Tell me about your 5-year-old

[NicaG]

I'm trying to get some perspective on my 5-year-old ds. Anyone want to chat? I'm wondering:

-what does your 5-year-old do all day?
-does your 5-year-old play alone?
-favorite toys?
-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?
-does your dc dress himself/herself every day?
-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read?
-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences?
-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)?
-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods?
-what are some fun things you do together with dc?

Here's a bit about my ds:
-what does your 5-year-old do all day?
My ds likes to play superheroes, loves Star Wars, especially Star Wars Legos. He loves building elaborate structures with cardboard and wood blocks, and then fighting battles between his Lego minifigures. He likes playing "restaurant" cooking meals in the play kitchen. Likes playing games on his Leapster.

-does your 5-year-old play alone?
once in a while, but usually he needs a lot of interaction, more than my toddler!

-favorite toys
magna-tiles (magnetic blocks), any kind of blocks, Legos

-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?
We allow tv, though I am feeling like I should be limiting it more than I do. My ds likes Electric Company, Word World, Ben 10, Star Wars Clone Wars, Batman cartoons. I don't mind the educational shows; sort of wish he'd never seen the "commercial" shows (too violent for my taste). Ds would watch tv all day if I let him

-does your dc dress himself/herself every day? mostly, but he likes lots of help with things like putting socks and shoes on

-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read? ds is not quite reading but recognizes a lot of words. I've tried "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 lessons" but ds hates it, even though the lessons are super easy for him and only take 10 minutes. I don't want to force the issue, but I think he'd love being able to read.

-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences? My ds is pretty inflexible and needs to be in charge, doesn't much like anything new (new routines, new clothing, new foods). I can't tell if this is just his personality, or common to this age, or both. One thing that drives me a little nuts is that he basically gives me a script every time we play; I have to be a bad guy (playing battles with Lego minifigures), and I have to say all the things he tells me to say, and I have to be completely powerless while he "kills" me or my minifigures. I like playing with him, but I wish I could express a little more creativity.

-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)? Ds has been wetting his pants a lot this summer (he was generally fine during the schoolyear, when he was in pre-k). I don't quite understand what's going on; he just doesn't seem to care at all about keeping his pants dry. I'm almost ready to put him in pullups because I'm so sick of dealing with yucky clothes. I try motivating him with star charts, but he still doesn't care. He's also never been dry at night, which the dr says is ok, but I'm starting to wonder if we should see a specialist about all this.

-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods? Ds is getting pickier and pickier; basically now he'll only eat pizza, grilled cheese, cereal, scrambled eggs, fruit, tomatoes, and broccoli. Occasionally some kind of chicken. I want to find a way to expand his diet, but every time I try it becomes a battle.

-what are some fun things you do together with dc?
We have a lot of fun at the playground and at the pool, and we went to see a movie together for the first time last week

[RomanGoddess]

My 5-year old will be 6 in August.

-what does your 5-year-old do all day?
Plays, does Activity Books, plays on her nintendo DS
-does your 5-year-old play alone?
yes. But sometimes if I am gone and there is a babysitter, she gets the babysitter to play.
-favorite toys?
Littlest Pet Shop, Strawberry Shortcake, Nintendo,
-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?
During summer vacation, first thing in the morning
-does your dc dress himself/herself every day?
Yes but has trouble with socks.
-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read?
She can sound out words but is not interested in doing it.
-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences?
Not always. She has a lot of energy but a bit lazy streak.
-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)?
No, other than that sometimes she doesn't wipe as well as she should.
-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods?
Picky. Will eat broccoli, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, some spinach, potatoes, corn, chic peas, peas, plums, nectarines, prunes. Cannot abide melted cheese. Doesn't like any kind of soup.
-what are some fun things you do together with dc?
walking around the city, parks and playgrounds, shopping, horseback riding, swimming.

For the potty issue for your DS, Will he be in school this year? Usually, that solves the problem.

[lactavia]

Please note that my son is almost 5 so I figured I'd answer this!

-what does your 5-year-old do all day?
When he's home he reads, does art projects, plays with legos, train set, plays piano or violin or goes outside and plays in the yard.

-does your 5-year-old play alone?
He does better at playing outside alone, but he's getting better at entertaining himself in the house now.

-favorite toys?
Legos and Trainset.

-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?
We don't have a tv, but we allow him to watch videos. Aurthur and Spongebob Squarepants. Seaseme Street is also fabulous.

-does your dc dress himself/herself every day?
Yup!

-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read?
He loves books! If I could read to him all day, he would be in heaven. But he'll look over books and pretend to read. He is very interested in reading. He recently started taking a notebook in the store to copy down the words he sees. If he doesn't know what they are, he'll ask.

-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences?
Very agreeable, very cooperative, sometimes oppositional when things are not going his way but we can reason with him - get him to realize that all the fit throwing is not going to get him what he wants. HOWEVER, he's very good at coming up with compromises that are very reasonable. (smart guy) It takes a little to get him into new ideas/experiences, but if he sees that it's safe and all the other kids are enjoying themselves, he'll most likely join in.


