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3-5: Preschoolers

Preschool Development

Want to know what developmental milestones your preschooler should be hitting? Check this page for all the physical skills, social skills, and cognitive thinking milestones your child should be hitting from 3-4 years. Check this page for all the physical skills, social skills, and cognitive thinking milestones your child should be hitting from 4-5 years. If you have questions or concerns about the pace of your child’s development, contact your pediatrician.

As your child reaches preschool age, he/she will be learning to become more independent. This independence may manifest itself as belligerence, rebellion, or other generally out-of-bounds behavior. During this time, you will need to communicate with your child about rules, responsibilities, safety, and much more. Want tips on how to deal with your little one?

15 Tips to Survive the Terrible 3’s, Growing Independence: Tips for Parents of Young Children.

Healthy Lifestyle

Your child should now be eating the same foods as the rest of the family. Let your child see you enjoying fruits, vegetables, and whole grains at mealtimes. This will help set a precedence for your child to eat a variety of foods, which will provide a balance of the vitamins your child needs to grow. Avoid overfeeding your child by serving appropriate portion sizes and by not forcing your child to finish everything on the plate. The best drinks for your child are water and milk. If you offer juice, make it 100% fruit juice and limit to 4oz or less per day.

Limit screen time for your child to no more than 1-2 hours per day. Physical activity for preschoolers is very important. The endless amounts of energy that preschoolers have provide the perfect opportunity for them to learn skills that can only be acquired through unstructured play. Your child should have access to age-appropriate play equipment, as well as opportunities to play games/sports outdoors. Make sure to supervise these play periods so that you can keep your child away from dangerous situations. Another way to keep your preschooler active is by establishing weekly family times for physical activity such as hiking, going to the park, or playing catch. Make sure your child gets the recommended amount of sleep each night! It is recommended that children 3-5 years old sleep 10-13 hours (including naps) every 24 hours.

Starting School - Vaccinations

California law requires that all children enrolled in state schools (both public and private) to have certain doctor-recommended immunizations, or receive them when they enroll. Schools generally require proof of vaccinations before your child can attend classes. Vaccinations are the best way to prevent disease outbreaks in school. When parents choose not to vaccinate, they put their children and the entire community at greater risk of severe, vaccine preventable diseases.

Immunizations required to enter preschool/child care (depends on age when enrolling):

  • Polio
  • Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DTaP)
  • Haemophilus influenzae type b
  • Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)
  • Hepatitis B
  • Varicella (Chickenpox)

Immunizations required to enter kindergarten:

  • Polio
  • Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DTaP)
  • Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)
  • Hepatitis B
  • Varicella (Chickenpox)

To learn more about vaccines, check out our page here. Talk to your child’s pediatrician if you have any questions.