Characteristics of 5-Year-Old Child, Physical Changes, Development And Psychology

We explain what 5-year-olds are like, their physical development and behavior. In addition, what are its characteristics and feeding.

What is a 5 year old child like?

A 5-year-old child is already far from the behaviors and limitations of a baby . He is fully aware of himself as an individual endowed with a particular body , mind and emotions . They are capable of assuming greater amounts of responsibility and making autonomous decisions.

The 5 years are an important age in the formation of the child. He begins to be interested in more complex and abstract ideas , such as death, origin and destiny. In general, they have a more docile and collaborative behavior compared to previous stages.

Physical changes

Five-year-olds reach average heights of 106.4 cm (boys) and 105.95 cm (girls).

Their average weight is 18.03 kg (boys) and 17.4 kg (girls).

Their bodies generally become more slender and elongated.

This allows them to perform better physically , with greater precision and greater mastery of their movements.

Development indicators

Some of the indicators of healthy development at this stage are:

• It exhibits great agility. You can jump, swing, do somersaults, etc.
• Has fine motor skills. He can use the tableware with little trouble, as well as brush his teeth, draw proficiently, and write some letters.
• He perceives the everyday reality around him. Understands everyday objects such as money , utensils, kitchen, and can count or list up to 10 or more objects.
• He has a group of friends. He talks about his friends, he wants to please them, he wants to be like them and he is aware of the rules of the group. Is able to visit a close neighbor friend on his own.
• He is self-aware. He knows his sexual gender, he can perfectly say his name and he knows his address.

Psychology

According to Piaget's theory of learning and the acquisition of knowledge , the 5-year-olds are at the very heart of the Pre-Operational Stage (2 to 7 years of age). In it, the child learns to put himself in the place of others , that is, he discovers that others see and think in the same way as him.

At this stage he can empathize, lie and ironize , which represents a very important change in the child's mentality. Children of this age usually speak and reason in a similar way to an adult, with a clear grip on reality but with an insatiable curiosity.

They tend to constantly ask questions and are interested in how things and the world work , as well as the life of their parents before their birth. This is how they discover transcendental issues such as death and birth.

Social behavior

In general , growth and maturation can be seen in the 5-year-old child, which clearly distinguishes him from his previous stages. He is more willing to socialize, more interested in knowing his parents, and not only in receiving their affection. At the same time, the attachment for them will be enormous.

The child enjoys group games , in which he is active and participative. At this stage he experiences his greatest mental ebullience until adolescence : he wants to know everything, he questions everything, and he is capable of immersing himself in abstract reflections, in which the guidance of his parents is key, since he can be frightened by what he discovers.

Sleep and food

The nutritional needs of the child at this stage do not vary much from the previous one, since their growth is gradual but constant . Depending on the time of weaning, he may still ask his mother to breastfeed him in times of vulnerability, stress, or before he falls asleep.

As for sleep, there are usually no nocturnal awakenings . However, it is possible that the intense cognitive activity in your head keeps you awake, especially if some of those ideas make you afraid, like the death of the parents, etc.

Developed language

This is the stage of maximum development of the child's language . Now he is able to make jokes or games (verbal nonsense), and he is fascinated by new words. For this reason, he often questions meanings and is interested in the relationships of language .

Profanity is also included in your interest . They begin to seem familiar and funny, especially those linked to the eschatological functions of the body.

Changes in the teeth

Children of this age may lose their first baby teeth , although this process usually begins at age 6. A visit to the dentist is advisable to get a perspective of the child's dental future, taking into account the family history. Between this age and 6 or 7 orthodontic treatments can be started.

How to treat it?

At this stage it is vital that adults encourage him to participate in group dynamics , and take an interest in his intimate, social and personal world. It is likely that he becomes obsessed with some kind of knowledge (such as dinosaurs or planets ). His parents can accompany him in his investigations, encourage him and guide him towards suitable books, movies or games.

Discipline will be a fundamental element in the upbringing of the child, who, despite his docility, will sometimes be willing to disobey his parents. Ideally, he should be taught firmly but patiently and lovingly , especially if in earlier stages he was not taught to respect the feelings of others.

Warning signs

It will be advisable to consult a specialist if the child:

• Is excessively fearful, aggressive or insecure.
• He is excessively distractible and shows an inability to concentrate for periods longer than 5 minutes.
• He avoids other children and adults , refuses to participate in group games, and seems sad or depressed all the time.
• Does not express a wide range of emotions.
• Does not understand simple instructions that contain prepositions.
• You have trouble getting dressed or undressed, brushing your teeth, or washing and drying your hands.
• He cannot correctly say his first and last name, or use plurals when speaking.
• He is unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy.

Tips to stimulate their development

• It's a good idea to get involved in your child's imaginative world, participate in his interests, and make him feel that his ideas are valid and his thoughts respectable.
• The child will be fully aware of the passage of time at 5 years old, and the idea of death will begin to haunt his head. It is not a bad idea to have a reassuring talk with him, and also buy him a pet.
• The school that the child will enter (usually at age 6) should be chosen based on the economic and social factors of the family, but also on the strengths and weaknesses of the child.

The above content published at Collaborative Research Group is for informational and educational purposes only and has been developed by referring reliable sources and recommendations from technology experts. We do not have any contact with official entities nor do we intend to replace the information that they emit.