10 Things Your Kids Should Know by Age 5

Preschoolers of the 21st century are expected to know a great deal when they enter kindergarten. Many kindergarten teachers desire their students to know how to recognize and write their first and last name, know their numbers and colors and much more. There is much expectation placed on young children to be studious and eager to learn. Many parents wanting their children to meet these general expectations fail to provide their children with important things (in life) that they should know by the age of 5 and these things are below.

1. Your children should know their first and last name by the age of 5 or before they turn. They should know how to write their name and if possibly their last name. Teachers in kindergarten will teach your children how to print their first and last name but even if your child can not write their name they should be able to recognize it on paper.

2. Your children should know their full home address including the city and state. If the child lives in an apartment they should know the apartment number and street address for example; 28 Greenburg Street apartment 4.

3. Your children should know their home phone number including the area code. It might be difficult for some children to know more than one number so it's best to teach them the main phone number; the number of the phone that is used the most.

4. Your children should know their parent's and siblings names. They don't necessarily have to know how to spell these names but they should know these names. For instance your children should know that mommy's other name is Sharon Welsh and Daddy's other name is Franklin Welsh. It would be good if your children knew the real names of the ones they are closest to such as close family (grandma, uncles, aunts) or friends.

5. Your children should know their birthdates including the birth year. They should also know their age.

6. Your children should know what number to call during an emergency (911.) They should know that the police and fire people can be reached through this number if there is an emergency. They should also know that 911 is only for emergencies. This is very important to teach children as knowing this can unexpectedly save a life.

7. Your children should know what to do during a fire. There are many books available to teach children about fire safety. You should visit your local library to rent books about fire safety. There is also the famous crime biting dog Mcgruff's website http://mcgruff.org/ that teaches children about fire safety and safety in general through the use of fun, interactive games. Sesame street's website also has an Elmo fire safety game that teaches children about fire (which I will link below.) Make sure that your children understand the dangers of fire and what to do during a fire.

8. Your children should be able to discern safe people (fire fighters, doctors, teachers, security officers, employees in uniform) from strangers (people that you do not know even if you might say hi to them.) This is very important. The Mcgruff crime dog website also has great games on the website that deals with this topic.

9. Your children should know about good touch (such as hugs) and bad touch (touching private areas.) It is okay to teach your children the correct names of body parts both boy and girl body parts. You should also teach them about what good touch means and bad touch means and what to do if they ever received a bad touch. Also let them know about keeping their hands to themselves and not touching others in inappropriate ways.

10. Your kids should know all about please and thank yous. Teach your kids the importance of having manners. Teach them the basic manners as well as table manners. Teaching children the correct way to interact with others will help them to easily adapt to society as they get older.