Care by age: 5 to 12 years
School years: learning, friends, sports and the first signs of puberty
From kindergarten to middle school, health means school forms, attention and learning, sleep, weight, sports injuries, lice notes and the start of puberty. Here is what families of school-age children ask us most, and what belongs in the cabinet.
NCQAPatient-Centered Medical HomeWhat these years are about
Steady growth, a widening world
Growth is steady at about 2 inches a year until the puberty spurt, and the real changes are in the mind and the social world: reading, attention, friendships, screens, self-esteem. Yearly well visits check growth and blood pressure, vision and hearing, school and emotional health, and vaccines, with the 11-to-12-year visit adding Tdap, meningococcal and HPV vaccines and a first conversation about puberty.
We complete school and sports forms at the visit, and we work with school counselors on 504 plans and IEPs when learning or attention needs support.
Most common questions
What families of school-age children ask us
Attention and ADHD
Signs at each age, how we evaluate with teacher input, and how to get a 504 plan or IEP.
Back-to-school checklist
Forms, vaccines, sleep schedules, backpacks and the first-week jitters.
Bedwetting
Common, inherited and involuntary. What helps at home and when an alarm or medicine makes sense.
Head lice
How to check, treat and stop the cycle, and why your child can stay in school.
Asthma at school
An action plan for school and sports, and how to keep asthma from limiting anything.
Healthy weight
BMI trends, the four family levers, and how we help without shame.
Screen time and sleep
Consistent limits, no screens in bedrooms, 9 to 12 hours of sleep.
Puberty starting early
What is normal from 8 in girls and 9 in boys, what is early, and how to talk about it.
Diabetes prevention
Type 1 warning signs every parent should know, and how we screen for type 2 risk from age 10.
Medicine cabinet
Over-the-counter basics from 5 to 12
| Situation | What is appropriate | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Fever, headache, aches | Acetaminophen or ibuprofen dosed by weight (chewables or liquid); children over about 95 lb may use adult tablets, ask us | Aspirin (Reye syndrome); acetaminophen doubled up in combination products |
| Cough and cold | Saline, honey, fluids, a humidifier; from age 6, a single-ingredient product if it clearly helps sleep | Multi-symptom cold medicines; decongestants under 12 |
| Allergies | Cetirizine, loratadine or fexofenadine daily in season; steroid nasal spray (fluticasone) from age 4 with our guidance | Diphenhydramine for daily allergies; nasal decongestant sprays for more than 3 days |
| Sports injuries | Rest, ice, compression, elevation; ibuprofen for a day or two | Playing through pain; “walking it off” a possible concussion |
| Stomach aches and constipation | Fiber, water, regular toilet time after meals; polyethylene glycol with our guidance | Anti-diarrheal medicines; laxatives long term without a plan |
| Head lice | 1% permethrin or pyrethrin, repeated on day 9, plus wet-combing; prescription if live lice persist | Mayonnaise, oils, sprays around the house |
| Skin | Sunscreen SPF 30+, moisturizer for eczema, 1% hydrocortisone briefly for itchy spots, benzoyl peroxide wash for early acne | Sharing towels or razors; tanning |
| Motion sickness | Front-facing seat, fresh air, light snacks; dimenhydrinate from age 2 or meclizine from 12, with our advice | Screens in the car for children who get sick |
Questions
School-age questions
Can you complete sports physicals and the GHSA form?
Yes, at a well visit or a dedicated sports physical. Bring the school or GHSA form; we screen heart, lungs, joints, vision, and concussion history.
My child has a headache every week. Is that normal?
Headaches are common in school-age children and usually from sleep, screens, skipped meals, dehydration or stress. Weekly headaches, headaches that wake a child, or headaches with vomiting or vision changes need a visit.
When do you start talking about puberty?
At the 8- or 9-year visit for girls and 9 or 10 for boys, before the changes, so nothing surprises them. See the puberty guide.
What vaccines come at 11 to 12?
Tdap, meningococcal ACWY, and the two-dose HPV series, plus yearly flu. Starting HPV at 11 or 12 means only two doses and the strongest protection.
School and sports forms, done at the visit
Schedule the yearly well visit before school starts and leave with the forms complete. Call or text (770) 615-7000.