Care by age: 1 to 5 years
Toddlers and preschoolers: big feelings, small appetites, endless questions
Tantrums, picky eating, potty training, colds every other week and the first day of preschool. The years from 1 to 5 are when habits form and language explodes. Here is what families ask us most, and what belongs in the cabinet.
NCQAPatient-Centered Medical HomeWhat these years are about
Language, independence and routines
Between 1 and 5, growth slows and skills take over: walking, talking in sentences, playing with other children, using the toilet, sitting through a story. Well visits at 15 and 18 months, 2, 2½, 3, 4 and 5 years track development with standardized screening, including autism screening at 18 and 24 months, and cover vaccines, vision, hearing, teeth, sleep and behavior.
This is also the age of 8 to 10 colds a year, especially in daycare. Most need no medicine, and we help you tell the ordinary from the ones that need a visit.
Most common questions
What families of toddlers and preschoolers ask us
Tantrums and big feelings
Normal from 18 months to 4 years. How to respond in the moment and prevent the predictable ones.
Picky eating
You decide what and when; your child decides how much. What to stop doing at the table.
Potty training
Readiness signs, a method that works, and why constipation stalls everything.
Coughs and colds
Which symptoms are ordinary, which need a visit, and why cold medicines are not for children under 4.
Milestones and speech
What to expect at each age and the signs that mean an earlier look, including for autism.
Screen time
About an hour a day of good content, watched together, for ages 2 to 5. None in bedrooms.
Teething and teeth
Molars, brushing with fluoride, and the first dental visit by age 1.
Sun, heat and hydration
Sunscreen, shade, water and the signs of heat illness for active little bodies.
Healthy weight
Drinks, sleep, screens and movement: the four levers that keep growth on track, for the whole family.
Medicine cabinet
Over-the-counter basics from 1 to 5
| Situation | What is appropriate | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Fever or pain | Acetaminophen every 4 to 6 hours or ibuprofen every 6 to 8 hours, dosed by weight; fluids and rest | Aspirin; alternating both without a plan; “infant” and “children’s” liquids mixed up (different concentrations) |
| Cough and cold | Saline spray, a humidifier, honey for cough from age 1, fluids, upright sleep | Cough and cold medicines under 4; cough medicines from 4 to 6 only with our advice |
| Seasonal allergies | Cetirizine or loratadine (children’s formulations, from age 2), saline rinses | Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) for allergies or sleep; combination products |
| Vomiting and diarrhea | Oral rehydration solution in small frequent sips, then normal diet as tolerated | Anti-diarrhea and anti-nausea medicines; sports drinks and juice as rehydration |
| Constipation | Fiber, water, fruit; polyethylene glycol (MiraLAX) with our guidance on dose and duration | Enemas and stimulant laxatives without asking us |
| Rashes and itching | Fragrance-free moisturizer; 1% hydrocortisone for small itchy patches for a few days; calamine for bug bites | Steroid creams on the face or diaper area without asking us; antibiotic ointment on large areas |
| Cuts and scrapes | Soap and water, petroleum jelly, a bandage | Hydrogen peroxide or alcohol on wounds; ointments with neomycin (allergy) |
| Sun | Broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher, reapplied every 2 hours; hats and shade at midday | Spray sunscreens near the face; tanning |
| Head lice (from age 2) | 1% permethrin lotion as directed, repeated on day 9; wet-combing every 3 days | Home remedies; treating without live lice |
Questions
Toddler and preschool questions
My 2-year-old is not talking much. Should I wait?
No. By 2, most children say 50 words and put two together. Fewer than that, or losing words, deserves a hearing test and a developmental look now; early speech therapy through Babies Can’t Wait is free before age 3. Call us.
How many colds are too many?
Eight to ten a year is typical in daycare. Colds that each last over 10 to 14 days, ear infections every month, pneumonia, or poor growth are the pattern that needs a visit.
Do you do the preschool and daycare forms?
Yes. Georgia Form 3300 (ear, eye and dental) and Form 3231 (immunizations) are completed at the well visit; bring the school’s form if it has its own.
When should we see a dentist?
By the first birthday and every 6 months after. We apply fluoride varnish at well visits until your child has a dental home.
Need a well visit or a sick visit?
Same-day sick visits every weekday. Call or text (770) 615-7000, or use the patient portal.