Healthy
Children...Healthy
Families
THE SAN ANGELO CURRICULUM
37 to 72 Months
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72 - F
About This Curriculum
Healthy Children...Healthy Families curriculum, designed by
Healthy Families San Angelo, is a teaching tool to be used
during each home visit. It is organized in loose-leaf form so the
Home Visitor can carry a discussion topic (usually a page or two)
to each visit. Information is written at a level most parents can
understand.
This curriculum, which spans three years, is broken down into
three-month sections. Each section covers developmental
milestones, developmental needs, parenting skills, and activities
for the parents and child to share. An emphasis is placed on
building healthy parent-child relationships and building positive
self-esteem in the child.
The developmental milestones represent the norm. Children
may reach some milestones earlier or later than the norm. The
Home Visitor should use his/her discretion when selecting
appropriate pages to present to the parent.
In addition to the three-month sections, some material
appropriate only for preschoolers is organized separately under
the heading "Preschoolers Topics." This structure allows the
Home Visitor latitude in selecting material appropriate for each
child's rate of development. Additional supplemental headings
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: About This Curriculum - F
include “Education" and “Sports” to aid in meeting the needs of
individual parents.
HOW TO START
On the first or second home visit, the Home Visitor takes the
three-ring notebook with dividers and a discussion topic. These
items are given to the parent to keep and build from.
Normally, the Home Visitor also takes a camera and gets a photo
of the child or child and parents. This will be used on the cover
and on the first divider of the notebook. From time to time the
Home Visitor can take new photos to be added to the divider
pages.
The Home Visitor should carry a topic from the curriculum to
each home visit. These pages are added to the notebook. As
the notebook is filled with curriculum, photos, keepsakes, and
milestones in the child's life, it becomes a treasure for the family
to keep.
The material should be presented casually, in conversational
form. If it is a "Play and Grow" activity page, the Home Visitor
should carry the materials necessary to complete the activity,
encouraging the parent to participate in the activity with the
child.
As the curriculum topics are shared with the parents, time
should be taken to listen to their questions and concerns. An
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: About This Curriculum - F
excellent time to praise the parents for positive parenting is as
they share some of the milestones the child has reached.
THE TOPICS
The curriculum is written in simple form, with basic information.
The Home Visitor should be familiar enough with each topic to
further discuss it with the parent, taking into account the
individual learning style of each parent.
Many topics are designed to encourage the parent to spend
some special time with their child. The Home Visitor may
occasionally model some of the activities for the parents.
However, emphasis is placed on the parents learning to interact
with and encourage healthy development in their child.
Encouraging positive, nurturing interaction between the parents
and the child is the ultimate goal.
THE CHECKLIST
A copy of the checklist is to be kept in each family's case notes.
Each time a topic from the curriculum is shared with the family,
the Home Visitor should record the date on the line to the left of
the title. This allows the Home Visitor to keep track of which
topics have been used and to avoid repetition.
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: About This Curriculum - F
Also, on the day set aside for documentation and planning
future home visits, Home Visitors can use the checklist as a
handy reference.
Thank you for choosing
Healthy Children...Healthy Families
to use with your families!
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: About This Curriculum - F
Healthy Children...Healthy Families
37 to 72 Months
Curriculum Checklist
Date
Date
37th Thru 39th Months
_____
_____
_____
_____
Her Body
Her Mind
Her World
Play and Grow: “Jungle Walk”
40th Thru 42nd Months
_____
_____
_____
_____
Her Body
Her Mind
Her World
Play and Grow: “Look for the
Letter”
43rd Thru 45th Months
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
Her Body
Her Mind
Her World
Play and Grow: “Circle Art”
Play and Grow: “The Cookie
Factory”
