Tips for five year olds

In my experience, by five your child is probably:

• separating from you comfortably, maybe even eagerly, especially if they're going to play at a friend's house
• feeling more secure when away from you
• learning the value of friends
• being more willing to help around the house, doing chores like setting the table

Work on finding the balance between nurturing and protecting your child and encouraging independence (which you'll probably do for the rest of your life). Allow them to explore and experiment so they become more confident in new situations, such as school. Trying lots of new activities like sports, arts and crafts or drama can really help here.

One of the challenges I see all the time with Perform mums is resisting the temptation to continue jumping in and saying "I'll do it" when you see your child struggling with something new. All children develop at different rates and achieve milestones at different times. So, if your child isn't doing everything on the list, give it some time. You know your child better than anyone else, so trust your instincts about what's normal and what's not. And if you ever have any concerns about your child's development, talk to your child's doctor or teacher.

Here are some of my hints and tips on issues that may be of interest to parents of five year olds. I hope you find them useful.