Chapter 5: Growth and Development of the Preschooler

Which gross motor skill would the 4-year-old child have most recently attained? a. The child can hop on one foot. b. The child can tie his/her shoelaces. c. The child can cut his/her food. d. The child can button his/her clothes.

a. The child can hop on one foot.

A nurse is describing growth and development during the preschool period. What would the nurse identify as a predominant and heightened characteristic for this age group? a. imagination b. vocabulary c. gross motor skills d. fine motor skills

a. imagination

During an admission assessment, the nurse is discussing the developmental level of the child with the parents. Which comment(s) by the parents confirm they are aware of developmental expectations of the preschool-age child? Select all that apply. a. "We think it is important to have play dates with our friend's preschool-age children." b. "Our child attends a wonderful preschool 3 times per week." c. "I am very concerned that our child is acting too much like some of the other children at our day care." d. "My parents are the only babysitters our child has ever had. I think contact with mostly adults is important for this age." e. "We have been talking about enrolling our child in a morning preschool program since this is our only child."

a. "We think it is important to have play dates with our friend's preschool-age children." b. "Our child attends a wonderful preschool 3 times per week." e. "We have been talking about enrolling our child in a morning preschool program since this is our only child."

What suggestions regarding the evaluation of a childcare center would the nurse share with a preschooler's mother? a. A ratio of 10 children to 1 teacher is adequate. b. Specific program goals to be accomplished should be available. c. The longer the center has been in operation, the better it is. d. Research local newspapers to see if there are any complaints against the center.

b. Specific program goals to be accomplished should be available.

The father of a preschool boy reports concerns about the short stature of his son. The nurse reviews the child's history and notes the child is 4 years old and is presently 41 in (104 cm) tall and has grown 2.5 in (6.35 cm) in the past year. Which response by the nurse is most appropriate? a. "Is there a reason you are concerned about your child's height?" b. "Your son is slightly below the normal height for his age group but may still grow to be a normal height in the coming year." c. "Your son is slightly below the normal height for his age but he had demonstrated a normal growth rate this year." d. "Both your son's height and rate of growth are within normal limits for his age."

d. "Both your son's height and rate of growth are within normal limits for his age."

Parents say they have been using measures to lessen the struggle of getting their preschooler to bed at night and to sleep. Which practice will the nurse suggest they discontinue? a. Allowing the preschooler to fall asleep wherever and whenever the child is tired enough b. Eliminating caffeine sources beginning late afternoon c. Providing a nightlight d. Taking the TV set out of the child's room e. Planning for the child to get 12 hours of sleep daily

a. Allowing the preschooler to fall asleep wherever and whenever the child is tired enough

A nurse is caring for a 4-year-old child. The parents indicate that their child often reports that objects in the house are his friends. The parents are concerned because the child says that the grandfather clock in the hallway smiles and sings to him. Which response by the nurse is best? a. "Your child is demonstrating animism, which is common." b. "Attributing lifelike qualities to inanimate objects is quite normal at this age." c. "Has your child suffered any type of physical trauma lately?" d. "Is there any family history of mental health disorders?"

b. "Attributing lifelike qualities to inanimate objects is quite normal at this age."

The nurse is providing an in-service for parents of preschoolers regarding nutrition. Which comments by the parents demonstrate successful learning following the in-service? Select all that apply. a. "My 4-year-old is above normal in weight but I'm sure it's just baby fat and will be lost with age." b. "My 4-year-old should be ingesting at least 700 mg of calcium through food daily to promote good bone health." c. "I generally give my child choices about foods within each food category, ensuring all food groups are represented." d. "The only way I can get my child to consume sources of vitamin C is through fruit juices. I guess it's better than not at all." e. "We very rarely feed our child fast food and when we do we try to keep it as healthy as possible with no soda."

b. "My 4-year-old should be ingesting at least 700 mg of calcium through food daily to promote good bone health." c. "I generally give my child choices about foods within each food category, ensuring all food groups are represented." e. "We very rarely feed our child fast food and when we do we try to keep it as healthy as possible with no soda."

The nurse is providing health-promotion teaching to a group of parents of 4-year-old children at a local day care. What information will the nurse include in this education session? Select all that apply. a. Carefully strap your preschool-age child in a forward-facing car seat with a five-point harness. b. Encourage your preschool-aged child to brush their teeth twice a day with a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. c. Ensure your preschool-aged child knows their address and phone number. d. Encourage unstructured physical activity every day for your preschool-age child. e. Use a bicycle helmet solely for long bike rides taken by your preschool-age child.

b. Encourage your preschool-aged child to brush their teeth twice a day with a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. c. Ensure your preschool-aged child knows their address and phone number. d. Encourage unstructured physical activity every day for your preschool-age child.

The nurse and a client are discussing the client's preschool child. The client states, "When I tell my child it's time for bed, he/she screams and cries for almost an hour each night before going to sleep." The client and the nurse decide that the next course of action is: a. let the child set the time to go to bed. b. follow a routine and set a bedtime. c. promise the child a new toy in the morning for good behavior. d. let the child fall asleep wherever he/she wants and then carry the child to bed.

b. follow a routine and set a bedtime.

The nurse is conducting a well-child assessment of a 4-year-old. Which assessment finding warrants further investigation? a. presence of 20 deciduous teeth b. presence of 10 deciduous teeth c. absence of dental caries d. presence of 19 deciduous teeth

b. presence of 10 deciduous teeth

The mother of a 4-year-old boy reports her son has voiced curiosity about her breasts. She asks the nurse what she should do. Which information is best for the nurse to give the parent? a. Advise the parent that sexual curiosity is unusual at this age. b. Encourage the parent to provide a detailed discussion about human sexuality with the child. c. Encourage the parent to determine what the child's specific questions are and answer them briefly. d. Advise the parent to explain to the child that he is too young to discuss such things.

c. Encourage the parent to determine what the child's specific questions are and answer them briefly.

A 4-year-old is going to finger paint for the first time. What is the best action for the adult supervisor of this activity? a. Draw a picture first for the child to see how to do it. b. Tell the child that it will be fun but that he or she should not make a mess. c. Support whatever the child paints. d. Make a model for the child to follow so it will be easy to copy.

c. Support whatever the child paints.

A nurse is developing a plan of care for a 4-year-old client with cystic fibrosis who has frequent hospitalizations related to his illness. Which would be the most appropriate nursing diagnosis for this client? a. Health-seeking behaviors b. Risk for imbalance nutrition, more than body requirements c. Parental anxiety related to lack of understanding d. Delayed growth and development related to frequent illness

d. Delayed growth and development related to frequent illness

Nursing students are reviewing information about the cognitive development of preschoolers. The students demonstrate understanding of the information when they identify that a 3-year-old is in what stage as identified by Piaget? a. Primary circular reaction b. Coordination of secondary schema c. Tertiary circular reaction d. Preoperational thought

d. Preoperational thought