Early Childhood Physical Development: Average Growth
Angela Oswalt, MSWEven though the growth of young children in the Preoperational stage of development has slowed down a bit compared to infancy, early childhood is still a time of tremendous physical changes. During this period, children's bodies change proportions and they start to look more like adults than babies. Arms and legs stretch to catch up and balance out the head and trunk. Children also begin to lose their "baby fat" as they develop sleeker, straighter bodies with the strong muscles necessary for work and play.
On average, young children can expect to grow 2 to 3 inches in height per year. Children's healthy growth is supported by healthy lifestyles. Children should get plenty of exercise and sleep, and eat a balanced diet in order to continue to develop strong muscles and bones and to maintain a healthy weight. Proper nutrition, sleep, and activity guidelines will be covered in the adjoining article on Parenting Skills for Caregivers of Young Children. To be on the safe side, caregivers should take their young children to the pediatrician or family doctor regularly for check-ups to make sure that they are growing appropriately.
Teaching children about healthy lifestyles and promoting a positive body image is vitally important at this age. Obesity is reaching epidemic proportions across the globe, and affects even very young children. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 13.9% of preschool-aged children were obese in 2004, which is an increase from 5% percent in 1974. Furthermore, 18.8% of school-aged children were obese in 2004, which is an increase from 4% in 1974. Obesity in young children can lead to diabetes, as well as increased risk for cardiovascular and other serious health problems in adulthood. Young children who are very overweight may also be teased, bullied, or ignored, which can set the stage for problems with self-esteem, depression, and other mental illnesses.
At the same time that levels of obesity are skyrocketing, youth are being bombarded by highly sexualized messages from the media at increasingly earlier ages. As a result, very young children are becoming more body-conscious and focused on the idea that being attractive and thin is the key to happiness and popularity. Children are dieting with the purpose to lose weight at earlier and earlier ages. Consequently, disordered eating may effect even very young children.
The best way for parents to help children develop healthy lifestyle attitudes and behaviors toward food and exercise is to educate, to model, and to encourage appropriate eating and activity patterns. Continuing to provide children with love and nurturing that builds strong, positive self-images based on attributes other than appearance (e.g., kindness, trying hard, sharing, doing well in sports or school) is also important.
Physical Development: Motor Skills
During early childhood, children continue to expand their repertoire of physical skills, adding to those that were mastered during infancy. Throughout this stage, girls tend to develop slightly faster than boys. As mentioned previously, we are presenting general developmental markers that children achieve at certain ages, but it is perfectly normal for each child to master these skills at different speeds, ages, and in different sequences.
Resources
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Articles
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Development During Early Childhood, Toddler, and Preschool Stages
- Introduction- Development During Early Childhood
- Early Childhood Physical Development: Average Growth
- Early Childhood Physical Development: Gross and Fine Motor Development
- Early Childhood Physical Development: Toilet Training
- Early Childhood Cognitive Development: Introduction
- Early Childhood Cognitive Development: Symbolic Function
- Early Childhood Cognitive Development: Intuitive Thought
- Early Childhood Cognitive Development: Information Processing
- Early Childhood Cognitive Development: Language Development
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Emotional Expressiveness and Understanding
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Reflective Empathy
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Aggression
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Identity and Self-Esteem
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Social Connections
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Social Connections Continued
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Conclusion
- Early Childhood Moral Development
- Early Childhood Moral Development Continued
- Early Childhood Gender Identity and Sexuality
- Early Childhood Gender Identity and Sexuality Continued
- Early Childhood Conclusion
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Parenting Your Todder, Preschooler, and Young Child
- Introduction to Parenting Your Toddler, Preschooler, and Young Child
- Early Childhood Feeding and Nutrition
- Early Childhood Food and Nutrition Continued
- Early Childhood Food and Nutrition Conclusion
- Early Childhood Sleep
- Early Childhood Toilet Training
- Early Childhood Hygiene
- Early Childhood Hygiene Continued
- Early Childhood Exercise
- Early Childhood Love and Nurturing
- Early Childhood: It's Important to Encourage Reading
- Early Childhood Medical Care
- Early Childhood Mental Health Care
- Early Childhood Safety
- Coping with Transitions in Early Childhood: Getting a New Sibling or Remaining an Only Child
- Coping with Transition: in Early Childhood: Going to Daycare
- Coping with Transition: Starting Preschool or Kindergarten and Final Conclusions
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Toilet Training
- Early Childhood Toilet Training Introduction
- The Right Time to Start Toilet Training: Children's Readiness
- The Right Time to Start Toilet Training: Family Readiness and Red Flags
- Pre-Toilet Training in Early Childhood
- Preparing the Space for Toilet Training in Early Childhood
- Toilet Training-Friendly Clothing
- Early Childhood Toilet Training Methods
- Early Childhood Toilet Training Methods Continued
- Early Childhood Toilet Training Methods Conclusion
- How to Deal with Toilet Training Challenges: Travel
- How to Deal with Toilet Training Challenges: Constipation and Fear of Flushing
- Bedwetting, Encopresis and Enuresis, and Conclusions
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Disciplining Your Toddler, Preschooler, and Young Child
- Disciplining Your Toddler, Preschooler, and Young Child Introduction
- Parents as Disciplinarians in Early Childhood
- Preventing Early Childhood Misbehavior Before it Happens
- The Use of Choice in Early Childhood
- A Step-by-Step Guide for How to Discipline Children in Early Childhood
- Natural and Logical Consequences in Early Childhood
- Combining Choice and Consequences in Early Childhood
- Early Childhood Time Outs
- Spanking in Early Childhood
- Coordinating to Provide Continuity of Early Childhood Discipline Across Caregivers
- Lying in Early Childhood
- Supportive Communication in Early Childhood and Discipline Conclusion
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Nurturing Your Toddler, Preschooler, and Young Child
- Nurturing Your Toddler, Preschooler, and Young Child Introduction
- Creating Nurturing Space in Early Childhood
- Physical Nurturing: Gross Motor Activities in Early Childhood
- Physical Nurturing: Fine Motor Activities in Early Childhood
- Cognitive Nurturing in Early Childhood
- Cognitive Nurturing in Early Childhood Continued
- Cognitive Nurturing in Early Childhood Conclusion
- Social Nurturing in Early Childhood
- Emotional Nurturing in Early Childhood
- Cultural and Spiritual Nurturing in Early Childhood
- Nurturing at Home and Outside the Home and Nurturing Conclusions
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Child and Adolescent Development Theories
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Infants: Parenting and Child Development
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Development During Early Childhood, Toddler, and Preschool Stages
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Questions and Answers
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Book & Media Reviews
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Links
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Videos
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- The Breakdown on Bedwetting
- Holiday Travel - Child Safety Away from Home
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- Child Development: Stepping Stones - Lesson 18: The School Years: Psychosocial Development
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- Safe Seats for Baby
- 3 Tips on Swim Safety
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- Sunscreen Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers
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- How do I get my child to eat new foods?
- Addressing Health Disparities in Early Childhood
- 6 tips to help your children control their emotions
- Recognizing challenging behaviors in young children: Could it be ADHD?
- Classroom Managment Supports for ADHD Behaviors in Preschool Settings
- Household Poisonings and Childhood Dangers
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