Want to support your fifth-grader's physical health? Here are some tips that experts suggest.
Physical activity
Physical education
Find out how much physical activity your child is getting each day at school and what sorts of activities they are doing in gym class or at recess. This will give you a better understanding of their overall level of physical activity.
Family activities
School districts vary widely in the amount of physical education they offer, so it’s especially important for parents to encourage physical activity and model good behavior. Organize family activities that incorporate physical activity, such as walks and bike rides. Outdoor chores such as raking leaves or shoveling are a good way to squeeze exercise into a busy weekend.
Toys
Encourage physical activity by giving your child toys that require movement, such as a kite, scooter or jump rope.
Explore organized sports
Explore lessons and organized sports for your fifth-grader. These might include gymnastics or ballet classes or soccer or basketball. As your child grows and their physical abilities progress, your child may express an interest in sports that even a year ago were too difficult for her. Expose their to as many options for physical activities and sports as possible. Community organizations like the local YMCA often offer affordable and kid-friendly yoga or Tae Kwon Do classes, for example.
Friendly activity
If you are concerned that your child is not active enough, try to find ways to make physical activity more enjoyable for her. For example, inviting friends over to play outside might motivate her. Or suggesting that you exercise or do yoga together might spark their interest.
Morning commute
One reason that children are less physically active than in previous generations is that fewer and fewer children walk or bike to school. If doing so is a safe alternative for your child, encourage the practice.
Natural ability
It is around this age that some children start to demonstrate natural athletic ability and inclination, while others resist physical activity and start to think of themselves as “not sporty.” Even if your child doesn’t seem to take to sports naturally, encourage your child to try out different activities and to find one that suits her. Some children resist team sports but can excel at individual sports like tennis or track. Make sure you let their sample a variety of sports to find their interest, and think of non-traditional sports, like fencing or archery, that might appeal to her. Reward and encourage persistence, so that even if your child is not a “natural athlete” your child learns to enjoy participating and pushing themselves to improve.
Puberty
With some children starting puberty and beginning to grow more quickly and become stronger than their peers, physical differences among children at different stages of development become more pronounced at around this age. Take this into account when selecting a sport or activity for your child and encourage their to be patient if your child feels your child isn’t as strong or as fast as others. Assure their that their growth spurt is coming soon!
Exercise & self-esteem
Exercise and regular activity help children feel comfortable with their bodies, which becomes especially important with the advent of puberty and its accompanying changes. Make sure your child knows about the changes that will take place in their body when your child goes through puberty—things like sweating more, developing stronger body odor, growing pubic hair, and having acne.
Exercise & academics
The link between physical activity and improved academic performance is becoming increasingly clear. According to a recent report from the Institute of Medicine, children perform cognitive tasks better after participating in a session of physical activity. The report also notes that “frequent bouts of physical activity throughout the day yield short-term benefits for mental and cognitive health.” Encourage your child to take play actively or exercise before doing their homework or studying and to take short active breaks from sedentary activities. For example, if they are getting bogged down on some especially homework difficult problems, suggest that your child clear their head by walking the dog or kicking a ball outside.
Discouraging inactivity
Limit the amount of time your child spends in front of the television or computer monitor. Children who spend a majority of their time engaged in sedentary activities have been found to have poor motor coordination skills. Limit the amount of time that your child remains inactive to no more than an hour at a time.
Hygiene
Personal hygiene
By the time they reach fifth grade many children are ready to take full responsibility for their personal hygiene. However, parents should remain involved and supervise bathing or showering to the extent that they feel is necessary. Especially if the body changes that accompany the onset of puberty have begun, it’s normal for your child to become more modest at around this age and to resist intrusion into their bathroom routine. It’s important to so strike a balance between respecting their privacy and making sure that their body is being cleaned effectively.
Bathing or showering alone
The precise age at which children are ready to bathe or shower on their own varies from child to child. Often, children will indicate that they are ready for more privacy and would prefer to start washing themselves, but the transition is usually gradual and parents will still need to weigh in with advice or to check that everything has been properly cleansed. Some children, especially girls with long hair, might still require help with shampooing or rinsing out conditioner even after they have mastered washing the rest of their body.
