Caring for your school-age child: ages 5 to 12

From the American Academy of Pediatrics, the most up-to-date advice for mothers, fathers, and caregivers of school-age children

You’ve outgrown the baby books—but your school-age child needs your guidance and support more than ever.

During the ages of 5 to 12, children continue to grow and develop skills and habits that will impact their future health and well-being. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the trusted organization that represents the nation’s top pediatricians, presents this revised and updated age-specific guide to help your children thrive during these formative years.

A child’s school years, while exciting, bring new transitions. A comprehensive resource, Caring for Your School-Age Child includes advice on:

• Your child’s emotional, physical, behavioral, and social development
• The best ways to encourage good nutrition and physical fitness
• Gender-specific issues facing boys and girls as they approach adolescence, including the stages of puberty
• Your child’s media use, including screen time, electronic devices, and internet use and safety
• Effective discipline, behavior problems, temper tantrums, and optimal nurturing
• Promoting independence and fostering resilience through balanced expectations 
• Safety and injury prevention, plus handling emergency situations
• School issues including promoting good homework skills and social dynamics, and dealing with school problems and learning disabilities
• Talking to your child about self-esteem, puberty, being shy, and dealing with prejudice
• Family matters, including divorce, stepfamilies, adoption, sibling rivalry, working-parent households, and childcare
• Understanding your child’s inborn temperament—and how it affects the child-parent relationship
• And much more, including a complete health encyclopedia covering injuries, illnesses, and chronic medical conditions such as asthma and diabetes

Caring for Your School-Age Child is an essential childcare resource—recommended by pediatricians and trusted by parents.