# Age 7: Development, Research, and What Helps

> What's normal at age 7: logical thinking, reading to learn, fairness, friendships, worry, chores, money habits, booster seats, and the 7-year checkup.

- Stage: Age 7 (7 to 8 years)
- Series: Chorevia Parent Guides, newborn to 18 (https://chorevia.com/learn)
- Canonical URL: https://chorevia.com/learn/7-years
- Last reviewed: 2026-10-10
- Publisher: Chorevia (https://chorevia.com)
- Cite as: Chorevia. "Age 7: Development, Research, and What Helps." Last reviewed October 10, 2026. https://chorevia.com/learn/7-years

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

## At a glance

- Seven-year-olds reason logically about concrete things, care fiercely about fairness, and are ready for real responsibility.
- Kids 6 to 12 need 9 to 12 hours of sleep and at least 60 minutes of activity a day. Keep screens out of the bedroom and off an hour before bed.
- Warmth builds healthy self-esteem; telling kids they're better than others doesn't. Praise effort and strategy.
- Worry is common. Helping your child face fears in small steps works better than helping them avoid what scares them.
- If reading or math is a struggle, ask for help now. In one study, reading help in first or second grade worked about twice as well as in third.
- Most kids need a booster seat until the seat belt fits, usually at 4 feet 9 inches and 8 to 12 years old. Back seat until 13.
- Money habits start forming now. A saving goal a few weeks away fits how 7-year-olds think about time.
- US vaccine guidance has been changing. Ask your pediatrician which schedule they follow at the yearly checkup.

## Your age-7 checklist

- [ ] Book the yearly checkup and bring notes on reading, math, behavior, and friendships
- [ ] Ask your pediatrician which vaccine schedule they follow and about this year's flu shot
- [ ] Check booster fit: lap belt low on the thighs, shoulder belt across the chest
- [ ] Set a bedtime that allows 9 to 12 hours of sleep
- [ ] Move screens out of the bedroom and make a family media plan together
- [ ] Give your child 2 or 3 daily family jobs and teach each one step by step
- [ ] Start a savings jar with a goal your child can reach in a few weeks
- [ ] Ask about locked, unloaded guns before your child visits another home
- [ ] Teach your child your phone number, address, and when to call 911
- [ ] Check helmet fit and practice crossing streets together
- [ ] Save Poison Help in your phone: 1-800-222-1222
- [ ] Make sure your child has had swim lessons and knows water rules

Seven-year-olds think in logical steps, care deeply about what's fair, and can take on real responsibility. This guide covers ages 7 to 8. For the start of school, see the [6-year guide](https://chorevia.com/learn/6-years); for what comes next, the [8-year guide](https://chorevia.com/learn/8-years).

## What's developing

CDC's milestone checklists and parenting tips now stop at age 5 ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/parents/children/index.html); [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/child-development/positive-parenting-tips/index.html)). For school-age kids, pediatricians follow the AAP's Bright Futures schedule instead: a yearly checkup that tracks development and includes a behavioral, social, and emotional screen ([AAP, 2025](https://downloads.aap.org/AAP/PDF/periodicity_schedule.pdf)).

### Growth, teeth, and bodies

Kids this age grow at a steady pace, about 2.5 inches and 4 to 7 pounds a year until puberty starts ([Nemours KidsHealth](https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/growth-6-12.html)). The front teeth usually start to wiggle around age 6 ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/oral-health/Pages/When-Children-Begin-to-Lose-their-Baby-Teeth.aspx)), and the first permanent molars come in around the same time. That's the best moment for dental sealants, which can prevent up to 80% of cavities in those teeth for 2 years ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/oral-health/prevention/about-dental-sealants.html)). Many kids still need help brushing until somewhere between 7 and 10 ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/oral-health/Pages/When-Children-Begin-to-Lose-their-Baby-Teeth.aspx)).

By 6, most children have the basic motor skills for simple organized sports, though complex hand-eye skills, teamwork, and strategy are still developing ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/sports/Pages/Is-Your-Child-Ready-for-Sports.aspx)).

In some girls, breast development begins as early as 7 ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/Your-Childs-Checkups/Pages/your-checkup-checklist-7-years-old.aspx)). See [the question on body odor and breast buds](#is-it-normal-for-a-7-year-old-to-have-body-odor-or-breast-buds) for what's typical and when to check.

### Thinking: logic about real things

Jean Piaget placed this age at the start of his "concrete operational" stage, roughly 7 to 11. Children begin to reason logically about real objects and events. They grasp that an amount stays the same when its shape changes (conservation) and that actions can be undone, the way subtraction undoes addition ([Spielman et al., OpenStax](https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/9-2-lifespan-theories)). Later research has challenged the neat stages: development looks more gradual than Piaget described, and many skills show up earlier than he thought ([Spielman et al., OpenStax](https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/9-2-lifespan-theories)). Still, 7-year-olds do best with ideas they can see, touch, and test.

Time is still fuzzy. A review for the UK's Money Advice Service found that 7-year-olds generally can't judge how far off future events are beyond about a month, a skill that firms up around 8 ([Whitebread & Bingham, 2013](https://web.archive.org/web/20220127085521/https://www.maps.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/the-money-advice-service-habit-formation-and-learning-in-young-children-may-2013.pdf)).

### Working memory and math facts

Working memory is the mental notepad that holds information while you use it. A meta-analysis of 110 studies found a medium-sized link between working memory and math (r = 0.35), strongest for word problems and whole-number calculation ([Peng et al., 2016](https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1099299)). The idea behind practicing basic facts is that answers recalled instantly leave that notepad free for the rest of the problem. A federal practice guide for students who struggle with math recommends regular timed activities as one way to build fluency ([IES, 2021](https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PracticeGuide/26)).

### Reading: from learning to read to reading to learn

Reading researcher Jeanne Chall described grades 1 to 3 as the "learning to read" years, when children crack the code and become fluent with familiar words. From about grade 4, texts bring new words and ideas, and children "read to learn" ([Chall & Jacobs, 2003](https://www.aft.org/periodical/american-educator/spring-2003/classic-study-poor-childrens-fourth-grade-slump)). In her small study of 30 low-income children, scores kept pace with national norms through third grade, then began to slip in fourth, starting with knowledge of less common, academic words ([Chall & Jacobs, 2003](https://www.aft.org/periodical/american-educator/spring-2003/classic-study-poor-childrens-fourth-grade-slump)). Second grade is the time to firm up fluent reading and build vocabulary.

