Reaching 7 can be a fascinating time for both a child and parents.
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Milestones for 7 year olds
Reaching 7 can be a fascinating time for both a child and parents.
The toddler years are behind you, and your child is fully developing into a personality and identity of their own. While they remain highly dependent, they are now starting to exercise forms of their independence and aren’t quite so reliant on mom and dad for all of their attention. They will look instead to friends and social groups, while parents still often remain their number one.
You may feel like your child doesn’t stop growing at this age! In a year that proves huge in a child’s developmental growth, you may be wondering, as parents, what to look out for in terms of milestones for the upcoming year. In our latest article, we dive deep into everything that signals a healthy milestone development in your child, how you can aid their growth, and when to be concerned at development rates.
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Important language and cognitive milestones
At the age of 7 years old, your child should be competent when it comes to speaking in complex and full sentences. They should also be able to express their ideas, thoughts, and concerns articulately. During this year, you will start to notice that your child doesn’t sound like the baby you once swaddled, but instead, they are starting to sound like a mature young adult who can hold and maintain a mature conversation with others.
You may also notice that your 7-year-old can now answer a range of questions in more depth than before, rather than hiding behind short or one-word answers. They should also be starting to develop a wider range of linguistic skills, including recognizing words that are not always singular in meaning.
7-year-olds should also begin to have an understanding of more complex subjects and conversational discussions. In school, they will appear more confident in reading and math skills. They may have even picked up the hobby of reading books for fun outside of circular activities and solving more complicated equations and sums.
It is important not to ensure to look at all 7-year-olds with a fixed lens, however. At any age, children will develop at different rates. Some take longer to improve their reading and math skills, for example. Remain patient with your child and their progress, but if you start feeling concerned, remember to keep in touch with their teachers to discuss if further assistance is needed.
Examples of language and cognitive activities your 7-year-old should be able to complete
Daily activities that your 7-year-old should be able to complete include having an accurate sense of time, with a healthy concept of minutes and hours, etc. Your child should also be able to hold sustained and more complex conversations with those they are less familiar with, i.e., adults and children outside your family unit. The pronunciation of words should now be much clearer and more accurate while keeping the allowance for some harder and more complex words. No 7-year-old’s reading and spelling will be by any means perfect at this age, but all basic skills according to this age group should be well on the way to mastering.
Important physical milestones
While physical growth continues throughout a young person’s life, you may notice a slight decline in your child’s 7th year. During their baby and toddler years, you will feel like your child doesn’t stop growing for a moment. As a 7-year-old, however, they are likely to only grow in height by around 2.5 inches maximum and gain up to 7 pounds. Those teeth won’t stop falling out either, and you can expect around four visits from the tooth fairy this year.
The average 7-year-old also begins to progress with their motor skills throughout this year, which is thrilling for the child, and for parents to proudly witness. This could look like your little one finally mastering bike riding skills, tying up shoes alone, or writing longer sentences for their school work.
Parents should be mindful of their 7-year-olds health and wellness just as much as in previous years. This means ensuring your child maintains a healthy diet and gets frequent exercise, despite the fact they are starting to act a little more independently from you. The rise of technology is also something you should be considerate about with your child at this age. Experts suggest limiting your child’s screen time with television and electronic tablets, ensuring they receive around an hour of exercise per day to maintain a healthy weight and level of wellness. A 7-year-old still has a lot of learning and growing to do, so a good night’s sleep is always fundamental. Ensure your little one gets anywhere between 9 and 12 hours of sleep for complete rest.
Examples of physical activities your 7-year-old should be able to complete
Daily physical activities that your 7-year-old should be able to complete include coordination-based exercises like climbing and swimming with ease. They should also be completing more activities that require motor skills, like writing their name clearly on school work or using scissors when completing arts and craft work without adult help. Your child should also require less help from you in the mornings, especially in dressing. A 7-year-old should be able to dress without needing assistance from an adult.
