of protein that you could include in your child’s diet..

At this age, your child needs 36g serving of protein daily, for example: a female adult palm-sized portion of chicken, beef or fish or two eggs or a tennis ball sized portion of tofu or a tennis ball sized portion of cooked legumes like beans. 

Tips

• Give children the opportunity to help with meal planning by including their suggestions.
• Engage children in meal preparation and cooking.
• Serve meals at the table and not in front of a TV, device or any other distractions. Whenever the family is present, make it a habit to have meals at the table as a family
• Eliminate processed and sugary food at all times
• Encourage children to consume plenty of water each day. 

In a nutshell, here’s what you child needs every day (refer above for what the amounts look like):

• Fruits: three cups for boys; three cups for girls
• Vegetables: two cups for boys; two cups for girls
• Grains: four ounces for boys; four ounces for girls
• Proteins: 36g for boys; 36g for girls 
• Milk: 17-20 ounces for boys; 17-20 ounces for girls
• Water: 1500 ml for boys; 1500 ml for girls (around six cups)

When to call your doctor

If your 6 years 10 months old child,

• Shows signs of food allergies, like swelling or tearing of eyes. 
• Has diarrhoea for more than two days. 
• Has regular stomach pains or inconsistencies and issues in bowel movements
• Shows unusual weight gain or weight loss

Vaccinations and Common Illnesses 

Most of the initial and essential vaccinations scheduled for your child would have been covered by this stage. However ensure that your child’s vaccination schedule is periodically checked. Schedule upcoming vaccinations in your personal calendar. It is also useful to set reminders for these dates.

Whilst common colds, fever, cough and flu are common among children of this age, it is advisable to check with your child’s paediatrician if he or she recommends that the child be given a flu vaccination.

In the event you are planning to travel, it is important to check vaccination requirements as well as check health notices pertaining to the country you will be visiting.

Treating Common Illnesses 

To manage the three most common medical issues in kids – fever, cough, and cold – you can try the following: 

• Fever: Note your child’s fever, if its up to 38°C (100.4°F), you should give him/her plenty of fluids. Its also best to encourage your kid to rest and try home remedies. You could apply lukewarm compresses to your child’s forehead, armpits, and groin areas. This can help bring the temperature down. But, if your child’s temperature rises above 38°C (100.4°F) you should bring him/her to the doctor and follow medical advice to manage your child’s health. 
• Cough: Generally coughing is a reflex that clears the throat. But if it comes with a runny nose and sneezing, it can become a nuisance. Ideally, you should first try home remedies such as ginger and honey tea. You should also get your kid to drink a minimum of eight glasses of water a day. If the coughing doesn’t ease after three to five days, and your child develops a large amount of phlegm, bring him/her to the doctor for treatment.  
• Cold: Unless its extremely distressing, avoid taking any OTC medication for common colds. Colds are often caused by a virus and therefore, antibiotics may not help. If your child’s cold is accompanied by body aches and very high fever, it could in fact be influenza. You’d need to bring your child to a doctor, if so for medical advice. 

Please note that while some medications can be bought without any prescriptions, your first option of treatment for common health issues should be home remedies.

For example, a child with a cold and cough should be given extra warm fluids. He or she can also gargle with warm salt water for a sore throat remedy. Meanwhile, nasal saline solution will help decongest the nasal passage. 

We’d also recommend encouraging hand-washing every so often. This will teach and encourage your child to practice good hygiene.   

When to Talk to Your Doctor

See your doctor as soon as you notice that your child:

• Has unusual rashes, lumps or bruises that don’t seem to heal.
• Has a fever over 39 degrees C, or a fever that lasts for more than a week.
• Is under or over-weight for his/her age.
• Refuses to eat, or constantly doesn’t have a good appetite.

Previous month: 6 years 9 months

Next month: 6 years 11 months

Sources: Mayo Clinic, CDC, Web MD , Alberta Health Services