Dyslexia, the most familiar reading disorder, mainly affects reading individual words, which can make understanding text hard too. It isn't a sign of low intelligence or not trying ([NICHD](https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/reading/conditioninfo/disorders)).

### Conscience, fairness, and rules

At 7, most children understand more about rules and relationships, and they're absorbing ideas of right and wrong that become their own ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/Your-Childs-Checkups/Pages/your-checkup-checklist-7-years-old.aspx)). Fairness becomes a big deal. In one study of children 3 to 8, most 3- and 4-year-olds shared selfishly, while most 7- and 8-year-olds chose splits that removed inequality, whether it hurt or helped them. They also favored children from their own group ([Fehr et al., 2008](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18756249/)).

A study of 866 pairs of children aged 4 to 15 in seven societies found that rejecting a deal where a peer gets more appeared everywhere by middle childhood. Rejecting a deal where you get more than a peer showed up in only three of the seven societies, and later ([Blake et al., 2015](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26580018/)). So "That's not fair!" when your child gets less is close to universal. Speaking up when they get more is something kids learn.

### Friendships and being left out

Most 7-year-olds spend much of the day with peers, and pediatricians ask about friendships and bullying at this visit ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/Your-Childs-Checkups/Pages/your-checkup-checklist-7-years-old.aspx)). The AAP notes that few kids learn friendship skills without some coaching, and that shy, impulsive, or very physical kids need different kinds of help ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/power-of-play/Pages/what-parents-can-do-to-support-friendships.aspx)). Leaving a child out on purpose is a recognized form of social bullying ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Bullying-Its-Not-Ok.aspx)).

A close friend is protective. In a year-long study of 393 fourth- and fifth-graders, being picked on predicted more emotional and behavior problems only for kids without a mutual best friend ([Hodges et al., 1999](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9923467/)).

### Worry and perfectionism

Some worry is normal. The AAP says a child may need extra support when worry gets in the way of everyday things like sleeping alone, playing outside, or going to school. Anxious kids often can't name it; they may feel sick, restless, or tired ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/Pages/help-your-child-manage-fears-and-anxieties.aspx)). In a 2018–2019 national survey, 7.8% of US children aged 3 to 17 had a current anxiety disorder, and separation anxiety and generalized anxiety tend to appear in the preschool and early school years ([USPSTF, 2022](https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/screening-anxiety-children-adolescents)).

Some kids this age become very hard on themselves. The AAP links unhealthy perfectionism in teens with anxiety and depression, and contrasts it with healthy high achievement, where mistakes are chances to grow ([Ginsburg, AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/young-adult/Pages/What-Fuels-Perfectionism.aspx)).

### Sleep, activity, and screens

Children 6 to 12 need 9 to 12 hours of sleep a night, per the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the AAP ([Paruthi et al., 2016](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27250809/); [AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/sleep/Pages/healthy-sleep-habits-how-many-hours-does-your-child-need.aspx)). Kids 6 to 17 need at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity every day, with vigorous activity, muscle strengthening (like climbing), and bone strengthening (like jumping) each on at least 3 days a week ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/children.html)).

For school-age kids, the AAP links misuse of digital media with poorer sleep, school performance, and attention, and with less exercise and family time ([Munzer, AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/helping-kids-thrive-in-a-digital-world-AAP-policy-explained.aspx)).

## What the research says

Some popular ideas about school-age kids hold up. Others are smaller than their reputations.

**1. Warmth builds self-esteem; overvaluing kids predicts narcissism.** In a study that followed 565 children aged 7 to 12 across four waves, 6 months apart, kids whose parents saw them as more special than other children grew more narcissistic over time, while kids whose parents were warm grew higher self-esteem. The study was observational ([Brummelman et al., 2015](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25775577/)). A major review found that programs to boost self-esteem haven't been shown to raise school performance; high self-esteem seems to be partly a result of good grades, not their cause ([Baumeister et al., 2003](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26151640/)).
*Takeaway:* Be warm, notice real effort and progress, and skip "You're the best in the class."

**2. Growth mindset effects are smaller than advertised.** In a study of 53 families, parents' praise for effort at 14 to 38 months predicted children's belief, at 7 to 8, that ability can grow ([Gunderson et al., 2013](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23397904/)). But two meta-analyses found weak overall links between mindset and achievement and weak effects of mindset programs, with possible benefits for students from low-income families or at academic risk ([Sisk et al., 2018](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29505339/)). A large national US experiment found a short online lesson raised grades only among lower-achieving secondary students ([Yeager et al., 2019](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31391586/)), and studies of 624 children aged 9 to 13 in China, including a close replication of the classic praise experiment, found no effect on motivation or resilience after failure ([Li & Bates, 2019](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31464486/)).
*Takeaway:* Praise effort and strategy because it's honest and kind, not because it will transform grades.

**3. Parents can lead anxiety treatment.** In a UK trial of 136 children aged 5 to 12, brief guided parent-delivered CBT worked about as well as another brief therapy and was likely cheaper ([Creswell et al., 2017](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28527657/)). A 2024 trial of 444 families found therapist-supported, parent-led online CBT did as well as usual care ([Creswell et al., 2024](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38335987/)). In a trial of 124 children aged 7 to 14, a parent-only program that cut back "accommodation" (changing family routines so a child can avoid fears) worked as well as CBT delivered directly to the child ([Lebowitz et al., 2020](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30851397/)).
*Takeaway:* Helping your child face fears, rather than clearing every fear out of the way, is the evidence-based path.

**4. Your feelings about math rub off.** In a field study of first- and second-graders, children of math-anxious parents learned less math over the year and ended it more anxious, but only when those parents helped often with math homework ([Maloney et al., 2015](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26253552/)). In a randomized trial of 587 first-graders, short math story problems done with parents raised math achievement across the year, especially for children of math-anxious parents ([Berkowitz et al., 2015](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26450209/)).
*Takeaway:* Keep math talk light and frequent. If math makes you tense, play math games rather than hovering over homework.

