Physical Development of an Eight Year Old

Independence

• At 8 years old your child has mastered many tasks to become more independent such as bathing himself and preparing small meals. Children at this age are comfortable preparing and taking a bath or shower. Slight guidance such as providing soap and washcloths may be helpful. Your 8-year-old is also ready to prepare breakfast and lunch for himself. A child at this age is responsible enough to work the toaster or prepare cereal with milk. Packing a school lunch is not a problem either, with some guidance. An 8-year-old is still a child, so give him choices of foods to pack his lunch. To help encourage that independence and responsibility, give her tasks around the house that she must accomplish each day.

Motor Skills

• Playing in early childhood was once about practice and learning. That has now transformed into building strength, muscle and coordination. An 8-year-old is developing motor skills such as balancing, throwing, hitting and catching a ball, riding a bike and climbing trees. These skills will prepare your child to take part in team sports such as baseball, basketball, dance or gymnastics.

Social Skills

• Children are beginning to enjoy interaction with others, and joining an extracurricular activity is the perfect outlet for an 8-year-old to develop his social skills. Kids enjoy developing their abilities and learning from others. They also enjoy expressing their viewpoint and getting feedback from their peers. This is also the stage at which children begin to understand they can stand out and become the group leader, set rules or make suggestions to the group. This is when they develop their roles in life. Some children do not want to be the group leader, but establish team support.

Artistic Skills

• Developing creative and artistic skills encourages physical development in children, as well. These skills not only include art projects, but also dance and theater involvement. Children at this age are more open to new experiences and dance or theater involvement improve physical and mental development. Children can create and complete dance sequences then improve upon them. Working in theater, children can learn a great character then improve the dialogue and steps on stage.

Parenting

• Parenting an 8-year-old child takes patience and lots of support. As your child develops physically, he will also need mental and emotional nurturing. When your child completes a task at home, ensure you give praise for a job well done. Children appreciate parents watching their activities and encouraging them and solidifying that it was a great try and they can do better next time--or praising the game-winning hit. Parental involvement and encouragement is vital at any age.