The eight-year-old child is a relatively calm period. The first difficulties of the school are behind, a turbulent childhood, when an eye and an eye were needed, was replaced by the expectation of a transition to adolescence. The child is no longer as aggressive and does not experience the patience of his parents as much as a year or two ago. Of course, at this age, there are pitfalls, so you need to be very responsible in raising a child.
The development of a child at 8 years old (what he should know and be able to)
The little man can already solve his current problems. Now he folds his briefcase himself, dines, takes a bath or shower, makes a bed, dresses according to the weather. Eight-year-old children, with proper upbringing, are already good helpers in the house - from cleaning their toys to working with a vacuum cleaner. Girls can sew a button with pleasure, and boys do something with dad or older brother. You can say - your baby has become a little self-sufficient man.
Eating a child at 8
For primary school students, it is very important to organize proper nutrition. And this means that the food must have the necessary balance of nutrients - proteins, fats, carbohydrates. In order for the body to develop harmoniously, at the age of 8 years, he must receive 2400 kcal per day. This fully compensates for the rather high energy costs. Milk, fish, eggs - these are mandatory products to provide the necessary amount of protein. Proteins are best consumed with vegetable dishes, so they are better absorbed. Fats - animal and vegetable, are also found in nuts, oily seeds.
Carbohydrates are potatoes, cereals, and confectionery. Try to limit the amount of sweet food, and put more emphasis on vegetables and fruits, cereals, honey. Particular attention should be paid to vitamins. The number of meals per day is 4-5 times, every three to four hours. If you distribute the entire menu for the whole day, then for breakfast and dinner you can take 25%, for lunch and afternoon tea - 40 and 10%, respectively. Heavier and more nutritious meals are best served in the morning. The daily menu should include cheese, egg, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, milk and cottage cheese.
The regimen of a child's day at 8 years
At 8 years old, the child is still actively growing and developing. The child’s body only seems to be an adult, but in fact it is very fragile, needs rest and enough sleep. The load at school increases, and many children live only in their studies, not noticing anything around them. He moves much less, sitting out for lessons most of the day, and in the evening he also sits behind a TV or computer. So that a sedentary lifestyle does not negatively affect the development of the spine and skeleton as a whole, do your best to warm up.
A sedentary lifestyle is more harmful to children than adults. A two-hour walk in the fresh air is required. Sometimes eight-year-old children complain of pain in the limbs. This can be attributed to the rapid growth of the child. Such pains are characteristic of active or full children. In the evening, you should not allow the child to sit at the computer. It’s better to get into the habit of going to bed at the same time, performing a certain ritual with brushing your teeth before going to bed, and also oversleeping in the morning according to the daily routine.
Lessons with a child at 8 years old
As at any age, eight-year-olds must perform physical exercises. School physical education makes this easier - in elementary school, children attend classes and sports sections with pleasure. Much attention is also paid to psychological and intellectual development. Children work out many skills, consider geometric shapes, learn to classify them according to the shape of the base, place them on the plane in different ways, and develop modeling skills.
The simplest exercise can be used during the holidays before grade 2 - sets of figures and intersecting circles-hoops of red and white are used. It is necessary to attach round figures to the red circle, and to place all red figures that are not round into the white circle - this is how spatial thinking and knowledge of volumetric figures and colors are worked out. Costal figures are placed in the intersecting area. The host should ask - why in this place and this figure is attached. The one who makes fewer mistakes wins. The same game can be repeated for square figures, as well as any others, or mix all the figures and complicate the rules.
Games and toys for children at 8 years old
Does an eight-year-old child need toys? This is a very interesting question that every modern family asks itself. The world has changed. Today's children depend on toys more than 30-40 years ago, and toys have changed externally and internally. Modern industry offers a wide range of new, smart toys that only complement the assortment of eternal bears, dolls and cars. But psychologists stand their ground - for an 8-year-old child, they still have not come up with anything better than plasticine. Good old constructor and checkers. Modeling so well develops children that after a while even the developmental delay can be corrected. This wonderful material can be used not only for elementary school students, but even until old age.