-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)?
No problems at all. He only wet the bed twice and that was about two years ago now.

-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods?
Picky, but very healthy. If he's hungry, he'll ask for a carrot or an apple.

-what are some fun things you do together with dc?
Go to the park, zoo, art store, jamming (him on an instrument and me or his papa on another instrument - this can go on for hours) reading, running, beach, playground, snuggling up and reading a good book!

Hope this helps!

[HappilyEvrAfter]

-what does your 5-year-old do all day?
Anything I'm doing, really. Or just chatting about what I'm doing.
Watching TV. Socializing. Computer games. Any kind of craft.

-does your 5-year-old play alone?
A little. He's just starting to play Hotwheels alone. He def enjoys company with whatever he's doing.

-favorite toys?
Hotwheels, stuffed animals, any kind of resuce vehicle, treasure boxes, puzzles.

-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?
Yes, any kind of ghost hunter show, SpongeBob, Scooby Doo.

-does your dc dress himself/herself every day?
As long as I lay out clothes then YES!

-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read?
He's interested in spelling and sight words, but not reading books. I mean, he loves books and the library, but no interest in reading or being read to. Does that make sense?

-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences?
Yes. We went through a oppositional phase, but once I found the key to getting his cooperation life's been pretty easy going.
He's pretty highly situationally flexible.

-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)?
Nope, was easily potty taught and has never wet the bed.

-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods?
Not a big foodie. Loves chicken and will sometimes try new things if presented right, but not generally focused on food.

-what are some fun things you do together with dc?
We love to take walks, see movies, crafts, play a computer game, take "lost drives". I love to take overnight trips with him anywhere...he adores a hotel room. Lol. The library/bookstore. Our weekly morning trip to Dunkin Donuts.
We like to play Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, Uno, Go Fish, Where's Waldo. Pool. Just doing nothing (which is my favorite! Lol.)

[Grace and Granola]

-what does your 5-year-old do all day?
DS1 will be five in a couple of weeks, but thought I'd play too!
He has a brother 17mos younger, so they play together most of the day. They play pretend, each one being a different animal. Art projects, cars, build train tracks, blocks, K'Nex.

-does your 5-year-old play alone?
He is fairly good at playing alone, though there's not much opportunity since little brother is usually right next to him!

-favorite toys
Magnadoodle, schleich animals, art supplies


-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?
DS1 is a tv freak! Ever since he was 1 he has been drawn to the tv. I really try to limit it. They usually watch some first thing in the morning while I'm waking up. I allow 2 half hour shows or part of a movie. He likes Super Why, Dinosaur Train, Ice Age, Leap Frog DVDs, anything really! But those are the types of shows I like to have around.

-does your dc dress himself/herself every day?
He doesn't choose his own clothes (he has no interest in that) but he put everything on with no problem.

-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read?
He has been sounding out words for quite a while, but has no drive to take it further. Which is fine, but I am excited for when he can read a book on his own, because he would be happy to read the day away if I could!

-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences?
DS is a very sweet and cooperative kid. BUT, when he's in a mood, look out! He loves new ideas and experiences and especially when there are no other kids around, he's quite agreeable.

-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)? None.

-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods?
DS has always been my pickier eater. He has not eaten meat besides a couple of pieces of bacon or maybe a chicken nugget a time or two. He literally shakes at the sight of meat! I would say he's particular. He doesn't like foods that are mixed up or saucy. He only likes his veggies raw, though he will eat almost any veggie I offer. He has a wide variety in his diet, but he's picky about how and when he'll eat it.

-what are some fun things you do together with dc?
Playground, swimming, just hanging out reading books and talking. Both boys are talkers and they love to talk talk talk about their ideas, inventions, experiments, etc.

[Marimami]

DD will be 6 in just about a month so maybe a little older.

what does your 5-year-old do all day?
Arts/crafts, writing stories, dancing, music, playing with cats, building, playing games, going to pool, riding horses, meeting up with friends

does your 5-year-old play alone?
Yea, but not as much as I heard other kids doing. She prefers to interact with us. She will do it much more than she used to though.

favorite toys?
Has never been that into toys. Loves arts/crafts, magnatiles, and board games.

do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?
No. We allow very limited videos and podcasts. She likes Dragonfly TV (PBS science podcasts), Mythbusters, Families of the World, and other educational stuff from Discovery Education or Netflix.

does your dc dress himself/herself every day?
Yes.

is your dc reading or interested in learning to read?
Yes.

is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences?
She's pretty laid back and cooperative. Loves learning new things and talking about them. But, she does not have any interest in going to camp or classes without DH or me with her. She's not that keen on new experiences if she is unsure but she will do it if we are with her. She has gotten so much better about this over the past year, though.

does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)?
She isn't thrilled with wiping after bm but she'll do it; she just doesn't think she does a good job. No other issues.

how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods?
Will try just about anything. Eats just about anything. She's way more open-minded than I am. We call her our fruit bat because it's her favorite thing in the world.

what are some fun things you do together with dc?
swimming and art/crafts with me. Walks, bike riding, and other outdoor adventure with DH. All of us... Playing games. Reading together. Museums, zoo, field trips, snuggling.