_____ Play and Grow: “Draw Me”
_____ Play and Grow: “What’s Next?”
52nd Thru 54th Months
_____
_____
_____
_____
55th Thru 57th Months
_____
_____
_____
_____
Her Body
Her Mind
Her World
Play and Grow: “String Things”
49th Thru 51st Months
_____ Her Body
_____ Her Mind
_____ Her World
Her Body
Her Mind
Her World
Play and Grow: “Paper Pictures”
58th Thru 60th Months
_____
_____
_____
_____
46th Thru 48th Months
_____
_____
_____
_____
Her Body
Her Mind
Her World
Play and Grow: “Cool Can Craft”
Her Body
Her Mind
Her World
Play and Grow: “Scrambled Name
Game”
61st Thru 63rd Months
_____
_____
_____
_____
Her Body
Her Mind
Her World
Play and Grow: “Walk and Talk”
64th Thru 66th Months
_____ Her Body
_____ Her Mind
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: Curriculum Checklist - F
_____ Her World
_____ Play and Grow: “The Direction
Game”
67th Thru 69th Months
_____
_____
_____
_____
Her Body
Her Mind
Her World
Play and Grow: “My Board Game”
Education
_____ Working with Your Child’s School
_____ Getting the Most from School
_____ Learning to Read Is Fun!
Sports
_____ Getting the Most from Sports
70th Thru 72nd Months
_____
_____
_____
_____
Her Body
Her Mind
Her World
Play and Grow: “The Coupon
Game”
Preschooler Topics
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
Between Three and Four
Preschoolers and Language
What Is Normal?
How Preschoolers Are Alike
Your Preschooler’s Changing Looks
Preschoolers’ Fears
Fighting Fears Before They Happen
Thumb Sucking
Nutrition
Which Foods and How Much?
A Guide for Time-outs
How Preschoolers Learn
When Another Baby Comes Along
Getting Your Preschooler off the
Bottle
Teaching Your Child to Brush
Dressing Herself
Learning to Share
Simple Math for Preschoolers
Citrus Fruit Fun and Learning
Easy Craft Clay
Sleeping Problems
Play and Grow: “The Five Senses”
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: Curriculum Checklist - F
Healthy Children...Healthy Families
th
th
37 thru 39
Months
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: 37-39 - F
Her Body
That three-year-old ball of energy you’re raising is probably
moving in every direction now: forwards, backwards, and
sideways. She really enjoys playing outside and having fun with
these skills.
Her balance is getting so good she can
M Run quickly and smoothly;
M Climb stairs by putting one foot on each step (she
still needs to put both feet on each step coming
down, and she needs a handrail—or your hand—to
be safe).
Parent Tip
M Climb ladders and
We can’t say this enough. It takes time
to
learn new things. Your child won’t be
monkey bars at the
an expert at climbing or anything else
park (but you’ll
when she tries it for the first time…or the
second…or the third. Always be close by
probably have to
whenever your daughter does
help her get back
something that might be dangerous.
down).
Riding toys are usually a favorite now. She should be able to
pedal a tricycle forward and steer wherever she wants to go.
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: 37-39 – Her Body - F
Your daughter's hands are working together better than ever.
She’s getting so good with them she can probably stack nine
blocks by now…maybe more! They still need to be the bigger
size, though. She won’t be ready for smaller-sized blocks,
crayons, or toys for a while yet.
“What can I do to help make my little girl
strong and healthy?”
Now that she’s getting better with her hands, your little girl
might want to dress herself, comb her own hair, or brush her
own teeth. Letting her do things
Parent Tip
on her own gives her practice
Snaps, buttons, and zippers can be hard
for little hands to figure out. If your
and helps her feel like she’s
daughter gets upset over them, a little
growing up. She loves that!
help is fine, but she won’t learn if you
do it all for her.
Keep giving her blank paper and
crayons, pencils, and paints (washable water colors) to draw
with. She’ll learn to use her hands and fingers better, be
creative, and play by herself.
Ask your Home Visitor for a play dough recipe. Make a batch
and let your little artist give those fingers a workout.
Get out in the fresh air and run little races with her. Try hopping
on one foot with that little acrobat. See who can stand the
longest on one foot. If you let her win sometimes, she’ll like the
game even more. Playing games like this is healthy for both of
you, and it builds the bond between you!
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: 37-39 – Her Body - F
Her Mind
Your little girl's mind has grown a lot over the last three years!
And it’s picking up more words and ideas all the time.
She might be able to count to five or higher, but she really
doesn’t understand the meaning of numbers above three or
four.
Wow, does she like to talk! Using four or even five words in a
sentence, your little chatterbox will tell you about her day, her
thoughts, her likes and dislikes…and she’ll ask a million
questions.
By now, even strangers should be able to understand most of
the words she uses even though she has some trouble saying
them clearly.
