Parenting Your Child From 3 to 5 Years

From 3 to 5 years

"It's not easy, but it's worth every moment. It's definitely one of the hardest things you'll ever do – being a parent – but it also has the best rewards."

In the video, we hear from Erika, a Well Child Tamariki Ora nurse. She explains ...

"The best advice that I could give at this age would be to spend as much time together doing things, so that children are learning at the same time, as well as you're there supervising them, letting them do stuff, and that's the best way to learn, to have fun, and be safe together."

"The best practice you can do is supervising your children when they brush their teeth, and making sure that they brush morning and night. Using a soft toothbrush with a smear of family fluoride toothpaste is recommended."

"The B4 School Check involves a hearing and a vision test. They see us. There's a questionnaire that parents need to fill out. And it also involves pre-school teachers doing a bit of an assessment."

Teeth

By about 3 years of age your child will have their first set of teeth - 20 'baby' teeth. Healthy baby teeth usually mean healthy adult teeth too, so it's important you look after your child's first teeth. 

See the KidsHealth page on caring for your child's teeth to learn more.

Nutrition

There are lots of things you can do to help your child learn healthy eating habits right from the start. 

See the KidsHealth section on healthy eating for more tips.

Fussy eating

Fussy eating is common in tamariki, and it's common for them to dislike certain foods. Tamariki will gradually eat and explore new foods as they get older. Providing healthy food and an enjoyable eating environment for your child will help them enjoy mealtimes.

See the KidsHealth page on fussy eating to learn more.

Sleep needs

Tamariki need sleep to grow and develop. Sleep needs vary and change as they grow. Knowing what to expect at each stage helps you understand your baby's sleep needs as they grow.

See the KidsHealth page on normal sleep in toddlers from 3 to 5 years.

Development 

Tamariki are natural learners and between birth and 5 years, tamariki grow and learn at the fastest rate of their lifetime. There are many ways of learning - tamariki learn by watching, by listening and especially by doing. 

See the KidsHealth section on learning and development for more information. 

B4 School Check

The B4 School Check is a free health and development check for your 4 year old. It's the final Well Child Tamariki Ora check. It helps give your child the best start at school. 

Check the KidsHealth page to learn more about the B4 School Check. 

Safe home environment

Make sure your home environment is safe for your baby. Never leave tamariki, especially those under 5 years of age, unsupervised near water, including baths, buckets and water troughs. Keep medicine in a high place out of reach and out of sight of children. 

See the KidsHealth section on injury prevention for more tips.

Learn about the app Whare Kahikā that helps you to create a safe physical home environment for tamariki.

Managing tantrums

Tantrums are common in tamariki (children). They are a normal part of child development. Find out about what may trigger tantrums in your child and what you can do when they happen.

See the KidsHealth page on tantrums for more information.

Toilet training

Not all tamariki are the same when it comes to toilet training. You may see signs that your child is ready for toilet training from around 2 years old. Some tamariki may be ready from as early as 18 months. Learn about the signs tamariki show when they are ready for toilet training.

See the KidsHealth page on toilet training to learn more.

Smoke-free environment

Make sure your baby's environment is smoke-free. Cigarette smoke is very harmful for your baby.

If you want to give up smoking:

• call the free Quitline Me Mutu on 0800 778 778 or text 4006
• check out the website Quitline
• ask a health professional

When to see a health professional 

Pēpi and young tamariki get sick often – it's a normal part of childhood. Get help quickly if your child shows any danger signs. 

See KidsHealth for advice about when to seek help if your child is sick.

Call PlunketLine on 0800 933 922 for parenting advice.