Hair washing
Most children do not need to wash their hair every day. How often your child’s hair needs to be washed will depend on a number of factors, including hair length, whether your child is taking part in sports, and whether the hair is curly or straight.
Deodorant
Although many children do not need to use deodorant before puberty, some may have a strong enough body odor that they should start applying deodorant sooner. Especially if your child is taking part in sports and sweats a lot your child may need to start wearing deodorant regularly. Let your nose be your guide.
Menstruation
Many girls start puberty by 10 or even earlier. Talk to your child about what to expect when your child begins menstruating and teach their the importance of good menstrual hygiene.
Oral hygiene
Regular checkups
Your child should see a dentist for regular checkups, just as your child sees a pediatrician regularly. Discuss your child’s oral hygiene with their dentist and ask about measures such as fluoride supplements and dental sealants, which protect your child’s teeth against cavities and decay.
Baby teeth
By the end of fifth grade your child will have lost all or most of their baby teeth and maintaining good oral hygiene habits is more important than ever. Tooth decay and cavities are entirely preventable yet remain widespread and affect children in the United States more than any other chronic infectious disease. Untreated dental problems can become infected, causing pain and problems with eating, speaking, and learning.
Brushing teeth
Your child should be brushing their teeth at least twice a day, and after eating, if possible.
Flossing
Children should be flossing independently every day by around the age of 10, when their manual dexterity is sufficiently developed.
Tooth injuries
See a dentist immediately if your child injures a tooth. Dental injuries are common among children through age 14, and if left untreated can result in severe complications.
Mouth guards
If your child plays a contact sport, your child should wear a mouth guard to protect against dental injury and concussion.
Permanent teeth
If a child’s permanent tooth becomes dislodges due to an injury, place the tooth in a container of milk and seek dental advice as soon as possible. Permanent teeth can sometimes be re-implanted successfully.
Sleep
Consistent schedule
Children are the most rested when they have a consistent sleep schedule. Experts caution that a change to your child’s normal sleep schedule on the weekends can actually make it harder for their to get out of bed when Monday rolls back around. To minimize this grogginess, allow your child to go to bed no more than an hour later than their normal weekday bedtime and sleep in no more than two hours past their usual wake time.
Electronic curfew
Establish an electronic curfew at least 30 minutes prior to your child’s bedtime. Have their store all electronic devises, like video games and tablets, in places outside of their room and avoid putting a television or computer in their bedroom. This will ensure that your child can prepare for sleep without electronic temptations. Model the behavior that you want to see in your child by also turning off your own cell phone and other technological devices.
Sleep budget
Experts recommend sitting down with your child to create a sleep budget for the week. Map out your child’s priorities and activities, including time set aside for homework, meals, and extracurricular commitments. If you notice that their schedule starts to upend their bedtime and cuts into their restful evening of sleep, your child is most likely over-scheduled. Encourage them to cut back on their number of activities and establish realistic expectations for the amount of sleep your child should be getting each night.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant that can prevent your child from falling asleep. Try not to serve soda, iced tea, or other caffeinated beverages any time after your child gets home from school.
Sleepovers
Your child may ask to invite friends over for a sleepover throughout the school year. Despite their name, sleepovers seldom include a lot of restful sleep. To help counteract the drowsiness that your child may feel after a sleepover, experts recommend hosting these events on Friday evenings. This allows for two days of recovery and enables their to go to school refreshed on Monday. If that is not feasible, allow your child to sleep in past their normal wake time the next day and encourage them to go to bed earlier the next evening.
Reward sleep
It is important to send consistent messages about the importance of sleep. Try praising your child after a good night of sleep and avoid using an early bed time as a punishment or a late bed time as a reward.
To learn more, check out our fifth grade physical activity recommendations and physical development pages.
Parent Toolkit resources were developed by NBC News Learn with the help of subject-matter experts, including Dr. Jayne Greenberg, District Director, Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Dr. Natasha Burgert, Pediatrician, Pediatric Associates.