**5. Earlier reading help works better.** In a quasi-experimental study of 219 children at risk for reading disabilities, kids who got an intensive program in first or second grade gained almost twice as much in basic word reading as those who got it in third grade, and first-graders kept growing faster than second-graders afterward ([Lovett et al., 2017](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35664550/)).
*Takeaway:* If reading is hard at 7, ask for help now. Waiting to see costs time.

**6. Outdoor time protects eyesight.** In a randomized trial at 12 schools in Guangzhou, China, 1,903 first-graders (average age 6.6) got either an extra 40-minute outdoor class each school day or their usual routine. Over 3 years, 30.4% of eligible children in the outdoor group became nearsighted, compared with 39.5% of the others ([He et al., 2015](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26372583/)). Nearsightedness is very common there, and the authors say the result needs testing elsewhere.
*Takeaway:* Daily outdoor play does double duty, for fitness and for eyes.

**7. Brain games, music for IQ, and learning styles don't deliver what's claimed.** A meta-analysis of 87 publications found working memory training improved scores on working memory tests but not reading, arithmetic, or reasoning ([Melby-Lervåg et al., 2016](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27474138/)). Pooling 54 studies of 6,984 children, music training had essentially no effect on thinking skills or school achievement in well-designed studies ([Sala & Gobet, 2020](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32728850/)). And a review found virtually no evidence that teaching to a child's preferred "learning style" improves learning ([Pashler et al., 2008](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26162104/)).
*Takeaway:* Choose lessons for joy, skill, and friendship, not IQ.

**8. The youngest in the class get diagnosed with ADHD more often.** In insurance records for 407,846 US children, in states with a September 1 school cutoff, August-born kids, the youngest in their grade, were diagnosed with ADHD at 85.1 per 10,000, compared with 63.6 per 10,000 for September-born kids ([Layton et al., 2018](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30485780/)).
*Takeaway:* If your child is among the youngest in class, make sure relative age is part of any ADHD evaluation.

## Parenting techniques

### Praise that builds real confidence

Be specific and warm. The AAP suggests praising effort rather than the product ([Ginsburg, AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/young-adult/Pages/What-Fuels-Perfectionism.aspx)), and research on overvaluation suggests skipping comparisons that put your child above other kids ([Brummelman et al., 2015](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25775577/)). Help your child find things they enjoy and can get good at; the AAP says that builds self-esteem ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/Your-Childs-Checkups/Pages/your-checkup-checklist-7-years-old.aspx)).

*Script:* Instead of "You're a genius!", try "You kept trying different ways to sound out that word until it worked."

### Helping with worry without feeding it

When your child is calm, plan what to do when worry hits: slow breathing, kind self-talk ("I can try this"), or picturing a safe place. Then help them face fears gradually and praise brave behavior; the goal is coping, not avoiding ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/Pages/help-your-child-manage-fears-and-anxieties.aspx)). Watch for "accommodation," like speaking for a shy child or sleeping in their room every night; cutting it back is the heart of one effective parent program ([Lebowitz et al., 2020](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30851397/)). For school worries, gently but firmly explain why school matters, and agree on a plan with the teacher for when your child asks to go home ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/Pages/help-your-child-manage-fears-and-anxieties.aspx)).

*Script:* "I know this feels scary. I also know you can handle it. Let's do the first small step together."

### Perfectionism and mistakes

Model how to handle your own mistakes out loud. The AAP calls unconditional acceptance the best antidote to unhealthy perfectionism, and suggests high but reasonable expectations focused on effort, integrity, and kindness rather than grades. If your child is overloaded, cutting an activity is "pruning," not quitting ([Ginsburg, AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/young-adult/Pages/What-Fuels-Perfectionism.aspx)).

*Script:* "I burned the pancakes. Next time I'll turn the heat down. Mistakes are how I figure things out."

### When "It's not fair!" is the theme of the day

Expect it; a growing sense of fairness is a normal part of development at this age ([Fehr et al., 2008](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18756249/)). Use it. Explain your reasons, let your child help make family rules, and talk about the difference between equal and fair. Point out moments when they got the bigger share, since noticing advantage comes later than noticing disadvantage ([Blake et al., 2015](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26580018/)).

*Script:* "In our family, fair means everyone gets what they need. That isn't always the same thing."

### Coaching friendships and being left out

Welcome friends to your home so you can see how your child plays and which skills to coach ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/power-of-play/Pages/what-parents-can-do-to-support-friendships.aspx)). After a falling-out, help your child name their own feelings, then think about the friend's. Teach that working through a conflict keeps a good friendship ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/power-of-play/Pages/what-parents-can-do-to-support-friendships.aspx)).

If your child is left out or picked on, listen first, without jumping to fix it. Practice "stop, walk, talk": say stop firmly, walk away calmly, and tell a trusted adult. If it doesn't stop, involve teachers, counselors, and your pediatrician ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Bullying-Its-Not-Ok.aspx)). The AAP also says getting help for a child who's being hurt is not tattling ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Bullying-Its-Not-Ok.aspx)).

*Script:* "That sounds really lonely. Tell me more about what happened at recess."

### Homework without battles

Keep homework short and routine (see [how much is typical](#how-much-homework-should-a-7-year-old-have)). Same time, same place helps; the AAP notes that daily routines, homework included, build organization and responsibility ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/communication-discipline/Pages/Chores-and-Responsibility.aspx)). Stay nearby and encouraging, but let the work be your child's. If math makes you anxious, frequent hands-on help may backfire ([Maloney et al., 2015](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26253552/)).

### Protecting sleep and making a media plan

Count back from wake-up time to set a bedtime that allows 9 to 12 hours. The AAP recommends keeping TVs, tablets, and phones out of children's bedrooms, turning screens off at least an hour before bed, and not overscheduling evenings ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/sleep/Pages/healthy-sleep-habits-how-many-hours-does-your-child-need.aspx)).

The AAP's 2026 policy moves beyond simple screen-time limits to quality, context, and conversation ([Munzer et al., 2026](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41556917/)). Its advice for families: make a family media plan, watch and play alongside your child, use a shared family device instead of a personal tablet, use parental controls, and think carefully before a first phone ([Munzer, AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/helping-kids-thrive-in-a-digital-world-AAP-policy-explained.aspx)).

