As parents, we want to do everything we can to keep our children healthy. Regular wellness visits to your children’s doctor, proper shots, and a steady routine of healthy food, physical activity, and enough rest will go a long way toward helping your children grow up healthy and happy.

Shots protect children of all ages against many illnesses and diseases that could be serious, or even deadly. From the time they are born, parents and families should follow a schedule of shots to protect their children’s health. Your children’s doctor will help you stay up-to-date with their shots, many of which are required for them to begin school.

Your children’s doctor will also check their development to make sure they are growing normally. A developmental screening is a test that tells a doctor if children are learning basic skills when they should, or if they might be having problems. Your children's doctor may ask you questions or talk and play with your children during a checkup to see how they speak, behave, and move. Since there is no lab or blood test to tell if your children might have a delay, the developmental screening will help the doctor decide if your children need to see a specialist.

Your children’s doctor will also check their hearing and vision, as well as your children’s weight. The doctor will want to know about your family’s medical history, which will provide useful information about whether your children might be at a higher risk for certain conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, or high blood pressure. The doctor also can test for asthma and allergies, which have become more common among children.

Emotional Health

Your involvement is very important to your children’s healthy development and emotional growth. As your children’s first teacher and role model, you have a huge effect on what and how they learn.

Children watch and absorb how you interact and get along with others; how you handle stress, conflict, and other tough situations; and how you take care of your own health. Spending time with your children reading, playing, and talking lets them know they are important and will help them feel secure and develop self confidence. Feeling secure and confident will help your children be emotionally healthy and successful learners.

Parents also need to be physically and emotionally healthy. Make an effort to eat right, get enough rest, and stay physically active—something you can do together with your children. Not only will you feel better, you will be setting an excellent example for your children.

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Related Websites

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The CDC has many resources for parents about keeping children healthy, getting vaccines, and avoiding the flu and other illnesses.

American Academy of Pediatrics
This website has information about shots and includes video on preventing obesity, healthy eating, sleep patterns, and other issues related to children’s health and wellness.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Parents can find research-based information on many different topics affecting children’s health and wellness, including diet, diabetes, injury, and reading disabilities.