Growth and Development of 9 Year Old Child

Physical development

A 9- year old healthy child falls under school age, they gain weight between 2-kg (4.4-6.6 lbs) yearly for girls and boys. Girls and boys differ little in size, even though boys are slightly taller and maybe heavier than girls. A 9 -year old healthy child increases in height for about 5cm (2 inches) annually. Head circumference and waist circumference decreased in school age and this continues until their teenage.

Developmental milestones that should attain

At age 9 children go through major transition because they are approaching adolescence. An average 9 years old should be able participate in physical activity to reach an attained goal, such as playing games and partaking in competitions of reading, spelling and writing. They may begin to experience early signs of puberty. An average 9 years old can communicate their needs and they can play and work with their peers to achieve a common goal. They become more independent, can handle situations or responsibilities with little or no adult supervision. The writing skills of a 9 -year old are more developed than that of a preschooler, can grasp concepts at this age. They already achieved the fine motor, gross motor, social skills, and verbal skills of a 9 -year old child.

Nutritional benefits

Nutritional requirements vary widely for 9 years old, they need high caloric nutrition which helps with growth depending on age, gender, and physical activity level, an average 9- year old requires between 1400-1800 calories for girls and 1600-2000 calories for boys. Meal for 9 years old should include grains about 5-8oz, vegetable one-half to two cups, fruits one-half to two cups, milk 2-3 cups, meats and beans 4-6.5oz, fats, oils, and water.

Sleep requirement

The amount of sleep in 9- year old children differs depending on each individual, at this age school age have given up nap time for a social and academic purpose. Their need for sleep decreases and they spend more time doing their homework or talking to their friend on the phone, they go to bed late. Parents need to pay more attention to their sleep and help to develop a good bedtime ritual (going to bed like 9 pm on a school night). A 9- year old requires approximately 9-11 hours of sleep.

Erickson developmental stage

According to Erickson, a 9- year old is in the industry vs Inferiority stage, the child begins to compare and compete with their peers to see if they meet up with them. The child either have a sense of pride in their social activities, school assignments, and sports. The child feels inferior when he or she did not meet up or level up with peers. While Piaget developmental stage for this age, is the demonstration logical concrete reasoning. They begin to realize that individual thought and the feeling is different and may not be part of reality.

Play

A nine- year old likes to play with same-sex playmates, they engage in games online on the computer and they even chat with each other while playing. Most 9 -year old play competitive games.

Discipline

There are different types of discipline that can be used to correct the wrongdoing of a 9- year old and this include but not limited to. Time-out is one of the disciplines that are appropriate for 9 years old, praising good behavior (this will make the child do more to get more positive praises).                  

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