Your daughter is working on understanding time. You might
hear her use the word “yesterday” for anything that happened in
the past. That’s OK. Learning about time takes time.
“Are there ways I can help my child learn?”
At this age it’s very important to make sure she’s using all of her
five senses (taste, touch, sight, smell, and hearing) for learning
new things.
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: 37-39 – Her Mind - F
D Talk about tastes and smells (sweet, sour, salty, and bitter);
D Let her listen to classical music;
D Let her play with water, sand, and mud (kids are
washable).
Keep playing counting and sorting games with your little girl.
Now is a good time to be teaching her the ideas of "over,"
"under," "forward," "backward," "on," "off," "inside," and "outside."
When you give her directions just give one at a time. Wait for
her to finish before you give her
Parent Tip
the next direction. Asking her to
Your daughter’s memory is getting
do too many things at once just
longer, but she still might forget what all
confuses her. And remember, if the "no-no's" are. If she picks up
something you have told her not to
you use "Thank you" and
touch, just gently remind her, put the
thing out of her reach, and give her
"Please,” she’ll learn those
something else to play with.
manners, too.
Make time every day just to talk and listen to your child. You’ll
hear "Why?" a million times, but try to answer every question
with something short and easy to understand. She’ll learn new
things and see that her thoughts are important to you.
What Do You Think?
What are some new things your little girl
understands now that she didn’t just a
few months ago?
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: 37-39 – Her Mind - F
Her World
Have you noticed your daughter’s mood changing lately? For
the last six months she has usually felt happy and safe. These
days you might notice her becoming bossy, fussy, or afraid—like
she did when she was six months, nine months, and 24 months
old. It’s normal. She’ll grow out of it soon.
She understands now that she’s a separate person with her own
thoughts and feelings.
When she was two years old she only knew how to get attention
by yelling, crying, and throwing tantrums. She knows she
doesn’t have to do that anymore.
Your youngster is getting better at playing by herself, but she still
loves being with you.
Because she’s feeling better about doing
things on her own, your daughter should be
able to go to sleep by herself in her own
room. She might even get up before you do
in the morning and want to take care of
herself by washing her hands, getting
dressed, or making her own breakfast.
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: 37-39 – Her World - F
“Can I do things that will help her get ready
for life?”
Get up when she does. Your daughter is still
too young to be taking care of herself. If she
wants to get up without help, keep her safe by
saying something like, “I know you’re a big girl,
but wake me up because I want to fix you a
good breakfast and give you your first good morning kiss!"
Even though she can go to bed by herself, don't give up the
routine of reading a bedtime story and tucking her in. It makes
her feel safe and loved.
Parent Tip
Your little girl doesn't understand that
Your daughter may be bigger
talking to strangers can sometimes be
and more grown up, but there
dangerous. Ask your Home Visitor for
ways
to talk to her about this that won’t
will still be times when she’ll act
scare her.
like a baby because she needs
to know someone is taking care
of her. That’s normal…and temporary. You won’t be spoiling
her if you hold her, rock her, and carry her. Get her to talk about
why she feels like being a baby.
Keep praising her when she uses the toilet by herself. There will
still be accidents at this age, but there will be fewer and fewer if
you’re calm and helpful when they happen.
Set up times for your daughter to play with one or two other
children her age. It’s fun for her and it teaches her to share,
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: 37-39 – Her World - F
make friends, and play well with other kids. Those things will
make going to school a lot easier. There will still be fusses over
toys but not as often as before, especially if you’re nearby to
help her through the rough spots.
What Do You Think? _______________________________
What do you do when your little girl
starts to argue with other children during
playtime?
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: 37-39 – Her World - F
Jungle Walk
Here’s a game that will keep your child active by
running, jumping, crawling, and hopping. It will
give her practice with balance. And it’s a real
workout for both of you!
She’ll also learn to connect animals with their names, the way
they move, and the sounds they make.
FOLLOW THESE EASY STEPS:
1. Help your child cut out pictures of
animals and glue them to index cards.
Write the names of the animals below
the pictures.
You Will Need:
9 Pictures of
animals
9 Index cards
9 Glue and a marker
9 A hat or small box
2. Put the pictures in a hat or small box and let your daughter
pick out a picture. Say the name of the animal.
3. Walk like the animal would walk. Make noises the animal
would make.
