3 Years
Help me be healthy
At this checkup:
- I will be weighed and measured.
- I will have my hearing and vision checked.
- I may have a blood test to see that I am healthy.
- I may be checked for lead poisoning.
the doctor or nurse will want to know what new things I can do, what my sleeping habits are, and what I eat. - If I have missed any immunizations, I should have them now.
Now that my teeth are in, it's time to have my first visit to the dentist.
Play with me. It helps me learn.
- Show me how to take things apart and put them back together again. Be sure pieces are big enough so I won't choke on them.
- Take me to the library to check out some books.
- Take me outside. Show me how to run and throw a ball. Teach me the things that are better to do outside rather than in the house.
- Teach me how to describe how things feel. Show me what is soft, sticky, hard, rough, and furry.
- Write down the stories that I tell. Read them back to me.
- Play a game with me of matching colors.
- Help me learn to pick up my toys and put them where they belong.
- Take me to a play group or invite a child who is about my age to my house so we can play together.
Help me learn to do what you want.
When I need to do something, tell me and show me what I should do. If I throw a doll at my sister because I want to play with her game, I need to know why I should not throw the doll.
I also need to learn that I can't have what I want all the time. Tell me "Please don't throw the doll. It could hurt someone. You could use the blocks to make a house for the doll. You can play the game when your sister finishes."
Yelling or spanking me will not help me learn what you want me to do.
Praise me when I am doing what you want me to do. Telling me that you like the good things that I do will help me learn quickly. Hug me to show that you are happy about what I am doing. I like to please you. This discipline works better than punishing me.
Help me be safe.
- Try to keep all plants out of my reach. If I do eat any parts of a plant, call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-848-6946. Some plants are poisonous.
- Keep the trash inside a latched cabinet or in a place where I cannot get into it. Don't let me reach for anything in the trash. I could find can lids, food, plastic bags, and many other dangerous items.
- If I have a swing and slide, are they safe and sturdy for me to use?
Watch for me to:
- build a tower with at least six blocks.
- talk in sentences that have three or four words in them. About half of the time you can under stand what I say.
- point to and tell you about the pictures in my favorite books.
- put an easy puzzle together.
- brush my teeth with your help.
- throw a ball overhand.
You may notice that I also:
- sing songs by myself.
- don't take a nap every day.
- know the difference in what words mean -- like the difference between go and stop, yes and no, cold and hot, up and down.
- Know what belongs to me.
I am growing at my own pace. I do some things a little early and some things a little late. If we already know that I have a disability or delay that prevents me from doing some of these things now, understand that I will probably be able to do these later on. It will just take me a little longer to learn how to do these.
If I am going to be in a child care program, check out this information on selecting quality child care.