### Growing independence, one skill at a time

Build independence in steps you practice together. Kids allowed to play outdoors and get around without adult supervision tend to be more active ([Schoeppe et al., 2013](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23219100/)). Good next steps at 7: ordering and paying at a counter, leading the way on a familiar walk, or playing in a nearby park within earshot. A review for the UK's Money Advice Service suggests letting young children make real purchases with real money ([Whitebread & Bingham, 2013](https://web.archive.org/web/20220127085521/https://www.maps.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/the-money-advice-service-habit-formation-and-learning-in-young-children-may-2013.pdf)).

Some limits are still firm. Most children aren't ready to cross streets alone until at least 10 ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/all-around/Pages/pedestrian-safety-tips-for-families.aspx)), and most aren't ready to stay home alone regularly until 10 or 11 ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Is-Your-Child-Ready-to-Stay-Home-Alone.aspx)). See [Can my 7-year-old stay home alone?](#can-my-7-year-old-stay-home-alone) below.

## What to teach

Seven-year-olds are ready for real skills: running parts of the household and handling money. Safety skills are in [the activities](#emergency-skills-drill) and [safety section](#safety-and-when-to-get-help).

### Family jobs that build real competence

Keep two kinds of work separate. Family jobs are the everyday contributions everyone makes because they live there, and they aren't paid. Optional extra jobs, beyond the usual, are where earning can come in (see the next sections).

The AAP's list for 5- to 7-year-olds runs from making their bed and packing lunch to sweeping, sorting laundry, and feeding a pet; from 8 to 10, kids can add vacuuming and helping make dinner ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/communication-discipline/Pages/Chores-and-Responsibility.aspx)). See [What chores can a 7-year-old do?](#what-chores-can-a-7-year-old-do) for the full list.

The research is encouraging but observational. In a US study of 9,971 children, those who did chores regularly in kindergarten rated their own competence with peers, schoolwork, and life satisfaction higher in third grade, after accounting for family income and parent education ([White et al., 2019](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30507727/)). In a survey of 207 parents of 5- to 13-year-olds, kids who did more self-care and family-care chores, like making a meal, had better working memory and self-control by parent report ([Tepper et al., 2022](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35640882/)). Neither study proves chores caused the difference. For an age-by-age plan, see [how to raise independent kids with chores](https://chorevia.com/blog/raise-independent-kids-chores).

To teach a job, do it together, then watch, then hand it over. Add one new job at a time, and praise the effort rather than the outcome; the AAP notes that skills develop over time ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/communication-discipline/Pages/Chores-and-Responsibility.aspx)).

### Getting jobs done without nagging

The AAP's advice: spell out daily and weekly expectations, post a chart or checklist, attach jobs to the same time each day, hold regular family meetings to review how it's going, and use a consequence like a lost privilege if jobs are skipped. It says badgering and scolding don't work, while encouragement and rewarding success do ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/communication-discipline/Pages/Chores-and-Responsibility.aspx)). A "when-then" routine fits this well: "When the table is set, then we eat." For a step-by-step reset, see [how to stop nagging kids about chores](https://chorevia.com/blog/stop-nagging-kids-about-chores).

*Script:* "Check your chart. What's left before screen time?"

### Money habits are forming now

A 2013 University of Cambridge review for the UK Money Advice Service is often cited for the idea that money habits are set by age 7. What it actually says is more modest: by about 7, several basic concepts behind later money behavior have typically developed. Children can usually understand that a coin's value isn't its size and are beginning to understand change. It concludes that teaching young children money facts is unlikely to change behavior on its own; what parents model, discuss, and practice matters more ([Whitebread & Bingham, 2013](https://web.archive.org/web/20220127085521/https://www.maps.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/the-money-advice-service-habit-formation-and-learning-in-young-children-may-2013.pdf)). It's a review of earlier research, not a new study.

The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau places this age in its middle-childhood stage (6 to 12), when financial habits and norms "really start to take shape" ([CFPB](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/educator-tools/youth-financial-education/learn/)). It suggests thinking out loud about your everyday money choices so kids can follow your reasoning ([CFPB](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/money-as-you-grow/school-age-children-preteens/)).

*Script:* "The big box costs less per bowl, but we won't finish it before it goes stale, so I'll get the small one."

### Earning: allowance and paid extras

Research on paying kids for chores is limited and mixed. Lab experiments, mostly with interesting tasks, found that expected tangible rewards lowered children's later interest in the task ([Deci et al., 1999](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10589297/)); other researchers argued that reward effects can be negative, neutral, or positive ([Eisenberger et al., 1999](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10589299/)). In a Dutch survey, adults who recalled parents combining pocket money, monitoring, and saving advice were more likely to save, though recall can't prove cause ([Bucciol & Veronesi, 2014](https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/joepsy/v45y2014icp1-17.html)). Young children are also unlikely to understand an allowance as a wage ([Whitebread & Bingham, 2013](https://web.archive.org/web/20220127085521/https://www.maps.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/the-money-advice-service-habit-formation-and-learning-in-young-children-may-2013.pdf)). The AAP mentions allowances or stickers tied to completed chores as one option to consider ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/communication-discipline/Pages/Chores-and-Responsibility.aspx)).

Two setups to consider:

- **A small, regular allowance as a learning tool.** It isn't tied to family jobs, which stay expected either way. It gives your child real money to practice choosing, saving, and sometimes regretting.
- **Paid extras.** Family jobs stay unpaid, and your child can earn by taking on optional jobs beyond them, like washing the car with you.

Either can work if it's consistent. For what US families typically pay and which jobs stay unpaid, see [chores by age and what to pay](https://chorevia.com/blog/chores-by-age-what-to-pay); for keeping rewards from turning into bribes, see [a chore reward system without bribery](https://chorevia.com/blog/chore-reward-system-without-bribery).

### Saving and spending

Because 7-year-olds struggle to picture time more than about a month ahead, set first saving goals a few weeks away, and make progress visible. The Money Advice Service review suggests a chart where kids color in coins as they save ([Whitebread & Bingham, 2013](https://web.archive.org/web/20220127085521/https://www.maps.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/the-money-advice-service-habit-formation-and-learning-in-young-children-may-2013.pdf)). Let your child make some choices you wouldn't. For a fuller age-by-age plan, see [how to teach kids financial skills](https://chorevia.com/blog/teach-kids-financial-skills).

