--- title: "6 Year Well Visit: Information for Parents & Caregivers" slug: "6-year-well-visit-information-for-parents-caregivers-1" updated: 2026-02-05T15:59:11Z published: 2026-02-05T15:59:11Z canonical: "healthhub.cpcmg.net/6-year-well-visit-information-for-parents-caregivers-1" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://healthhub.cpcmg.net/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # 6 Year Well Visit: Information for Parents & Caregivers ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/a196e2c1-0707-4b9f-8164-e8201c779cd7/Images/Documentation/image-9F1M81PG.png) [![Appointment Info](https://cdn.us.document360.io/a196e2c1-0707-4b9f-8164-e8201c779cd7/Images/Documentation/1650055438388-1650055438388.png)](/v1/docs/appointments-and-contact-information) [![Care Decision Info](https://cdn.us.document360.io/a196e2c1-0707-4b9f-8164-e8201c779cd7/Images/Documentation/1654467115781-1654467115781.png)](https://www.rchsd.org/wait-times/what-type-of-care-does-my-child-need/)

DISCLAIMER: This material is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it. It is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor does it replace the advice or counsel of a doctor or health care professional. Reference to a specific commercial product, service, or external web site does not imply endorsement or recommendation of that product, service, or external web site content by CPCMG. We attempt to keep lists of resources and referrals as up to date as possible; however, this information is constantly changing. Please check with the service provider and your insurance company to verify coverage.

 **Visit our Health Hub at** [**https://healthhub.cpcmg.net**](https://healthhub.cpcmg.net) **to learn more about your child’s health, wellness, and development. Available 24/7!** #### How Your family is Doing - **Take time for yourself** and to be with your partner. - **Stay connected** to friends, your personal interests, and work. - Have **regular playtimes and mealtimes** together as a family. - Give your child hugs. **Show your child how much you love them.** - Show your child **how to handle anger well, have time alone, talk respectfully, and participate in activities.** - **Stop hitting, biting, and fighting right away.** - Help your child **deal with conflict.** - Help your child **do things for themself**. - **Model Good Behavior**.Young children love to imitate their parents/caretakers. - **Don’t smoke or use e-cigarettes**. Keep your home and car smoke-free. - **Don’t use alcohol or drugs.** - If you’re **worried** about a family member’s use, let us know, or reach out to local or online resources that can help. - If you are **worried** about your living or [food situation](/v1/docs/nutrition-resources-for-families), talk with us. - Community agencies and programs such as **WIC and SNAP** can also provide information and assistance. #### Your Growing and Changing Child - Children at this age are **imaginative**, **get along well with friends** their own age, and have **lots of energy.** - They can **tell what’s real and what’s make-believe** and are more likely to agree with rules and be **more independent**. - They **speak clearly** and can **tell a simple story** using full sentences, and can **say name and address**. - 6 year old are **able to dress and undress themselves, understand rules in a game, and brush their own teeth**. - Some children still **wet the bed** at night. - **Use correct terms** for all body parts and teach your child how to be safe with other adults. - Be aware of **puberty and body changes** in your child (typically after 8 years old). - They may pay **more attention to friendship and teamwork.** - **Show affection** for your child and recognize their accomplishments. - [CDC’s Milestone Tracker](https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html) is a useful app (iOS and Android and on the web) to read about stages of your child’s development, for ages 2 months to 5 years. - **FREE behavioral and developmental assessments** are available. - San Diego County residents through the **First 5 Programs** (888) 534-7785 or [First5sandiego.org](http://First5sandiego.org). - Southern Riverside residents through the **Healthy Steps Programs** (858) 966-8300 or [Healthysteps.org](http://Healthysteps.org). - Riverside and San Bernardino Counties are also served by **Inland Regional Center** (909) 890-4763 or [https://www.inlandrc.org/./acc](https://www.inlandrc.org/./acc) #### Your Child’s Feelings and Mental Health - Children at this age may show more independence for parents and family, - They may start to think more about the future, and understand more about **their place in the world**. - All children **feel stress** sometimes. **Talk with your child** about school, friends and things he looks forward to in the future. - They may show rapid development of mental skills, learn better ways to describe experiences and talk about thoughts and feelings. - They may have less focus on themselves and more concern for others. - Answer your child’s questions simply and **talk about what worries** your child. - **If your child seems sad, anxious, irritated, hopeless, or angry for more than two weeks, talk to their healthcare provider.