Your darling child now at 6 years 2 months old is an independent primary-schooler who, for the most part, loves meeting new people and making new friends.
Your child is also moving towards independence both intellectually and emotionally. Therefore, you might notice that your child may not seek your help as much as he or she used to.
If you are wondering what else to expect from your 6 years 2 months old child, we’ve made a detailed list of development and milestones to look forward to.
As we take you through these important developments, please keep in mind that every child is different and each one grows at their own pace. If you have any concerns or further questions, it is always advisable to visit your paediatrician.
6 Years 2 Months Old Child Development and Milestones: Is your child on track?
Physical Development – 6 Years 2 Months Old
At this stage, your child’s average height and weight* should be as follows:
- Boys
– Height: 116.73 cm (46 inches)
– Weight: 21.17 kg (46.7 lb) - Girls
– Height: 116.2 cm (45.7 inches)
– Weight: 20.7 kg (45.7 lb)
Your 6 years 2 months old child is now perfecting his or her basic physical skills such as jumping, throwing, kicking and catching.
So do encourage your child to go outside for some outdoor playtime to practise these skills.
Your child is also more likely to excel in group sports like soccer or basketball with the ability to understand and follow instructions better.
Taking part in such sports will not only teach vital social skills like teamwork, leadership, and discipline – all of which are necessary for their primary school years – but will also lay the foundation for future development.
Apart from that, a good amount of physical activity is also incredibly beneficial for your child’s brain development as it improves memory function and further enhances motor skills.
You should be able to also observe the following developments in your child. He/ she:
- Perfects basic physical skills, e.g., jumping, throwing, kicking, and catching.
- Learn swimming skills.
- Shows better balance and coordination.
- Stand on one foot for more than 9 seconds.
- Can throw and catch a small ball well.
- Recognises and follows the beat and rhythm of music.
Tips:
- Encourage plenty of outdoor playtime as well as sports classes.
- Ensure your child has one hour or more of physical activity each day.
- Ensure your child stretches before any physical activity
- Teach your child about nutrition and involve him/her while grocery shopping.
- Limit your child’s screen time to one to two hours a day, maximum.
When to talk to your doctor:
If your child,
- Lacks hand-eye coordination and motor skills appropriate for his/her age.
- Can’t perform basic tasks like putting on his/her own socks or shoes.
- Loses skills he/she once had.
Cognitive Development – 6 Years 2 Months Old
Your 6 years 2 months child’s brain is rapidly growing as he/she picks up new mental skills and concepts every day.
Their learning ability also transitions from observational to experiential. This means kids this age start to learn more effectively through concrete play experiences rather than from just observing their primary caretakers.
Your child is also more curious about his/ her surroundings, and will be likely to question everything seen, heard, or experienced.
So parents, expect to get a lot more questions from your little one, keeping in mind that asking questions are the way your child learns about the world.
Besides that, your child will show more interest in solving problems alone, especially as he or she moves to a more structured environment (which is school) without your presence.
Here are a few other developments on the cognitive front that you may start to notice. Your child:
- Learns to question matters.
- Shows an increase in attention span.
- Has increased awareness of right from wrong.
- Shows greater awareness of surroundings outside the home.
- Can handle complicated tasks at home and at school.
- Enjoy the challenges of games and puzzles.
Tips:
- Patiently answer your child’s questions.
- Do maths/counting in everyday situations.
- Create a quiet place for your child’s schoolwork.
- Don’t push your child to study and revise unnecessarily.
- Encourage creative play.
- Bring your child often to places of education interest, such as the museum.
When to talk to your doctor:
If your child,
- Avoids doing simple activities like getting dressed by himself/herself.
- Does not recognise his or her name when called.
- Has difficulty communicating with others.
- Cannot count up to 10.
- Cannot read two-letter words.
Social and Emotional Development – 6 Years 2 Months Old
Your 6 years 2 months old child is becoming more adept at forming and maintaing relationships as he or she learns the nuances of socialising with friends.