## Activities to try

Most of these take little time or money. The evidence ratings tell you how much research stands behind each one; many everyday activities haven't been studied directly, and that's fine.

### Chapter book and free reading time

- **Time:** 15 to 20 minutes, most days
- **Builds:** Vocabulary, comprehension, reading for fun
- **Evidence:** Moderate. A meta-analysis of 99 studies found leisure reading consistently linked with stronger comprehension, spelling, and language, with reading and skills feeding each other over time; the studies are correlational ([Mol & Bus, 2011](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21219054/)).

1. Read a chapter book aloud that's a notch above what your child can read alone.
2. Stop now and then to talk about a new word or guess what happens next.
3. Then give your child time to read anything they like on their own; comics count.

**Make it work:** If your child's own reading is still slow and effortful, tell the teacher now rather than waiting.

### Math story time

- **Time:** About 5 minutes, a few times a week
- **Builds:** Number sense, comfort with math
- **Evidence:** Emerging. In one randomized trial of 587 first-graders, short math story problems done with parents raised math achievement over the school year, especially for children of math-anxious parents ([Berkowitz et al., 2015](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26450209/)). It's a single trial that used an app.

1. Make up a quick story problem from your day: "We have 12 grapes and 3 people. How many each?"
2. Ask your child how they figured it out, even if the answer is wrong.
3. Follow up with one a little harder.

**Make it work:** Keep it playful, not a quiz.

### Math facts card games

- **Time:** 10 minutes, 3 or 4 times a week
- **Builds:** Quick recall of addition and subtraction facts
- **Evidence:** Moderate. Short, repeated practice at recalling answers, spread over time, is among the best-supported learning techniques ([Dunlosky et al., 2013](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26173288/)), and a federal practice guide for students who struggle with math recommends regular timed activities to build fluency ([IES, 2021](https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PracticeGuide/26)). Card games themselves haven't been tested head to head.

1. Remove the face cards from a deck.
2. Each player flips two cards; whoever says the sum first keeps them.
3. Play "Make 10": lay out cards face up and find pairs that add to 10.
4. Switch to subtraction or doubles once sums feel easy.

**Make it work:** If losing upsets your child, have them race a timer instead of you.

### The family job chart

- **Time:** 10 to 20 minutes a day
- **Builds:** Responsibility, planning, competence
- **Evidence:** Moderate. In a US study of 9,971 children, regular chores in kindergarten were linked with higher self-rated competence and life satisfaction in third grade, an association that doesn't prove cause ([White et al., 2019](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30507727/)); the AAP recommends age-appropriate chores and a posted chart or checklist ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/communication-discipline/Pages/Chores-and-Responsibility.aspx)).

1. Choose 2 or 3 daily family jobs, such as setting the table, feeding a pet, or packing their lunch.
2. Teach each one side by side, then watch, then let your child do it alone.
3. Post a picture or word checklist where your child will see it.
4. Check in at the same time each day and notice the effort.

### The savings goal chart

- **Time:** 5 minutes a week
- **Builds:** Saving, waiting, planning ahead
- **Evidence:** Emerging. A Cambridge review for the UK Money Advice Service suggests this kind of chart and notes that 7-year-olds can't picture time much more than a month ahead ([Whitebread & Bingham, 2013](https://web.archive.org/web/20220127085521/https://www.maps.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/the-money-advice-service-habit-formation-and-learning-in-young-children-may-2013.pdf)); the chart itself hasn't been tested.

1. Help your child pick something they want that takes a few weeks of their money.
2. Draw a chart with one coin or box for each dollar needed.
3. Color one in each time they add money.
4. When it's full, go buy it together and let your child hand over the money.

### The worry ladder

- **Time:** 10 minutes to plan, then small steps over several weeks
- **Builds:** Courage, coping with anxiety
- **Evidence:** Moderate. Gradually facing fears is the core of CBT, and parent-led programs have matched standard treatment in randomized trials ([Creswell et al., 2017](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28527657/); [Lebowitz et al., 2020](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30851397/)); the AAP recommends gradual exposure and praising brave behavior ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/Pages/help-your-child-manage-fears-and-anxieties.aspx)). For an anxiety disorder, work with a professional.

1. Pick one fear that gets in the way, like sleeping alone or ordering at a restaurant.
2. Together, list 5 to 8 steps from a little scary up to the goal.
3. Start at the bottom and repeat each step until it feels easy, then move up.
4. Praise the brave try, not the absence of fear.

**Make it work:** If a step is too big, add a smaller one in between.

### The outdoor hour

- **Time:** 60 minutes a day, in chunks
- **Builds:** Fitness, strong bones, healthy eyes
- **Evidence:** Moderate. US guidelines call for at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity daily for ages 6 to 17 ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/children.html)), and in a randomized trial of 1,903 first-graders in China, an extra 40 minutes outdoors each school day lowered new nearsightedness over 3 years ([He et al., 2015](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26372583/)).

1. Head outside after school, before screens.
2. On at least 3 days a week, include running games plus climbing or jumping.
3. On weekends, try a longer outing to a park, trail, or bike path.

**Make it work:** Walking or biking to school with an adult counts. Kids who travel actively get more physical activity overall ([Schoeppe et al., 2013](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23219100/)).

### Street-crossing practice walks

- **Time:** 15 minutes, once or twice a week
- **Builds:** Traffic judgment, independence
- **Evidence:** Moderate. A meta-analysis of randomized studies found hands-on pedestrian training improves children's street-crossing behavior, with the best results from one-on-one or small-group practice; evidence quality was low to moderate ([Schwebel et al., 2014](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24864275/)).

1. Walk a regular route and narrate: stop at the curb, look left, right, and left again, and keep looking while you cross.
2. Point out driveways, parked cars, and quiet electric cars.
3. Let your child decide when it's safe and explain why; you make the final call.

**Make it work:** The AAP says most children aren't ready to cross streets alone until at least 10 ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/all-around/Pages/pedestrian-safety-tips-for-families.aspx)).

