3 Year Visit

Feeding

A three year old’s diet tends to revolve around carbohydrates, but conintue to strive for 4-5 servings of fruits or veggies a day. Avoid offering favorites foods at meal time, rather, encouraging them to eat what is served. Eat meals as a family. Continue to provide your child 16-24 ounces of milk per day and offer nutritious snacks.

Oral Health

Use a toothbrush with non-fluoride toothpaste to clean your child’s teeth. Your child should be getting fluoride, either from your tap water or as a prescription supplement. Your child should see a dentist twice yearly.

Sleep

Resistance to bedtime may persist, but continue with a night time routine, including putting him or her to bed awake.

Night terrors- a sleeping child screaming out in the middle of the night- are common at this age, as are nightmares.

Safety

A car seat with a five point harness should be used if your child weighs less than forty pounds. Children greater than forty pounds should be in a belt adjusting booster seat.

Introduce the concept of strangers. Although there may be normal genital curiosity, the concepts of personal privacy, good touch and bad touch can also be introduced.

Use bike helmets. Use sunscreen daily. Recheck home safety; be sure poisons, medicines, matches, and weapons are locked up.

If there is an accidental ingestion call Poison Control (1800 222 1222); do not use Syrup of Ipecac.

Activities

Give your child individual attention while singing songs, reading interactively, coloring, and finger painting together. Allow time for self play and self expression. Your child will enjoy exploration and large muscle group physical activity. Limit screen time to 1-2 hours per day.

Encourage your child to be verbally expressive by listening to their thoughts and feelings.

Three year olds learn by modeling, therefore model good behavior by displaying good manners and using proper speech.

Provide your child with choices, yet reinforce limits using time out when needed. Praise good behaviors.

Behavior

Help your child learn to resolve conflicts with peers and siblings. Continue to help them learn about their feelings, how they express them and how their actions affect other’s feelings. Continue to be a good model.

illness

Signs of illness may include fever, failure to eat, vomiting, diarrhea, irritability, lethargy, rash, or cough. If your child experiences one of these symptoms or you are concerned, feel free to call our office for advice or an appointment.

Developmental Milestones

Verbal: 3-4 word phrases, 75% understandable by stranger

Social: Knows name and age

Gross motor: Jumps, kicks ball, rides tricycle (with helmet)

Fine motor: Copies circle