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Introduction
On this page, you’ll learn how to help your young child develop healthy daily habits.
Your child’s last immunization in the early years is due when they are 4 years old. If their immunizations are not up to date, talk with your public health nurse.
Find out which injury areas need your attention. Your child is still too young to know all the dangers around them or how to protect themselves.
Daily habits
- Taking a more active role
- Using the toilet
- Sleeping
In this Section:
Taking a more active role
As your young child develops and grows, they’re able to take a more active role in their care. They’ll need your help to develop daily habits for grooming, hygiene, getting ready in the morning, and going to bed at night. They can now dress themselves and might want to choose their own clothes.
Using the toilet
Your child may be able to use the toilet on their own. They may still need some help wiping after a bowel movement. Remind them to always wash their hands every time before they leave the bathroom.
Some children don’t like to use the toilet when they’re away from home. Prepare your child for what to expect if they have not used a public bathroom on their own. If they’re worried, try to find out why, reassure them, and teach them which adults they can ask for help. Talk to your child’s caregivers or teachers to find suggestions to help if your child has these fears and is not using the toilet.
Sleeping
School is hard work for children. They may feel very tired after being in a classroom for a half or full day. Getting a good sleep every night can help your child adjust.
Your child needs sleep to restore their energy, to help them focus and learn. During sleep, the brain sorts through and stores memories. Not getting enough sleep can lead to problems with thinking, reasoning and memory. It affects your child’s health, behaviour and all parts of their lives.
If your child is having trouble waking up in the morning or getting used to school, try putting them to bed 30–60 minutes earlier for a week. Try not to have late nights when your child has school the next day. Most school-aged children need about 9–11 hours of sleep a night.
Growing pains
Many children in elementary school have growing pains in their legs and arms at times. Growing pains are most often felt in the legs. Children often have them at bedtime and during a growth spurt. The pain is usually gone by morning. Growing pains are believed to be caused by a growth hormone released in your child’s body. They’re not a sign of anything serious. To ease your child’s pain, try gently rubbing their legs.
If the pain is constant, there is redness or swelling, or if you’re concerned about your child’s growing pains, talk to your health care provider.
Teeth and mouth
Caring for your young child's teeth
Baby teeth will begin to fall out when your child is between 5–8 years old. As your child’s adult molar teeth appear at the back of their mouth, their baby teeth at the front of their mouth will get ready to fall out. Their baby teeth will be replaced by permanent teeth.
Their front teeth will fall out and will be replaced by permanent teeth around the same time as their first permanent molars (6 year molars) come in. Their permanent teeth will keep growing in until they’re a teenager.
You’ll need to help your child brush and floss their teeth until they have the skills to do it themselves, about the time when they’re able to write their name. With good nutrition and dental care, most children will keep their permanent teeth for a lifetime.
Learn more about teeth and mouth care, including preventing tooth decay.
Is your child still sucking their thumb?
Sucking their thumb beyond this age may affect how your child’s jaw and teeth grow. Help your child to stop sucking their thumb before their permanent teeth come in—when your child is about 5 years old. Learn more about sucking thumbs, fingers, and soothers.
Protecting molars
The molars have deep grooves and pits that trap food so it can be hard to keep them clean, even with regular brushing. When permanent molars come in, the chewing surfaces can be sealed with a thin, plastic coating (sealant). This protects molars from tooth decay. While sealants protect part of the tooth, good dental habits are still needed for a healthy mouth and teeth.
Dental sealants are available from your dentist and are offered in selected schools in Alberta. To learn more, call your community or public health centre, talk to your dentist or visit Alberta Health Services – School Oral Health Services.
Injured teeth
As young children are active and adventurous, their chances of having tooth injuries increase. If your child plays a sport, ask your dentist to suggest the right type of mouth guard to use. If your child injures, breaks or knocks out a tooth, take them and the pieces of their tooth to the dentist right away.
Health checkups
Recommended checkups
Keep seeing your child’s health care providers as scheduled and as needed to help your child and family thrive.
Your health care provider or public health nurse can help if you have questions or concerns about your child’s health and development or other family issues.
Learn more about health checkups to keep children healthy and safe at any age.

Well child clinic visit
Your child’s last immunization in the early years is due at 4 years old. If their immunizations are not up to date, talk with your public health nurse about how to get back on schedule. Keeping immunizations up to date protects your child and family from many communicable diseases. Immunization becomes even more important for preventing outbreaks once your child is in school and organized activities. During your visit, your public health nurse also checks things such as your child’s growth, asks about their health, as well as about how you’re doing and answer any questions you may have.
- Learn more about public health nurses
- Learn more about immunizations
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Oral health
Regular visits to the dentist are important as your young child’s baby teeth are falling out and adult teeth are coming in.
Vision
Visit your child’s optometrist once a year to have their vision checked—you don’t need a doctor’s referral and there’s no cost to you.
Financial support
You may qualify for financial support for health costs for your child through the Alberta Child Health Benefit plan. You may be able to get eyeglasses, prescriptions and dental visits for your children at no cost to you. To learn more, call toll-free at 1‑877‑469‑5437 or visit the Government of Alberta – Alberta Child Health Benefit.
Preventing injuries
As your child moves into their larger world of friends and school, they still need to be supervised by an adult, but not as closely as when they were a preschooler. Your child needs a little more freedom to explore and play, but they’re still too young to know all the dangers around them or how to protect themselves. Stay nearby, pay close attention and think about ways to reduce possible risks. Remind your child about safety rules often. They may remember simple rules, but may not always follow them when they get excited. Make sure that your child follows the rules when they’re with you. This will make it more likely for them to follow the rules when they’re on their own. Situations involving safety are not a time to offer choices at any age.
For their age and stage of development, here are some areas that need attention to keep your child safe from injuries.
- Playing outdoors
- Helmets and bike safety
- Pedestrian safety
- Poisoning
- Playing safe in rural areas
- Playground safety
- Trampolines
- Car seats
- Head injury
Learn more about how to prevent injuries in the early years.
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Being safe on the playground
Keep play safe by not allowing your child to wear clothing with drawstrings. Take off helmets and scarves, and tie back loose hair. Be sure your child has proper footwear on, such as running shoes.
School bus safety
The biggest risk to children riding on a school bus is when they’re getting on and off the bus. To learn more, visit Alberta Health Services – School Bus Safety.