Important emotional and social milestones
As well as physical, 7-year-olds can develop at very different emotional and social rates. While some children may be bound for freedom and can’t wait to spend more time alone or with their friendship group, others may feel very attached to their parents and family members. You might, for example, notice your child opting to see their friends more regularly than they have been and turning down the opportunity for time spent with mom and dad. While this can feel difficult for parents, the formation of these friendships and growing independence should be encouraged and praised.
A key trait all children should be developing around this age is empathy. But, this is the ability to understand better other people’s perspectives and feelings and how to cope with and understand their own emotions. This is a precious trait all socially healthy people need throughout life, so encouragement of this trait is always helpful.
Your child might also begin to realize the impact of other people’s thoughts and opinions and taper their actions and reactions in public more. While younger children may have broken down into loud tantrums, they should begin to realize the socially acceptable ways to behave and regulate their emotions. Too much of this self-regulation could represent an overly self-conscious attitude your child is developing.
Parents play a crucial role in helping to develop the regulation of emotions. This can be encouraged by emphasizing the need for your child to use words rather than actions to express negative emotions. You should encourage your child to have mature conversations and follow social cues when talking with others.
When your child turns 7, you might also notice a greater desire for them for social interaction, particularly among other children of their age and sex. At this age, it is always a good idea to get your child involved with group activities they are interested in. This may be a sports club or activity, anything that helps them socialize with peers with similar interests. It is also important to ensure your child has adequate time to themself so they can learn to enjoy and thrive in their own company without being too reliant on others.
Other milestones to consider for your 7-year-old
Your child should be reaching several other key milestones at this age, including taking responsibility for their hygiene. While being able to dress themself, you should also allow your child to take independence for brushing their teeth twice daily. This is more important than ever as they are starting to grow some adult teeth, so good oral hygiene is now critical. Depending on your bathroom setup, your child may start moving from having a bath with the aid of a family member to taking showers on their own. While they needed help with more complex bathing tasks like shampooing and operating the shower itself, they could clean themself in a basic way. This is a prime example of a step towards a more independent life, freeing up vital time for busy parents.
The best way to help your 7-year-old achieve
All parents want their children to succeed developmentally and be the best they can be so that they can be the best adult possible. Most parents consider this the main aim of their life as a caregiver, so it’s important to be aware of the steps you can take to support your 7-year-old through this important year of their life.
While your child may feel much older than they ever have done this year, they still need support and assistance from their parents or guardians. Sometimes this support will need to come in the form of discipline, as children still like to test boundaries and push limits set at this age. While this can always feel frustrating as a parent, we urge you to exercise positive discipline to set an example for your child of the respectful and proper way to act as an adult.
You may notice your 7-year-old start to have issues with things like their self-esteem, and their emotional and social world begins to expand this year. Parents should be attentive to this, try to help boost a child’s confidence, and encourage peer socialization. Giving your child a proper daily routine can help greatly with helping to develop a sense of responsibility that they will need to embrace as they grow older. For example, you may set age-appropriate chores or daily tasks for them to complete or move towards an allowance system where they are now responsible for saving for and buying their toys and treats. This helps impart a sense of responsibility to help your 7-year-old grow positively throughout the year.
Helping to keep your 7-year-old safe
With your child developing more independence at this age, you may be (rightly) concerned about how to keep your little one safe and aware of dangers around them. Regarding situations you can control and are responsible for, car safety should be as important as ever. Ensure that your child fits safely into an appropriately sized car seat. It might be time for an upgrade as your child grows throughout the year.
As your child begins to interact more with strangers and those outside the family unit, it may be time to have a conversation with them about “stranger danger“. Make sure your child is aware never to allow another person to touch them inappropriately or try to take them to another vehicle or location. While these can be difficult conversations, they may be vital in protecting your child from dangers outside of the family home.
When you should be concerned about the development of your child
It is important to remember that every child grows at their own pace. However, if you start having serious concerns about your child’s development, reaching out to your pediatrician is always a good idea. They are best placed to assess how far behind your child is in their development, the potential causes, and the best steps forward.