Parent Tip
This game is more fun if you get silly
4. Now pick out a card and let
with it. Jump up and down if you’re
supposed to be a monkey. Crawl on the
your daughter pretend to be
floor if you picked a snake. Flap your
the animal. Take turns until
arms if you’re a bird.
you run out of pictures.
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: 37-39 – Play and Grow: “Jungle Walk” - F
Healthy Children...Healthy Families
th
st
49 thru 51
Months
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: 49-51 - M
Her Mind
At this age your daughter can understand and remember how
some things happen in a certain order. In her daily routine she
knows she gets up, eats breakfast, brushes her teeth, gets
dressed, and then goes to school.
These days that growing brain of hers can remember things she
sees long enough to be able to point to them a few minutes
later when you ask about them.
Before children know enough words to be able to talk about the
things that bother them, they will hit people, bite them, and pull
their hair. These days your daughter knows enough language to
be able to say how she feels without fighting.
Her sentences are getting
longer. By now they can be four
to five words long. But some of
her favorite sentences have only
one word: "Why?”, “When?”, and
“How?”
Parent Tip
Why does your daughter ask you so
many questions? Sometimes she really
wants an answer, but most of the time
she just wants to know that you’re
paying attention to her. No matter what
the reason is, always try to give her a
clear, simple answer.
She understands and can use words that talk about where
things are, like "over," "under," "in," "on," "in front of," and
"behind."
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: 49-51 – Her Mind - F
Because she understands what words like “large,” “small,”
“taller,” “shorter,” “heavy,” and “light” mean, she can put things
in order by
Parent Tip
If your child is using a word you don’t
M Their size,
M Their color,
M Their weight,
like, try giving her a different word to
replace it. if she says, "You're a poo,"
tell her, "I know another good word.
You could say 'You're a banana!'" If she
thinks the new word is really silly, she’ll
use that instead of the word you don’t
M What kind of thing
they are (animals, books).
What Do You Think? _______________________________
What other words like these does your
little girl know and use?
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
“Are there ways I can help my child learn?”
Play games that test her memory. You
might try setting four or five things out
on a table. Let her look at them and
then have her turn her back. Now add
some new things. Have your daughter
turn back around and point to the
things that were in the first group.
At this age she should be able to remember and point out
almost all of the things from the first group.
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: 49-51 – Her Mind - F
Play games that give her practice with understanding the sizes
of things. Put four or five things of different sizes in front of her
and have her put them
in order from big to
small. Then mix them
up and have her put
them in order from
small to big.
It’s hard to keep up with all the questions your child is asking
these days, but giving her answers
M Makes her smarter;
M Makes her want to learn;
M Tells her she can always come to you for help (very
important when she becomes a teenager).
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: 49-51 – Her Mind - F
Draw Me
Here’s a great chance for you and your son
to do some serious—but fun—bonding.
You’ll be giving him a chance to get
creative and practice making his small
muscles work together.
And you’ll end up with works of art for the front of the
refrigerator!
You Will Need:
FOLLOW THESE EASY STEPS:
9 Sheets of paper
1. Sit across the table from your son with
plenty of paper and enough crayons,
pencils, markers, or paints for both of
you.
9 Pencils, markers,
crayons, or paints
2. Let him draw a picture of your face. Then you draw him.
3. Talk about how you look alike and what things are different
about each of you.
Parent Tip
If you’re a good artist, don’t try to do
4. Be careful. You might both
your best. He might think his picture is
get a bad case of the giggles! no good and not want to draw anymore.
.Make your drawing very simple.
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: 49-51 – Play and Grow: “Draw Me” - M
What’s Next?
Since your son understands how to put things
in order, give him practice with that by playing
this game.
He’ll get practice cutting paper and remembering things he’s
seen before.
FOLLOW THESE EASY STEPS:
1. Have your son cut pictures out of
magazines that show things
happening in order. Here are some ideas:
You Will Need:
9 Pictures from old
magazines
9 Scissors
M Flower seeds, a new plant, and a plant with flowers;
M Breakfast, school, play, and bedtime;
M Eggs in a nest, chicks, and birds flying.
2. Have your son put the pictures in the order in which they
happen, from first to last.