But on what it would be worthwhile to dwell in more detail - this is about what toys are considered today potentially dangerous. First of all, this is a dart that can be easily injured. Hard to count. How many children hurt them, but this is a very large amount. What to do. When does the child forgive her? Do not buy. Try to interest him in something else, without focusing attention. What other toys are not toys for children? These are the ones that cause aggression - killer robots, bugs. Mutants after the atomic explosion, horrors and horror stories. Psychologists emphasize - such toys cause stress, increased irritability, neurosis, insomnia in children.
Do not buy anatomical toys - anatomy takes place in high school, when the human psyche is already stronger and can adequately respond. Not every child is able to digest information, for example, about the internal organs of a person, this is similar to psychological violence. Adults, not knowing such nuances themselves, try to buy toys rather for themselves, and then they don’t recognize their children and don’t understand what the problems are. Psychologists caution - the task of parents is not to satisfy personal interest, but to think about the development of the child is adequate to his age.
Modern toys parody processes more than teach, so it’s best to try to keep your child busy with physical games, preferably in the fresh air. In winter, it is better to use board games of a developing nature - backgammon, chess, logic, as well as sports games in which children move around the table to the maximum - table football, hockey, billiards and tennis. Such games will captivate both children and adults, and perfectly rally the whole family at the gaming table, working out the team spirit and the will to win.
Raising a child at 8
Sometimes primary school students do not sleep well at night - the emotional overload of a growing organism is affected. Do not let this out of your attention, constantly talk with children, help solve problems that make them worry. Try to slow down the rhythm of life before going to bed, take a quiet walk before bedtime in the air, so that all the accumulated energy for the day is spent, and the child falls asleep better. The schedule is quite complicated, the relations in the team have improved, the teacher has become her own, but the psyche of the baby has not yet fully strengthened. Let the baby share with you all the secrets, problems and troubles. Let him make the decision himself, just talk to him like an adult, and approve of him.
An eight-year-old child is moving away from his parents, and it will take a lot of tact to maintain contact. It is very difficult to maintain a balance here - a kind of balance between excessive interference in his life and imperceptible help, an urge to independence.
At this age, you need to instill respect for elders, family, your clan. The child should know that it is necessary to reckon with the opinion of family members and, above all, parents. While you still have influence on the child, but very soon, you will have to reap the benefits of this upbringing.
Useful Tips for Parents
True friend
From time to time, the child wants to visit his friend. It can be classmates or neighbors on the porch, or it can be the best friend to whom he believes all his secrets. This is a very important stage when an experience of trusting a person who is not a close family member arises. Sincerity and mutual assistance in this friendship can be a serious test for parents, as friends become very important for your grown-up baby. For the time being, you remain the main ones in the life of the child, and the so-called “street” remains on secondary roles. Share with your child attention, warmth and care, using a system of emotional rewards, but leave the material for extreme cases.
Praise and encouragement: what to praise for?
Remember that all children are talented, and you can definitely find something. What your child is doing better. Try to find this talent and develop it, encourage any movement to self-expression. Praise the baby for any merit that he receives at school, a victory in sports games. Psychologists advise such a technique - an advance in praise (“I believe in you!”), Which the child is trying to justify - “You will surely succeed!”, “You will succeed!” - Such phrases increase self-esteem and affirm faith in one's own strength.
Visit to a doctor or psychologist
During a conversation with a psychologist, do not hide the following facts from him:
- during the lesson he is hyperactive, extremely restless, which prevents him from keeping his attention during the lessons;
- pathologically low reading speed, poor memory, lack of interest in learning;
- inability to establish contact with peers, frequent conflicts.
Pay attention to how much the child is able to communicate with other family members - a brother or sister, and whether there are difficulties in communicating with children in the classroom. Be sure to show the child to the doctor if he has nightmares, nervous tics are present. Observed aggressive behavior or fears. Sometimes a neurosis provokes children into conflicts, the rejection of all sorts of compromises. The psychologist will outline a program for correcting mental development - and it will be much easier for you and the child to cope with problems.