** #### Behavior and Discipline - **Family routines** create a sense of safety and security for your child. - **Teach your child what is right and what is wrong.** - **Be positive and enthusiastic** when your child is **kind to others.** - **The most powerful way to reinforce good behavior is attention.** - Decide on some **acceptable ways of expressing feelings** in your family such as **walking** around the room or **taking a deep breath**. - Create a “**calming space**” where anyone in the family can go to **take a break and cope with big feelings**. - **Model calm behavior for your child**. - Listen to and treat your child with **respect**. - **Don’t spank, hit, slap, threaten, insult, humiliate or shame** to correct your child’s behavior. - **Fear, pain or distress make learning harder** for your child and do not help children feel loved, safe and respected in their family. - Talk about **choices in difficult situations,** what are the good and bad options, and what might come next depending on how they decide to act. - **Encourage** internalization of **family rules** by asking about them. - If your child asks for more computer time when his time is already done, ask them: - “How much time do you get each day?” - “How much time have you had today?” - “When can you have more time?” - If your child expresses frustration or disagreement about the rule, **acknowledge their feelings and offer empathy while staying committed to the rule**. - I know you love your computer time, and it is hard… You’ll have more time tomorrow”. - Talk about reasonable consequences for not following the rules. **Make the consequences as logical as possible.** - For example, if your child uses a toy in a way that is not allowed, the toy is removed for a period of time. - Provide a balance of **privileges and responsibilities**, giving children more privileges when they follow rules of good behavior #### Nutrition **Mealtimes should be a pleasant time for the family.** - **Eat together as a family.** - Eating meals together can help strengthen the bond among family members and exchange conversations and thoughts! - Have your child **help plan**, prepare, set up and serve food. - Have **designated areas** of eating. - **Don’t eat in the car, in front of the TV or while using electronic devices**. - Let your child decide **how much to eat**. If they eat less at a meal, they will make it up at another meal. Model healthy eating - Think **“5210”** Every Day! - **5** or more servings of **fruits & vegetables** - **2** hours or less recreational **screen time** - **1** hour or more of **physical activity** - **0** **sugary** drinks. Give **more water** & low-fat milk **Important Vitamins and Nutrients** - [Calcium:](/v1/docs/building-strong-bones) Builds **strong bones**. Calcium is commonly found in dairy products, sardines, broccoli, kale, and enriched orange juice. - [Vitamin D:](/v1/docs/vitamin-d-for-children-and-adolescents) Helps keep **bones strong** and supports **many bodily functions**. Most children’s multivitamins will contain the recommended 600 IU per day. Vitamin D is found in milk, yogurt, cheese, salmon, tuna, mushrooms, egg yolk, and fortified cereals. - [Iron:](/v1/docs/iron-rich-food-and-drink-options) **Helps keep blood and growth and development healthy. Iron** is found in eggs, chicken, leafy greens, red meat, beans, and fortified grains like breads and cereals. **Food Assistance** - [**2-1-1**](https://211ca.org/) is an organization that helps families **connect** with food assistance programs such as CalFresh, local and regional food banks, emergency food services, Women Infant Children (WIC) program and more. Contact them at [211sandiego.org/resources/food-assistance/](http://211sandiego.org/resources/food-assistance/) OR dial 2-1-1 from any phone. - Some families may **qualify for assistance** in purchasing food for children up to age 5. For more information on the WIC program please ask your doctor or contact WIC directly - **WIC San Diego** [http://sandiegowic.org/](http://sandiegowic.org/) 1-800-500-6411 - **WIC Riverside** [https://www.ruhealth.org/wic](https://www.ruhealth.org/wic) 1-800-472-2321 #### Reading and Electronic Media **Read daily** to your child. - Use books to **talk together**. **Ask your child questions** about the story or pictures. - Let them **“tell”** the story. - **Limit daily screen time to less than** **2 hours** total. - Turn **off** screens at least **1 hour before bedtime** to help with better sleep. - Limit or **reduce media exposure** (including playing with electronic toys). - **Give high-quality** programming and always **avoid violent** content. - Good alternatives to TV are **reading, hobbies and physical activity**. - Put your family computer and other electronic devices in a place that you can **easily monitor** your child’s use. - **Check the internet history regularly** to monitor your child’s choices. - **Do not have electronic media in your child’s bedroom**- this includes a TV, DVD player, video game, computer, and cell phone. - **Waituntil8th** ([https://www.waituntil8th.org/digital-training](https://www.waituntil8th.org/digital-training)): details a growing movement centered around delaying permission of personal smartphone use for a child until 8th grade. This movement has a strong backing by child psychologists and parents nationwide. Please speak to your child's doctor about why this may be important for your child. - Consider making a [**family media plan**](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/fmp/Pages/MediaPlan.aspx). It helps you make rules for media use and balance screen time with other activities, including exercise. #### School **Help your child with school.