Parent Tip
If you let your child cut out the pictures,
3. To make the game harder,
be sure to use scissors with rounded
mix up two sets of pictures
tips. And don’t let him run with them!
and see if he can separate
them into groups before he puts them in order.
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: 49-51 – Play and Grow: “What’s Next?” - M
Her World
Have you noticed how nice your little girl is lately? Five-year-olds
are usually very happy, helpful, and friendly people. Your
daughter probably behaves like this right now:
D She wants to make you happy and will do
whatever you ask;
D She loves people, animals, toys, trees—
everything!
D She’s very sure of herself and wants to try anything that‘s
new.
Terrific, isn’t she? Well…enjoy it while it lasts.
That happy little person will
probably change as she gets
closer to six…and you might not
like the changes. Expect her to
get whiny, restless, and even
start arguments.
Parent Tip
As they grow, children take a few steps
forward and then a step or two
backward. The good news is that she’ll
get over this change. What she’s going
through is normal.
Children this age start asking about spending the night with
friends. Your little girl is curious about what other people do at
bedtime, and she wants to know what it’s like sleeping with
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: 61-63 – Her World - F
another person. But is she ready for a sleepover? To help you
decide, ask yourself these questions:
M Can she use the toilet by herself?
M Can she dress and undress herself?
M Does she wake up at night and need comfort from
you?
“Can I do things that will help her get ready
for life?”
If your daughter is asking for sleepovers and you think she’s
ready for them, try letting her stay at a relative’s home first. If
you don’t get a call in the middle of the night from a homesick
little girl, it’s probably OK to let her stay with friends.
One of the best things you can give your daughter is a chance
to do nothing at all. If your youngster’s week is packed with
school, sports, get-togethers, and a million other things, you
might want to back off a little and give her some free time to
play by herself.
Turn off the TV and let her spend some time
just looking out the window for a while or
watching a bug crawl across the grass. It gives
her a chance to calm down and use her imagination to play
inside her own head.
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: 61-63 – Her World - F
Walk and Talk
This game teaches her what the letters of the
alphabet sound like.
It’s also a fun way to help her learn how to spell
words…and get a little exercise at the same time!
FOLLOW THESE EASY STEPS:
You Will Need:
9
1. Take your daughter for a walk around
the neighborhood, a park, or a mall.
Make it a place with plenty of things to look at.
A neighborhood, a
park, or a mall
2. Pick a letter of the alphabet and say, “Let’s name everything
we see that starts with that letter.” Take turns and let her pick
the letter sometimes.
3. When one of you finds something that starts with the letter,
ask her to say the word.
Parent Tip
If your child doesn’t know the alphabet
4. To keep the game interesting, very
well yet, give her the sound of the
the next time you play it pick a letter instead. Make sure you tell her
which letter makes that sound.
color instead of a letter.
5. Make it more fun by giving yourselves a point for each thing
you name. Let her keep score. It gives her math practice!
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: 61-63 – Play and Grow: “Walk and Talk” - F
Healthy Children...Healthy Families
Preschooler Topics
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: Preschooler Topics - M
What Is Normal?
Doctors and child experts can tell you what should
be happening to your daughter’s body and her
brain at her age. They can give you a good idea
about how your child should be fitting in and
getting along with the world around her.
But they can’t tell you EXACTLY.
Your little girl grows and learns and changes in her own special
way…every child does. What’s normal for her might not be
normal for somebody else.
Instead of comparing your youngster to other children her age,
just ask yourself
M Is she growing?
M Is she getting better at things?
M Does she seem healthy?
M Is she happy?
These are some other signs that your child is growing and
learning the way she should:
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: Preschooler Topics – What is Normal? - F
D She seems to be keeping up with other children her age;
D She understands you when you talk to her;
D She can talk in sentences of three or more words;
D You can understand her words most of the time;
D She only “goes backwards” or gets worse at things for a
short time;
D She wants to learn to use the toilet and isn’t afraid of it;
D She seems to be handling
her fears, and they don’t go
on for a long time;
D She can jump using both
feet;
Parent Tip
Don’t be shy about talking to your
daughter’s doctor. If there’s anything
wrong, finding out early is best. If
there’s nothing wrong, it will ease your
mind to know that your little girl is
growing and changing in her own
i l
If the way your daughter is growing or behaving doesn’t seem
right to you, talk to her doctor about it.
