Helpful Tips for Parents

• Annual well-child visits are essential even when the child appears healthy. Vision, hearing, developmental, and growth screening catch issues that aren't visible to parents.

• Mental health monitoring in preschoolers matters. Persistent anxiety, sadness, regression, or aggression that interferes with daily life warrants a conversation with the child's pediatrician.

• Vaccine-preventable diseases are still a risk. Following the CDC immunization schedule is the most evidence-based health decision a parent makes on a child's behalf.

• Sunscreen use in childhood significantly reduces lifetime skin cancer risk. Establish the sunscreen habit early — children who wear it become adults who wear it.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I keep my preschooler home from school?

Standard exclusion criteria: fever above 100.4°F (38°C), vomiting or diarrhea in the past 24 hours, a rash with fever or unknown cause, pink eye (conjunctivitis) that is weeping and contagious, or a child too ill to participate in activities. A child can return: fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication, diarrhea/vomiting-free for 24 hours, rash identified as non-contagious, pink eye treated for 24 hours with antibiotic. Runny nose, mild cough without fever, and general tiredness are not sufficient reasons to exclude from school.

What is the right age to start dental visits?

The American Dental Association recommends the first dental visit when the first tooth appears, or by the child's first birthday, whichever comes first. The purpose of early dental visits: establishing the child's comfort with the dental environment, monitoring tooth development, assessing for early decay, and providing parent education on dental hygiene. Many families wait until age 2–3, which is still valuable. The most important home dental care: twice-daily brushing with rice-sized fluoride toothpaste (from first tooth through age 3) and pea-sized amount thereafter, flossing when teeth touch, and limiting juice and sugary snacks.

Related reading: See also our preschool sleep guide and our water safety guide for more ideas on this topic.

🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 🧼 Hygiene Habits — Learning and practicing hygiene routines — handwashing, toothbrushing — establishes automatic habits that protect health throughout life and builds the self-care independence that school and daily life require.
• 🎯 Self-Care Independence — Practicing health-related self-care — managing bathroom needs, blowing their own nose, recognizing hunger and thirst — builds the practical independence and bodily awareness that school and daily life require.
• 🧠 Body Awareness — Understanding how the body works — what makes hearts beat faster, why we need sleep, what food does inside us — builds the health literacy that enables informed, health-conscious decisions throughout life.
• 🛡️ Safety Knowledge — Learning about personal safety, body autonomy, and when to ask for help equips children with the knowledge and confidence to protect themselves and seek adult support in challenging situations.

**Resolving conflicts becomes a daunting task. Use these four effective conflict resolution tips to resolve conflicts.

Slippery Fish Song

Slippery Fish, one of many fun and interactive preschool songs.

How to Clean Your Preschooler's Ears

A preschooler's ears are delicate, so the last thing you want to do is stick a cotton swab in it. As a matter of fact, doctors will even tell you NOT to put anything into your preschooler's ears because of concern with damaging the ear drum. But how do you get rid of that gross ear wax?

Let the Ear Clean Itself**

One solution is to just let the ear do its thing by cleaning itself out. If you can deal with the unsightly crust, then let it go. However, if you are as grossed out over it as I am, you will want to try to clean it out.

Use an Ear Wax Removal System

A second solution is to flush it with an Ear Wax Removal System you can find at many drug stores. If you go this route, be sure to have a distraction toy handy to get your little wiggle-worm to sit still. (Check with your Pediatrician before using an ear wax removal system.)

Use a Washcloth

A third solution is to take a damp washcloth and place it over your finger tip. Then gently wipe your preschooler's ear where the crust is. By placing a washcloth over your finger, you will prevent it (because its too large) from entering your preschooler's ear and damaging the ear drum.

Tip: Cleaning Your Preschooler's Ears

When cleaning your preschooler's ears, give him/her one of their favorite toys as a means for distracting them. Or, try cleaning his/her ears while they are playing in the bathtub. Sometimes that's all the distraction they need.

I'm Stacey Lloyd , the Executive Editor and one of many writers for PreschoolRock.com. I enjoy writing about preschoolers, and reading your ideas and experiences with your preschooler. If you have any suggestions, ideas or questions about this site, please contact me .

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