** - **Talk to your child** about school. - **Read books** with your child about starting school. - **Take your child to see the school and meet the teacher**. - **Create bedtime routines** so they get **10 to 11 hours of sleep**. - Offer them a **healthy breakfast** every morning. - Attend back-to-school night, parent-teacher events, and as many other school events as possible. - Talk with your child and child’s teacher about bullies. - Talk with your child’s teacher if you think your child might need extra help or tutoring. - Make sure your child goes to a **safe place after school**. - If your child has disabilities or special health care needs, be active in the **Individualized Education Program** process. - **Praise your child** for doing things well at school. - Set a routine and make a **quiet place for doing homework**. - Get **involved in your child's school** and stay aware of how your child is doing. - If your child is struggling in school or having problems with bullying, **meet with the teacher, counselor, or principal.** - Encourage participation in activities. #### Healthy Habits - **Supervise all outdoor play**, especially near streets and driveways. - Help your child **build lifelong habits** for staying active, enjoying recreation, and learning healthy ways to compete. - **Support trying different activities** instead of focusing on just one sport. - Create opportunities for **daily play**. - **Praise your child** for being active. #### Sleep - [Sleep](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/sleep/Pages/default.aspx) is **important to your child’s overall health**, especially for their immune health, behavior, focusing and mental health. - Your child needs about **10-13 hours** (including naps) in a 24 hour period. - Keep **regular bedtimes** as much as possible including on weekends and holidays. - Bedtime routines should **be consistent** and easy to follow. - Keep the **sleep area safe** and conducive to sleep, avoiding clutter, keeping lights dim and **free from electronic media** (especially no television in the bedroom). - **Avoid any screen time within 60 minutes of bedtime.** #### Healthy Teeth - Schedule **regular visits** with your child’s dentist. - **Brush** your child’s teeth **twice per day** - after breakfast and before bed. - Use a soft bristled toothbrush and a small amount of fluoridated toothpaste. - **Flossing every day** is recommended. - If your child [sucks their thumb](/v1/docs/thumbs-fingers-and-pacifiers), ask their doctor or dentist for advice on how to help them stop. - **Limit** how much sweet and **sugary foods and drinks** your child gets. - Your child’s **permanent (“adult”) teeth** might have already started coming in. These teeth have grooves on them that make them more likely to get cavities - **Fluoride helps protect teeth** from developing cavities. - The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends applying **fluoride varnish** to kids' teeth every 3-6 months, starting when they get their first tooth until they are 5 years old. [Click here for Fluoride Varnish Information](/v1/docs/fluoride-varnish). - To find eligible Medi-Cal dental clinics near you: Call 1-800-322-6384 or visit [Medi-Cal Dental](https://dental.dhcs.ca.gov/) #### Safety - Children are learning to do many things at this age and have boundless energy. - 6 year old’s are **fast learners** and like to **take risks**, but they are still unable to judge what is safe. **Strangers** - Teach your child the **first and last names** of family members. - Teach your child her **address and phone number** and how to contact you at work. Teach your child **never to go anywhere with a stranger.** - Use **correct terms** for all body parts as your child becomes interested in how people differ. - Teach your child that **no adult should tell a child to keep secrets from parents.** - **No adult should show interest in private parts.** - **No adult should ask a child for help with private parts.** - If you feel **unsafe** in your home or have been hurt by someone, l**et us know.** Hotlines and community agencies can also provide confidential help. **Car Safety** - Continue to use a [**car safety seat**](/v1/docs/car-safety-seats-guide). - Everyone should **buckle up** with both lap and shoulder belt on every trip. - Children should remain in a **forward-facing car safety seat** up to that seats weight and length limits. - Children should use a **belt-positioning booster seat** typically until **8 years old** and 4 feet 9 inches (144.8 cm) tall. - **Never put your child in the front seat if your car has an airbag.** - All children should **ride in the back seat until age 13 years.