What Do You Think? _______________________________
Are there things about the way your
child is growing or behaving that worry
you?
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: Preschooler Topics – What is Normal? - F
Preschoolers’ Fears
The preschool years bring children the most new fears because
in school they’re away from their parents and the world they’re
used to. Even if your child’s fears seem silly to
you, they really scare him!
If you know what makes him afraid, you’ll be able
to help him get over it. Here are some fears that
you might notice:
D SEPARATION – Being away from you is a fear that is
strongest around 18 months of age, but it can flare up again
when your child is going into preschool.
You might trust friends to watch your child when you’re
away, but that doesn’t mean he likes them...or even knows
them very well. Give him lots of hugs and assure him that
you will be back very soon. Ask your Home Visitor for more
ideas about this;
D LOSS OF LOVE – Sometimes preschoolers can get the idea
that their parents don’t love them anymore.
If you’re separating or divorcing, your child can easily think,
“If you don’t love each other, you might stop loving me.”
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: Preschooler Topics – Preschoolers’ Fears - M
Remember to show him lots of love and attention. He
needs it more than ever right now.
Never scold your child by saying things like, "I won't love you
if you do that," and make sure no one else does it either.
He needs to know that you love him no matter what;
D FAILURE – Your preschooler might start thinking he’s not
good enough to do new things and even be afraid to try if
M You push him too hard to do things before his mind
and body are ready;
M You don’t let him do something new when he is
ready.
Give him a chance to try new things when he wants to and
show him lots of smiles and hugs when he does them well;
D THUNDERSTORMS – Loud,
PPaarent Tip
sudden noises like thunder
Turn the storm into a game. When
lightning flashes, count out the seconds
can scare anybody—
together until you hear the thunder. If
especially children. If your
you son expects to hear the thunder, he
son is afraid of thunder, hold won’t be as afraid.
him and comfort him when
it happens. And if you’re afraid too, don’t show it. He can
get scared just by knowing that you are;
D THE DARK – Your little boy might start being afraid to go to
bed because it’s dark, and that’s when monsters and other
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: Preschooler Topics – Preschoolers’ Fears - M
scary things come out. They are very real to him.
Sometimes a night light can help.
At bedtime calmly tell him exactly what’s going to happen;
“After your bath I will read
PPaarent Tip
you a story. Then you can
Pick bedtime stories that help calm your
listen to your quiet music
son down and take away his fear. Stay
away from stories about wolves eating
while you fall asleep.” Listen little pigs or witches cooking children.
to him and comfort him
when he talks about what makes him afraid. And let him
know that dark time is a special time for resting.
D DOCTORS – This is no
surprise. Most of his visits to
the doctor have been
because he was sick, hurt, or
needed a shot.
Parent Tip
If your child is going to get a shot, say
so, but don’t talk about how much it will
hurt or how big the needle is! When it’s
over hug him and tell him what a big
boy he is.
Play “Doctor Visit” at home and describe what will happen so
he will know what to expect. Tell him the doctor can help
him feel better. The more good things you say about
doctors, the less fearful your little boy will be.
Let him take his favorite toy along for comfort;
D DOGS – Some dogs are quiet, gentle, and like to be petted.
Others are big, loud things that jump at you, bark, and even
bite! Those dogs can scare anybody, especially children. Be
cautious. Tell your son, “When we meet a new dog, we
leave it alone until the owner tells us it’s safe.”
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: Preschooler Topics – Preschoolers’ Fears - M
Which Foods…and How Much?
Preschoolers are like everybody else; they like to eat what tastes
good. The problem is, good taste doesn’t always mean good
food. And sometimes it’s hard to tell how much food they
need.
In 2005 the U.S. Department of
Agriculture made a list of the
kinds of food—and the
amounts—children should eat to
stay healthy. Your daughter
needs:
PPaarent Tip
Give the smaller amount of food to your
preschooler if she’s overweight or
doesn’t exercise much. Give the larger
amount if she exercises a lot and isn’t
overweight.
