The 3-year-old child

Wow! 3 years! At this point, you must be asking for time to go a little slower, because your child is practically a good guy. With very little to do to stop being a baby and become a totally independent child.

He walks easily, in fact he runs, dances, turns, jumps with both legs, with one. He plays with other children, he knows how to talk, he is learning to share toys and he understands some living standards, even though he wants to pass some rules.

You can talk and understand each other very well. He is learning to expose feelings and dealing with them more easily, working on conflicts. But it still leaves adults with their hair standing on end, especially when they want to try something new like jumping from a higher place.

He will tap his foot, and very hard, for what he wants and defy some orders. Keep talking firmly, but with patience. Remember, as it grows, everything changes, everything passes is how you solve the situations together that define what the next phases will be.

 

Stimuli and Games

At 3 years of age, it is expected that the child, in addition to constructing sentences, will start to have the power of argument. For this, it is necessary to stimulate during conversations, proposing more elaborate responses.

The child needs to think about his wishes. Why do you want a certain thing, why should it be that way? Encourage responses and be interested in them.

An activity that stimulates the imagination and completion are books with stories that bring only pictures, without the text. During reading time, ask the child to look at the drawings and imagine what the dialogue should be like.

Hula hoops, ropes, mattresses and cushions are useful materials to create different activities both separately and together. Create a circuit with small obstacles to train your concentration, exercise and persistence in reaching a certain goal.

Playing statue stimulates attention, creativity and patience in trying to stay still as long as you can. Associated with this game, you can dance to lively music.

 

Food

He moves around all the time, practices various activities, requiring an increase in caloric needs. However, it is important to stress about the quality of the food eaten.

Increasing calories does not mean that he can eat a cake with ice cream at every meal, but that he needs to divide the recommended 1400 kcal / day into full meals.

Balance the variation between proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Present a balanced dish, to ensure all needs are met, avoiding food shortages. At the same time, it is important to take care that excess causes problems like childhood obesity.

Four meals a day are recommended, with 5 portions of carbohydrates, 3 of vegetables, 4 of fruits, 3 of milk and derivatives, 2 of meats and eggs, 1 of beans, 2 of oils and fats and 1 of sugars.

To get an idea of ​​what a balanced dish should look like:

 

– 2 tablespoons of rice

– 1 spoon of beans

– 4 slices of cooked carrot

– half grilled beef steak

– and for dessert, a fruit, maybe an orange.

Variations are welcome, such as the child’s participation in the choice of dish, but it is necessary to know how to guide and insist on the offer of food. Try not to force it, leaving the experience with the meal more pleasant.

 

Sleep

The bedtime routine is a little different than when he was just a baby. Greater care with hygiene, such as brushing your teeth, for example, should not only be encouraged, but also guided. He will probably want to do it himself and you should let that happen. For those who have already managed to perform the night shift, remember to use the bathroom before bed, to avoid possible escapes at night.

Story time can be a little more hectic for some children. Choose a book that has stories without many adventures, leaving them for another occasion. It is interesting to have something calmer even after sleeping, to reduce the propensity to have nightmares.

If he is still afraid of monsters, a suggestion is to invent a monster hour. Make that fear fun. It is valid to hunt the monsters. With a flashlight, look for monsters around the room. Leave the flashlight next to him and say that you can only light it if you think you have a monster, like a magic wand that will make them disappear.

It is important to reinforce about preventing the child from sleeping too late. Schedule him to get the recommended hours of sleep.