** Never **hold a child on your lap** while riding in the car. **Fires and Burn** - **Check your smoke detector** to make sure it is working. - Keep a **fire extinguisher** in or near the kitchen. - Practice a fire escape plan. - Keep all **electrical appliances out of the bathroom or out of reach,** especially hair straightening and curling irons. - Turn your **water heater down to 120°F** (50°C). **Falls** - Make sure **windows are closed** or have screens that cannot be pushed out. - **Do not allow your child to climb** on ladders, chairs, or cabinets. - **Lock doors** to dangerous areas like the **basement or garage**. - Make sure drawers, all furniture, televisions and lamps are **anchored to the wall** when possible and can't fall over. **Pedestrian and Safety During Activities** - Always **supervise street crossing.** - Children are **not ready to cross the street alone** until 10 years or older. - Teach your child to always **stop at the curb** and look in both directions. - Your child and all family members should **use a bicycle helmet,** even when riding a tricycle. - Purchase a bicycle that fits your child well. **Don't buy a bicycle that is too big for your child.** - Your child’s first bicycle should have **coaster brakes**, hand brakes may be too difficult to use correctly at this age. - **Provide a properly fitting helmet and safety gear** for riding scooters, biking, skating, in-line skating, skiing, snowboarding, and horseback riding. - **Trampolines are NOT RECOMMENDED** and a significant cause of injury in children. - **Monitor your child if they do play on a trampoline.** - **Only one person** at time can jump. - Make sure **you have netting** around your trampoline. **Water Safety and Sun Protection** - **Watch your child constantly** when they are around the bathtub, jacuzzi, pool or any other **body of water** outside the house. - **Supervise your child** around any water (pool, lake, stream or ocean). - Make sure your child **learns to swim**. Never let your child swim alone. - Teach your child **never to dive in the water** unless an adult has checked the depth of the water. - **Be sure the swimming pool in your home, apartment complex or community has a surrounding fence and self closing and self latching gate.** - **Protect your child from the sun** with clothing, a hat, other covering, and sunscreen of **15 SPF** or higher. **Poisonings** - Keep all medicines, vitamins, cleaning fluids, and other chemicals **locked away**. - Pay special attention to **laundry pods and dishwasher pods**- these are brightly colored and very dangerous if ingested. - Never present medications/vitamins as **“candy”** to young children. - Keep the **poison center** number on all phones **1-800-222-1222 or 9-1-1**. - Even small amounts of [**lead**](/v1/docs/lead-is-a-poison) can **hurt** your child's health and **brain development**. - **Take away toys and jewelry** that could have **lead**. - **Look up recalls** on a website called [Consumer Product Safety Commission](https://www.cpsc.gov/). **Firearm Safety** - **Remove guns** from the home. - If you do have a gun, **store it unloaded** and in a **locked** cabinet. - **Store ammunition in a separate location.** #### Immunizations - Vaccines are safe and effective, and **proven to save lives**. - The **routinely recommended vaccines** at this well visit are: - During flu season (approximately August through March), we recommended your child receive a flu vaccine. - To learn about COVID vaccines, please see the [recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/when-can-kids-get-the-COVID-vaccine-or-booster.aspx). - **It is safe** for your child to be given all recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the [American Academy of Pediatrics](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/immunizations/Pages/Recommended-Immunization-Schedules.aspx). - If you have concerns about vaccines, please **talk to your child’s primary healthcare provider** for accurate information. - Learn more about recommended immunizations from the [American Academy of Pediatrics](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/immunizations/Pages/Recommended-Immunization-Schedules.aspx). - **Common side effects** from vaccines - Fever - can be treated with [acetaminophen](/v1/docs/acetaminophen-tylenol-dose-chart) or [ibuprofen](/v1/docs/ibuprofen-advil-motrin-dosage-table). - Soreness - can be treated with [ibuprofen](/v1/docs/ibuprofen-advil-motrin-dosage-table) or cool compress. - Swelling at injection site - can be treated with cool compress. - **For more details, visit the** [**Immunizations**](https://healthhub.cpcmg.net/docs/cpcmg-vaccines) **section on Health Hub.** #### What to Expect at the 7-Year-old Well Visit - Your child should have an annual **Well Visit** with their primary care provider. Bring your child's immunization card to all visits. - We understand that it is not possible to address all concerns at the annual Well Visit. - We are here for you between Well Visits! - For health conditions, illnesses, mental health and behavioral health, and other concerns between Well Visits, please schedule an appointment with your child’s primary care provider. ## 📚 References This content was adapted from [HealthyChildren.org](https://www.healthychildren.org/) and [Bright Futures](https://www.aap.org/en/practice-management/bright-futures/bright-futures-family-centered-care/). Reviewed by SC MD, JW MD Patient Education Committee.