Your growing 6-year-old

At six, your child will start to develop independence and form his or her own distinct habits and preferences. His social circle will also expand as he starts school, interacts with the environment more, and starts making new friends.

Here is a quick summary of the changes you can expect from your child at this exciting age:

Attention span
Your child should have the self-control and attention span to sit still for prolonged periods now. This is an ideal time to inculcate good table manners and engage in dinnertime conversations.

Chores
At this age, children are usually not only able, but even willing, to handle more responsibilities at home and school. Give them some age-appropriate tasks such as sweeping the floor or clearing the dishes, and reward them positively when they do a good job.
If you cook at home, this is also a good time to ask them to help you prepare meals and set the table.

Peer influence
During the course of making new friends, your child might start asking for junk food because “it’s what the other kids eat.” You should view this as an opportunity to talk about healthy eating and maybe even explore introducing other cuisines.

Sleep
Your child will need around 10 – 12 hours of sleep at this age. The challenge you might face would be squeezing in time for homework, playtime, and family time. A good way to manage your child’s schedule would be restricting activities such as watching TV and playing videogames to only the weekends.

Bad behaviour
As your child starts to exhibit more independence and wants more control over what he does, wears, and eats, behavioural problems might also become evident. He might go against your instructions and try to see what he can get away with, such as not going to bed at bedtime. However, consistent discipline and reinforcement can help overcome these problems.