Your child will also learn values like sharing and gratitude so don’t be surprised if your child is more willing to share his or her toy with friends and family.
Besides that, your child is also becoming a pro at clearly expressing his or her emotions and thoughts.
Here are some other developments you may notice in your 6 year 1 month old child. He/she:
- Clearly articulates thoughts and feelings.
- Is eager to make new friends.
- Understands the value of teamwork.
- Pays more attention to friendship.
- Has little fear or hesitation when meeting new people.
Tips:
- Ask questions every day about how your child is feeling.
- Encourage your child to verbalise his/her emotions.
- Educate your child about what bullying is.
- Teach him or her about respect and gratitude
- Reinforce and praise good behaviour.
- Teach your child about “stranger danger” and “good touch, bad touch.”
- Set a good example when it comes to manners and etiquette.
When to talk to your doctor
If your child,
- Refuses to be away from you.
- Dislikes playing or talking to kids of the same age.
- Does not want to share.
- Is excessively shy or aggressive to others.
Speech and Language Development – 6 Years 2 Months Old
Your 6 years 2 months old child is a chatterbox who confidently speaks in clear and complete sentences with up to seven words.
He or she should also be able to pronounce three or four-syllable words like “animal” and “spaghetti” and use pronouns like “myself” and “mine” without any problem.
Apart from that, your child may also express a keen interest in reading and writing.
Let’s take a look at more developments in this arena, Your 6 years 2 months old child:
- Has expanded vocabulary skills, allowing for the expression of interests, thoughts, and feelings—typically in great detail.
- Has mastered consonant sounds.
- Is able to use simple present and past tense in a sentence.
- Starts identifying word patterns.
- Asks what a word or sentence means.
Tips:
- Slow down when you are speaking to your child
- Use music as a tool to improve language skills
- Ask your child to tell you about his/her day. This is a great way to encourage descriptive speech and also to pick up on any issues your child might be facing at school.
- Introduce new words to your child whenever you can, remembering to explain what they mean.
- Ask your child lots of questions to improve conversational skills
When to talk to your doctor
If your child,
- Vehemently avoids reading.
- Has difficulty following simple directions.
- Stutters or stammers extensively.
- Saying “huh?” or “what?” even after you have repeated yourself multiple times.
- Has trouble remembering even short bits of verbal information.
Health and Nutrition – 6 Years 2 Months Old
Your 6 years 2 months old child now has now developed a comprehensive list of likes and dislikes in terms of food.
This means as a parent it might get harder to convince your child to try food that he/she does not like.
However, regardless of their food preferences, kids of this age still need a healthy and balanced diet to sustain their high energy levels, growth, and development.
Kids around this age should ideally consume the following on a daily basis:
Typically, the calorie intake for boys and girls of this age are as follows:
- Boys: 1,766 Kcal/day
- Girls: 1,657 Kcal/day
Dairy group
Ensure your child drinks about two to three cups of milk or dairy products every day. But do not go overboard with this as it may lead to low levels of vitamin d. A good intake of dairy products ensures your child grows healthy and strong.
Protein group
According to the Institute of Medicine in the US, proteins are the major structural component of all cells in the body and therefore a very important component of your child’s meal. Parents should aim to feed their child protein twice a day. So, stock up your fridge with ingredients like eggs, tuna, lentils, and chickpeas, as well as lean meat.
Fruit and vegetable group
Parents should ensure their 6 years 2 months old child gets an equal intake of both fruits and vegetables. Recent research suggests that parents do not give their children as many vegetables compared to fruits.
These two food items are vital for fighting off illnesses and health issues like constipation. Do ensure your child gets one to two cups of fruits and vegetables every day. Try delicious veggie dips, vegetables in their favourite pasta dishes, or even in the sauce of homemade pizza.