### Bike skills and helmet check

- **Time:** 20 minutes, a few times a week
- **Builds:** Balance, coordination, safe riding habits
- **Evidence:** Moderate. In a meta-analysis of 40 studies with data on more than 64,000 injured cyclists, helmet use was linked with much lower odds of head, serious head, and fatal head injury ([Olivier & Creighton, 2017](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27450862/)); the AAP says to wear one on every ride ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Bicycle-Safety-Myths-And-Facts.aspx)).

1. Check helmet fit: level on the head, covering the top of the forehead, with a snug chin strap ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Bicycle-Helmets-What-Every-Parent-Should-Know.aspx)).
2. Practice starting, stopping, and steering straight in a park or empty lot.
3. Before any street riding, teach riding on the right with traffic and using hand signals.

**Make it work:** Choose a bike your child can sit on with the balls of both feet on the ground, not one to "grow into" ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Bicycle-Safety-Myths-And-Facts.aspx)).

### Family media plan meeting

- **Time:** 30 minutes, then a monthly check-in
- **Builds:** Shared rules, self-regulation, protected sleep
- **Evidence:** Moderate. The AAP's 2026 policy focuses on quality, context, and family planning rather than time limits alone ([Munzer et al., 2026](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41556917/)), and recommends a family media plan, screen-free bedrooms and meals, and watching together ([Munzer, AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/helping-kids-thrive-in-a-digital-world-AAP-policy-explained.aspx)).

1. Together, list what your child loves to do on and off screens.
2. Agree on screen-free times and places: meals, bedrooms, and the hour before bed.
3. Choose shows and games together, and watch or play some of them with your child.
4. Write the plan down and revisit it monthly.

**Make it work:** Follow the plan yourself. Kids copy what they see ([Munzer, AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/helping-kids-thrive-in-a-digital-world-AAP-policy-explained.aspx)).

### One-friend playdate

- **Time:** 1 to 2 hours, every week or two
- **Builds:** Friendship skills, belonging
- **Evidence:** Emerging. In a study of 393 fourth- and fifth-graders, having a mutual best friend protected against a worsening cycle of being picked on ([Hodges et al., 1999](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9923467/)), and the AAP encourages welcoming friends home and coaching friendship skills ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/power-of-play/Pages/what-parents-can-do-to-support-friendships.aspx)). Playdates themselves haven't been studied.

1. Let your child choose one friend to invite.
2. Plan one simple shared activity, then step back.
3. Afterward, talk about what went well and any bumps.

**Make it work:** When your child visits a friend's home, ask about guns and safe storage, just as you'd ask about pets or allergies ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Handguns-in-the-Home.aspx)).

### Emergency skills drill

- **Time:** 10 minutes, once a month
- **Builds:** Safety knowledge, confidence
- **Evidence:** Emerging. The AAP recommends that children know key phone numbers and when to call 911, and talk through emergencies, before they're ever left alone ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Is-Your-Child-Ready-to-Stay-Home-Alone.aspx)); drills like this haven't been studied.

1. Practice saying your full address and a parent's phone number.
2. Role-play "What would you do if..." with a smoke alarm, someone getting hurt, or a knock at the door.
3. Practice a pretend 911 call, including staying on the line until help arrives ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/Pages/Calling-911-How-and-When-to-Call-for-Help.aspx)).

**Make it work:** Add body safety: surprises are fine, but any secret that feels wrong gets told to a trusted adult ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Sexual-Abuse.aspx)).

## Common questions

### How much sleep does a 7-year-old need?

Most 7-year-olds need 9 to 12 hours of sleep a night. That's the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's recommendation for ages 6 to 12, and the AAP supports it ([Paruthi et al., 2016](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27250809/); [AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/sleep/Pages/healthy-sleep-habits-how-many-hours-does-your-child-need.aspx)). If your child wakes at 7 a.m., that means asleep somewhere between 7 and 10 p.m. Keep wake-up times similar every day, keep screens out of the bedroom, and turn them off at least an hour before bed ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/sleep/Pages/healthy-sleep-habits-how-many-hours-does-your-child-need.aspx)).

### How much screen time is OK for a 7-year-old?

There's no single number; the AAP's current advice focuses on what kids watch and play, and on protecting sleep, activity, and family time. Its 2026 policy moves beyond screen-time limits alone ([Munzer et al., 2026](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41556917/)). Make a family media plan, keep bedrooms and meals screen-free, watch and play together, and use shared devices and parental controls ([Munzer, AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/helping-kids-thrive-in-a-digital-world-AAP-policy-explained.aspx)). If screens are crowding out sleep, daily activity, homework, or friends, cut back.

### Is it normal for a 7-year-old to wet the bed?

Yes, it's common. The AAP says up to 10% of children still wet the bed at 7, it's 2 to 3 times more common in boys, and it often runs in families ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/genitourinary-tract/Pages/Nocturnal-Enuresis-in-Teens.aspx)). It's not your child's fault and shouldn't be punished. Skipping caffeine, salty snacks, and sugary drinks in the evening can help. About half of children who use a bedwetting alarm properly stay dry after a few weeks ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/genitourinary-tract/Pages/Nocturnal-Enuresis-in-Teens.aspx)). Talk with your pediatrician about it, especially if your child was dry for 6 months and started wetting again, or also has daytime accidents, pain when peeing, constipation, or loud snoring ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/genitourinary-tract/Pages/Nocturnal-Enuresis-in-Teens.aspx)).

### What chores can a 7-year-old do?

Most 7-year-olds can make their bed, set and clear the table, pack their lunch, put toys away, sort laundry, sweep, empty wastebaskets, feed a pet, and water plants ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/communication-discipline/Pages/Chores-and-Responsibility.aspx)). By 8, many can add vacuuming, helping make dinner, making their own snacks, and putting away laundry and groceries ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/communication-discipline/Pages/Chores-and-Responsibility.aspx)). Teach one new job at a time and praise the effort, not perfection. See [Family jobs that build real competence](#family-jobs-that-build-real-competence) above and [chores by age](https://chorevia.com/blog/chores-by-age-what-to-pay).

### Should I pay my 7-year-old for chores?

Research doesn't settle it; one approach is to keep everyday family jobs unpaid and pay only for optional extra jobs. Lab studies suggest expected rewards can dampen kids' interest in tasks they enjoy, though others dispute how far that reaches ([Deci et al., 1999](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10589297/); [Eisenberger et al., 1999](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10589299/)). Either way, give your child some money they control to practice saving and choosing; see [Earning: allowance and paid extras](#earning-allowance-and-paid-extras).

### Can my 7-year-old stay home alone?

For most 7-year-olds, not yet. The AAP says most children aren't mature enough to be home alone regularly until about 10 or 11, though some parents may leave a mature 8- or 9-year-old for half an hour once in a while ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Is-Your-Child-Ready-to-Stay-Home-Alone.aspx)). There's no national minimum age. A few states set one, ranging from 8 to 14 ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Is-Your-Child-Ready-to-Stay-Home-Alone.aspx)), such as Maryland at 8, Oregon at 10, and Illinois at 14 depending on the length of time; most states set none ([TODAY, 2025](https://www.today.com/parents/when-can-kids-stay-home-alone-rcna172938)). Check your own state's rules. For now, build the skills: your address, phone numbers, and when to call 911.

### When can my child stop using a booster seat?

When the adult seat belt fits, which is typically at 4 feet 9 inches tall and between 8 and 12 years old; most kids need a booster until 10 to 12 ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx)). The belt fits when the lap belt lies low across the upper thighs, the shoulder belt crosses the middle of the chest and shoulder, and your child can sit all the way back with knees bent at the seat's edge without slouching for the whole trip ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx)). All children under 13 should ride in the back seat.

### Is my 7-year-old's worrying normal, or is it anxiety?

Some worry is normal; talk with your pediatrician when it gets in the way of sleep, school, play, or family life. The AAP gives examples like trouble sleeping alone, playing outside, or going to school, and notes anxious kids may complain of feeling sick ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/Pages/help-your-child-manage-fears-and-anxieties.aspx)). The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends routine anxiety screening from age 8, but you can raise concerns at any age ([USPSTF, 2022](https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/screening-anxiety-children-adolescents)). Treatment works, including CBT and programs led by parents (see [the research](#what-the-research-says)).

### How do I know if my 7-year-old has ADHD?

Only an evaluation can tell, but the signs are ongoing trouble with attention, activity, or impulse control that causes real problems at home, at school, or with friends. CDC lists signs such as daydreaming a lot, losing things, fidgeting, talking too much, careless mistakes, and trouble taking turns, and notes that sleep problems, anxiety, and learning disabilities can look similar ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/signs-symptoms/index.html)). The AAP's guideline calls for evaluating children with school or behavior problems plus these symptoms, using parent and teacher reports, and requires symptoms in more than one setting ([Wolraich et al., 2019](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31570648/)). About 11.7% of US children aged 3 to 17 had a current diagnosis in 2024 ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/data/index.html)). If your child is one of the youngest in the class, make sure that's considered ([Layton et al., 2018](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30485780/)).

### My 7-year-old is behind in reading. Should I wait and see?

No, ask for help now; reading support works best in the early grades. In one study, intensive help in first or second grade produced nearly twice the gains in basic word reading as the same help in third grade ([Lovett et al., 2017](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35664550/)). Talk with the teacher and your pediatrician if your child has trouble sounding out words, spelling, following directions, or remembering what they've learned ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/learning-disabilities/Pages/Learning-Disabilities-What-Parents-Need-To-Know.aspx)). You can also ask the school for a special education evaluation. If the school agrees one is needed, it's free, and it must generally be done within 60 days of your consent unless your state sets its own timeline ([Parent Center Hub](https://www.parentcenterhub.org/evaluation/)).

### How much homework should a 7-year-old have?

A common rule of thumb is about 10 minutes per grade per night, or roughly 20 minutes for a second-grader ([Duke Today, 2006](https://today.duke.edu/2006/03/homework.html)). In a synthesis of US research, homework was more weakly tied to achievement in elementary school than in grades 7 to 12 ([Cooper et al., 2006](https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ751143)), so early homework is mostly about routine and responsibility. If homework regularly takes much longer or ends in tears, talk with the teacher.

### Is it normal for a 7-year-old to have body odor or breast buds?

It can be, but mention it to your pediatrician: body odor, sometimes with a little underarm or pubic hair, is often premature adrenarche, which generally needs no treatment ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/puberty/Pages/Premature-Adrenarche-Information-for-Parents.aspx); [AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/puberty/Pages/When-Puberty-Starts-Early.aspx)). Breast development can start as early as 7 in some girls ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/Your-Childs-Checkups/Pages/your-checkup-checklist-7-years-old.aspx)), but the AAP generally defines puberty before 8 in girls or before 9 in boys as early ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/puberty/Pages/When-Puberty-Starts-Early.aspx)). Tell your pediatrician about breast growth, genital changes, or a sudden growth spurt; they may check a growth chart and order tests ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/puberty/Pages/When-Puberty-Starts-Early.aspx)).

## Safety and when to get help

### Boosters and the back seat

If your child still fits the height and weight limits of a forward-facing seat with a harness, keep using it; boosters are for kids who have outgrown one. Then use a booster until the seat belt fits (see [the booster question](#when-can-my-child-stop-using-a-booster-seat)). Boosters need a lap-and-shoulder belt, never a lap belt alone, and children under 13 ride in the back ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx)).

### Streets, bikes, and e-bikes

Most children aren't ready to cross streets alone until at least 10; until then, walk with them and practice ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/all-around/Pages/pedestrian-safety-tips-for-families.aspx)). A helmet goes on for every ride, however short; most bike crashes happen near home ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Bicycle-Safety-Myths-And-Facts.aspx)). The AAP, citing the Consumer Product Safety Commission, says no e-bikes for children under 12 ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/ask-the-pediatrician/Pages/are-electric-bikes-e-bikes-safe-for-children.aspx)).

### Water

For children aged 5 to 14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional-injury death, after car crashes ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/drowning/data-research/facts/index.html)). Formal swim lessons can reduce drowning risk ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/drowning/prevention/index.html)); most children in lessons can master the front crawl by 5 or 6 ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Swim-Lessons.aspx)). Lessons don't replace supervision. Assign an adult to watch children in or near water, without phones or alcohol, even when lifeguards are present, and use life jackets in open water ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/drowning/prevention/index.html)).

### Guns in the home and at friends' homes

Firearms are now the leading cause of death for US children and teens, and roughly a third of US homes with children have guns ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Handguns-in-the-Home.aspx)). The safest home has no guns. If you keep one, store it locked and unloaded, with ammunition locked separately, and keep keys and combinations away from children. More than a third of unintentional shootings of children happen in the homes of friends, neighbors, or relatives, so ask before playdates. Teach your child to stay away from any gun they find and tell an adult, but teaching alone isn't enough to keep kids safe ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Handguns-in-the-Home.aspx)).

### Poisons and medicines

If your child swallows something they shouldn't, or gets the wrong medicine or dose, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 or use the webPOISONCONTROL tool. Both are free and confidential. Call 911 instead if your child collapses, has a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be woken ([National Capital Poison Center](https://www.poison.org/)).

### Online life

Shared family devices, co-viewing, and parental controls make it easier to know what your child sees ([Munzer, AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/helping-kids-thrive-in-a-digital-world-AAP-policy-explained.aspx)). Teach your child to keep personal information private ([CFPB](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/money-as-you-grow/school-age-children-preteens/)) and to tell you about anything online that upsets them.

### Body safety

Abusers are usually someone the child knows. The AAP says children who feel in control of their bodies are less likely to be targeted and more likely to tell a trusted adult if abuse happens; teaching real names for body parts and which secrets must be told is part of that ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Sexual-Abuse.aspx)).

### Sports and head injuries

After a blow to the head, take your child out of play if they seem dazed, confused, clumsy, or not themselves. A possible concussion needs to be seen by a doctor, and your child shouldn't return to sports until a healthcare provider clears them ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/heads-up/response/index.html)). Call 911 or go to the emergency department for danger signs: a seizure, not recognizing people or places, repeated vomiting, increasing confusion or agitation, passing out or being hard to wake, slurred speech or weakness, a headache that keeps getting worse, or unequal pupils ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/heads-up/signs-symptoms/index.html)).

### A knocked-out permanent tooth

A knocked-out permanent tooth, often from a fall or sports injury, is a dental emergency. It has the best chance of being saved if it goes back in the socket within 15 minutes. Hold it by the crown, rinse gently with milk or saline (not tap water, and don't scrub), try to put it back, or keep it moist in milk, and go to the dentist or ER right away ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/Pages/First-Aid-for-a-Knocked-Out-Permanent-Tooth.aspx)).

### Call 911 if your child

- Has trouble breathing, or skin or lips that look blue, purple, or gray
- Is unresponsive, hard to wake, or becoming less alert
- Has a seizure (rhythmic jerking with loss of responsiveness)
- Has a head injury with confusion, vomiting, headache, or trouble walking
- Has bleeding that won't stop, or a deep or large cut or burn
- Has a rapidly spreading purple or red rash, or a stiff neck with headache and fever ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/Pages/When-to-Call-Emergency-Medical-Services-EMS.aspx))

If you call, stay on the line until help arrives ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/Pages/Calling-911-How-and-When-to-Call-for-Help.aspx)).

### Call your pediatrician if your child

- Has a fever and looks more than mildly ill, or has severe vomiting or diarrhea ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/Pages/When-to-Call-Emergency-Medical-Services-EMS.aspx))
- Has worry or fears that keep getting worse or get in the way of daily life ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/Pages/help-your-child-manage-fears-and-anxieties.aspx))
- Starts wetting the bed again after being dry for 6 months, or has daytime accidents or pain when peeing ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/genitourinary-tract/Pages/Nocturnal-Enuresis-in-Teens.aspx))
- Shows signs of puberty before 8 (girls) or 9 (boys) ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/puberty/Pages/When-Puberty-Starts-Early.aspx))
- Has headaches, stomachaches, school avoidance, a sudden loss of friends, or unexplained injuries, which can be signs of bullying ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Bullying-Its-Not-Ok.aspx))
- Has ongoing trouble with attention, reading, writing, or math ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/signs-symptoms/index.html); [AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/learning-disabilities/Pages/Learning-Disabilities-What-Parents-Need-To-Know.aspx))

**In a mental health crisis,** for your child or yourself, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or chat at 988lifeline.org ([988 Lifeline](https://988lifeline.org/)). If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911.

### The 7- and 8-year checkups

The AAP recommends a checkup every year. At 7 and 8, expect height, weight, BMI, and blood pressure; a full exam; and a behavioral, social, and emotional screen. Vision and hearing are checked at 7 if your child has risk factors, and screened for everyone at 8 ([AAP, 2025](https://downloads.aap.org/AAP/PDF/periodicity_schedule.pdf)). Your pediatrician will likely ask about school progress, friendships, bullying, chores, and puberty ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/Your-Childs-Checkups/Pages/your-checkup-checklist-7-years-old.aspx)). Bring the teacher's notes on reading, math, and behavior.

At 7 and 8, the vaccines on the AAP's 2026 schedule are a yearly flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine as recommended for the age group. Next come HPV, which can start at 9, and Tdap and meningococcal vaccines at 11 to 12 ([AAP, 2026](https://downloads.aap.org/HC/EN/adolescentvaccineschedule.pdf)). Missed doses can be caught up without restarting a series ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/Your-Childs-Checkups/Pages/your-checkup-checklist-7-years-old.aspx)). US guidance has been in flux. The AAP's 2026 schedule differs from the CDC's ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/news/Pages/AAPs-recommended-childhood-and-adolescent-immunization-schedule-for-2026.aspx)). In March 2026, a federal judge paused the CDC's January 2026 schedule changes ([KFF, 2026](https://www.kff.org/quick-insights/the-courts-opening-shot-on-federal-vaccine-policy-changes/)), and the government has appealed ([STAT, 2026](https://www.statnews.com/2026/04/29/hhs-appealing-acip-vaccine-policy-lawsuit-ruling/)). In August 2026, the AAP and more than 210 other groups opposed a presidential executive order that would reduce and space out routine childhood vaccines ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/immunizations/Pages/Recommended-Immunization-Schedules.aspx)). Ask your pediatrician which schedule they follow.

Between checkups, keep up dental visits and ask about sealants for the new molars ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/oral-health/prevention/about-dental-sealants.html)).

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