GRAINS – Give 4-5 servings a day (half of that should
be whole grains like oatmeal, cornmeal, and brown
rice)
One serving of:
Is this much:
Bread
1 slice
Dry cereal
1 cup
Cooked cereal,
rice, or pasta
½ cup
Tortillas
1 six-inch tortilla
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: Preschooler Topics – Which Foods…and How Much? - F
VEGETABLES – Give 1½ -2 cups a day (choose lots of
different colored ones)
FRUIT (INCLUDES JUICE) – Give 1-2 cups a day (juice
should have no sugar added)
MILK (INCLUDES CHEESE AND YOGURT) – Give 2-3 cups
a day (skim or low fat is best)
MEAT, EGGS, BEANS, AND NUTS – Give 3-5 ounces a
day (cut the fat and skin off meat)
One ounce of:
Is this much:
Cooked beans
¼ cup
Egg
1 egg
Peanut butter
1 Tablespoon
Nuts or seeds
½ cup
If your daughter needs five ounces of meat, eggs, beans, or
nuts in a day, don’t make it all from one food (like peanut butter
or eggs). She’ll be getting more different nutrients if she eats
some of everything.
Don’t give her much oil like butter and vegetable oil.
Her body doesn’t need much more than she’ll be
getting in the meats, nuts, and other healthy foods
she eats every day. Oil is fat, and fat has lots of calories.
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: Preschooler Topics – Which Foods…and How Much? - F
Healthy eating and regular exercise is important for the whole
family. It will be easier for your daughter to eat well and get
exercise if she sees you doing it, too. Do these things together:
M Eat many different kinds of foods, not just some
favorites:
M Eat plenty of grains, vegetables, and fruits;
M Eat only a little fat, sugar, and salt;
M Get lots of exercise.
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: Preschooler Topics – Which Foods…and How Much? - F
QU
QUIICK TIME
ME--OU
OUTT GU
GUIIDE
1. EXPLAIN very clearly what will cause a
time-out: hitting, biting, name-calling, etc.
2. PICK A QUIET PLACE for the time-out: a
safe place away from toys, books, TV,
games, music, and other people.
3. CALMLY EXPLAIN what your child did to
cause the time-out. Do it on the way to
the time-out spot.
4. USE A TIMER that is close enough for your
preschooler to see. A time-out should
only last one minute for each year of age.
5. GIVE A HUG when the time-out is done.
Tell him you love him and understand
how he feels. Then talk quietly with him
about different ways he could have acted
to keep the time-out from happening.
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: Preschooler Topics – A Guide for Time-outs - M
Easy Craft Clay
Clay might look like an ugly lump but it’s a terrific toy. Playing
with it makes your preschooler’s finger and hand muscles
stronger. It also gives her a chance to use her imagination. And
she’ll be proud when she makes something all by herself.
Set aside some time with your little girl and have fun making
some special art pieces like toys, wall hangings, vases and
bowls, refrigerator magnets—anything you can think of.
EASY CRAFT CLAY RECIPE
You’ll need:
M
M
M
M
M
A medium-sized saucepan;
A zip-lock plastic bag;
A 1 pound box of baking soda (2 cups);
1 cup of cornstarch;
1 ¼ cups of cold water.
Mix the baking soda, cornstarch, and water together in the saucepan.
Stir constantly over medium heat for 10-15 minutes. If you overcook it,
the clay will crack when it hardens.
Dump the clay out onto a plate, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it
cool. Any clay that you don’t use right away can be stored up to a week
in a zip-lock plastic bag.
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: Preschooler Topics – Easy Craft Clay - F
Now let’s make something.
D STEP 1: You can roll the dough out and cut
out shapes with cookie cutters. Or you can
just use your fingers to squeeze and fiddle
until the clay becomes a work of art!
If you want to make two pieces stick together, sprinkle a
little water on both pieces, scratch them to make them
rough, and then press the two pieces together;
D STEP 2: Dry the artwork overnight on a wire rack.
You can also quick-dry it. Preheat the oven to the
lowest setting and then turn it off. Put the
artwork on a cookie sheet and dry it in the oven
for 10-15 minutes;
D STEP 3: Paint it with acrylic paints to add color (if
you want to). When the paint is totally dry, put
on a coat of clear acrylic to protect your
daughter's priceless creation.
Parent Tip
No matter what your daughter makes—
even if it just looks like a lump of clay—it
will be special to her. And the time you
spend together will make memories that
will last a lifetime.
©HFSA Healthy Children...Healthy Families 37-72: Preschooler Topics – Easy Craft Clay - F