8-Year Visit - 8 years features - Guiding Your Child Through The Middle Years

Name: ______________________________
Date Of Visit: _______________________
Weight: _________________________
Height: ______________________

Ask for an update on your child's health
Do a physical exam on your child, including checking for scoliosis and signs of puberty
Check your child’s blood pressure, hearing and vision
Ask about your family’s history of heart disease and test cholesterol levels if indicated
Ask about possible exposure to tuberculosis (TB) and test your child if indicated
Make sure your child's immunizations are up to date
Give you an opportunity to ask questions

Your child's growth and nutrition
Your child's behavior and development
How your child deals with anger or frustration
Your child's sleeping habits
Your child-care arrangements before and after school
Your child's school performance
Any other concerns you have

How school is going for him
Activities or sports he is involved in
What he and his friends do for fun
Questions about growing up, body changes and sex

It is safest for your child to ride in the back seat. Always use a seat belt; use a booster seat with the seat belt until your child is over 4-feet 9-inches tall.
Warn your child about the dangers of tobacco, alcohol and drugs.
Reinforce pedestrian (walking), bicycle, water, playground and stranger safety with your child.
Teach your child how to handle dental emergencies, especially the loss or fracture of a tooth.
Help your child learn healthy eating habits, such as eating five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, and limiting high-fat and sugary foods.
Eat some meals together as a family.
Encourage positive interactions with teachers and other adults.
Make sure your child gets regular physical activity and enough sleep.
Assign age-appropriate chores, including responsibility for personal belongings, and provide some personal space for your child at home.
Limit television, video watching and video games to one hour per day. Watch programs with your child and discuss them.
Encourage reading and hobbies.
Know your child's friends and their families.

Schedule an appointment for your child's next visit, usually at 10 years of age.

Based on health supervision guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics and from Bright Futures, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, under the direction of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau.