Building a weekly routine for your child helps establish his sleeping and eating schedule, as well as helping him build a better concept of time. Your four year old makes connections based on what he experiences. For example, if you pick up your child from school every day after lunch, that is when he will be expecting you.
Your child is building a better understanding of time. While he cannot yet tell time, he understands basic ideas such as tomorrow, yesterday, and what part of the day something will happen. You can build on these skills by having a weekly calendar for your child that shows what day it is and what is happening that day. You can have him place pictures and words on the calendar and together talk about what events and activities occur each day.
Safety
Safety is even more important for your child during this age because he has developed more gross motor skills. He is also ready and willing to challenge his gross motor abilities and this will result in frequent injuries. Your child is riding a tricycle, running, jumping, and climbing with ease.
Traffic and street safety:
Do not have your child play near streets, and talk to your child about not chasing any balls or toys if they go into the street. Your child should play in a fenced yard or playground with a barrier between him and traffic. Driveways are also dangerous. Walk behind your car before you back out of your driveway to be sure your child is not behind the car. You may not see your child in the rear view mirror. Encourage children to walk in front of the car when they get out so you can always see them.
Strangers:
Four years old is an important time to start talking about strangers. Talk to your child about what to do if someone he doesn’t know approaches him. Let him know that if a stranger approaches him, he should start yelling and run, immediately tell you or his caregiver, and not take anything that a stranger gives him.
Playground equipment:
Before letting your child explore the playground, take a walk around the park and check the equipment to make sure the surface under the play equipment is soft enough to absorb a fall. Look for things like shredded rubber, sand, and woodchips or bark; loose filler should be at least nine inches deep under the play equipment. Have your child in sight so that you can monitor how high he climbs on the playground equipment.
Helmet:
Have your child wear a helmet when riding his tricycle, using a scooter, or skating. Some four year olds have transitioned out of a tricycle and can ride a bicycle. Make sure that your child is refitted for a helmet to insure that the brain is protected.
Chemicals:
Keep chemicals and cleaning solutions out of reach.
Car seats:
Four year olds still need a car seat every time they are in the car. The safest place for all children to ride is in the back seat. At four years of age your child will likely still be in a forward-facing car seat and not yet a booster. It is important to follow the recommended weight and height requirements for each car seat. And each state has its own age, weight, and height requirements for when it is safe to transition out of a booster into a regular seatbelt or be safe in the front seat.