Grain
You should also include about 4 ounces of grains in your child daily diet. Experiment with a combination of a slide of, cooked oatmeal or pasta throughout the day.
Ideally, you should choose whole grains, such as oatmeal, quinoa, whole-wheat bread, popcorn, or brown or wild rice. But make sure to limit refined grains such as white bread, pasta, and rice.
In a nutshell, here’s what your child needs every day (refer above for what the amounts look like):
- Fruits: three cups for boys and girls
- Vegetables: two cups for boys and girls
- Grains: four ounces for boys and girls
- Proteins: 36g for boys and girls
- Milk: 17-20 ounces for boys and girls
- Water: 1500 ml for boys and girls (around six cups)
Tips:
- Offer a range of foods from different groups
- Serve foods at regular meal times
- If your child has had enough food, don’t force them to overeat
- Refrain from buying too many sugary drinks and high-fat food
- Practise a healthy diet so your child will follow.
Vaccinations and Common Illnesses
Your 6 years 2 months old child should have had a few vaccinations by now. But if that hasn’t been the case, we’d recommend that you check with your physician for those still left, on a regular basis.
As a reminder, your 6 year and 2 months old should have already received at this age:
- DTaP vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis
- IPV vaccine that protects against polio
- MMR vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, and rubella
- Varicella vaccine that protects against chickenpox
- A flu shot which is typically given every year
Check with the doctor if your child’s immunisation records are up-to-date.
Treating Common Illnesses
However, sometimes even with a complete vaccination record, your child might still catch colds, the flu and/or other common illnesses like the Hand Foot and Mouth disease. If your child shows signs of severe discomfort, including vomiting, diarrhoea or very high fever (over 38°C/100.4°F), you must consult a doctor.
- Fever: If your child’s fever is above 38.5°C, you can give your child paracetamol which is to be administered every 4 to 6 hours or ibuprofen. But your first preference should be to try simple home remedies such as applying lukewarm compresses to your child’s forehead, armpits, and groin areas to help bring the temperature down. If that doesn’t bring the temperature down, then take him/her to the doctor and administer the medications.
- Cough: You should first try home remedies such as ginger and honey mixed in lukewarm water. If that doesn’t help the runny nose and sneezing, you can purchase common over-the-counter drugs available for cough and cold for children. These include decongestants, antihistamines, cough suppressants (antitussives), mucolytics and expectorants. These are generally considered safe for kids, but we recommend that you check with your paediatrician before making a purchase.
- Cold: Unless its extremely distressing, you should avoid giving any OTC medication for common colds. Colds are caused by a virus and so antibiotics will not help. If your child’s cold is also accompanied by body aches and very high fever, it could in fact be influenza. In that case, you’d need to bring your child to a doctor for medical advice.
For other common illnesses such as colic, doctors usually don’t recommend prescribed, over-the-counter. You can instead try naturopathic and homeopathic medications to treat colic. As for chickenpox, if you child has contracted it, do NOT give him/her aspirin as it may cause a complication called Reye’s syndrome. This can cause liver and brain damage. Instead, ensure your child has received one dosage of chickenpox vaccination.
For mild diarrhoea, refrain from giving your child medicines with Pepto-Bismol and Kaopectate that contain bismuth, magnesium, or aluminium. These can be harmful to infants and toddlers. Instead, give your child water and oral rehydration salts (ORS) to ensure your child does not get dehydrated.
Its crucial to note that if your child’s fever rises above 38 degrees or the symptoms seem to be getting worse do take them to their doctor immediately.
When to talk to your doctor:
Do contact your doctor or paediatrician if:
- Your child is terribly underweight or overweight.
- He/she child has unusual rashes, lumps, bumps or bruises,
- Your child has prolonged diarrhoea or vomiting.
- He/she has very high fever (over 39 degrees Celsius), you should also immediately consult your doctor.
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Sources: Mayo Clinic, CDC, Web MD