[zuleicamoon]

I've got a 4.5yo, but I'll also answer for when my oldest was that age for a different perspective because they are basically opposites in most things.

what does your 5-year-old do all day?
dd1 - Played a lot of pretend, dress up, house, etc. She figured out how to read at about 5.5 so spent the last half of 5 with her nose in a book constantly.
dd2 - She loves to color, do beading projects, plays with her matchbox cars/track, looks through science/nature/automobile books.
-does your 5-year-old play alone?
dd1 - Yes, she had her own room at this time and would often close the door to play alone with her doll/stuffed animals.
dd2 - Yes. We now live in pretty tight quarters so alone time can be hard to come by, but we make an effort to find her some space when she asks for it.
-favorite toys?
dd1 - art supplies, dolls, play kitchen,
dd2 - matchbox cars, small figurines of animals/insects/etc, a set with human anatomy parts that can be put together/taken apart
-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?
We don't have a tv, but both enjoy/ed watching dvds...dd1 liked anything with princesses or music, dd2 likes pirates, spiderman, national treasure
-does your dc dress himself/herself every day?
Yes, I couldn't dress either of them if I wanted to.
-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read?
dd1 - Yes, very interested/motivated, but very intent on doing it herself. It clicked for her at 5.5 and she took off like a shot.
dd2 - No. She is just beginning to care about learning her letters, and even that is only occasional. She does love to look at books and be read to.
-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences?
dd1 - Very interested in doing what she considered "right," a perfectionist, willing to take direction but also prone to crazy wild tantrums if she felt she was being treated unfairly or if she was feeling particularly emotional about a situation. She was very interested in learning about/understanding the world at large, why people do things, why certain things were or were not important in our family, etc.
dd2 - Very logical and outspoken - she will call you on your crap and expect you to make it right. She is always up for a new adventure, especially if it involves physically trying something new. She will cooperate with most anything you ask...eventually. She gets distracted easily, usually by climbing and/or jumping off furniture. If you present something as optional, she will be defiant just to be defiant, but if you present the same thing in a logical and non-negotiable way she is very agreeable.
-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)?
dd1 - None, she potty trained in a less than a week just after she turned 2; had very few accidents and was night-trained by 2.5.
dd2 - She has had issues with not paying enough attention to her bathroom needs and having little accidents (ie, just enough to wet her undies but not soak through to her clothes), but over the past month has all but stopped with that. She never had issues with nights, just during the day she gets too involved to bother with the bathroom. She also does not care, she just changes her clothes and gets back to whatever she was doing.
-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods?
dd1 - Dh would call her picky, I'd call her cautious...she ate a good variety and was usually willing to at least try a bite of something new, but definitely had her favorites. Also preferred things plain vs. seasoned, which is why I think dh thought she was picky.
dd2 - Will eat anything you put in front of her with the exception of potatoes in any form. She loves seafood especially.
-what are some fun things you do together with dc?
dd1 - Loved to bake, go for nature walks, talk, and read together.
dd2 - Also loves baking/cooking, she is big on just sitting and talking/cuddling, she likes to play rough/wrestle, and we do beading together a lot lately.

[AllisonR]

-what does your 5-year-old do all day?
DS is also into Star Wars lego, and really into building out of found materials - foam, egg cartons, cereal boxes.... He likes nature a lot. Today he found a dead baby bird (actually this is the second one in as many weeks!), partially decomposed, and he was really into studying it, asking about it's bones...
And he likes the internet.

-does your 5-year-old play alone?
He has a 3 yo sister, and they get along tremendously well, so they entertain each other. Occasionally he asks to be alone if he needs a break from her.

-favorite toys
Anything to build with - magnets, sticks... Any creative play.

-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?
We allow it, but he doesn't watch much. He likes cartoons and kids tv, but isn't wold about any of it. He prefers the internet.

-does your dc dress himself/herself every day? Yes, but he prefers me to help him. He wants to be babied in this area. And since there aren't a bunch of other areas he wants to be babied in, I usually go along with it.

-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read? I don't think so. I read books to him every day, but he does not enjoy looking at books by himself, or writing, even in play. He is more fond of math and will write out simple math problems like 4 + 3 = 7.

-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences?
DS is pretty mellow. He is agreeable, cooperative and flexible. He is cautious, so will not be the first to go on a wild ride. He has been a bit bossy and rule oriented lately, but I really think this is a normal 5 yo stage.

-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)? Nope.

-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods?
I think he is average. He insists he doesn't like soups and peas and several other things I make, which he has never tried. But at the same time he loves some more unusual foods like steamed artichoke dipped in garlic butter. And he eats all fruit, most vegetables, meats, fish, dairy (except cheese), most grains....

-what are some fun things you do together with dc?

Today we went to a place where you can make sculptures and then fire them and glaze them. DS made a beautiful bird. Beaches, forests and play grounds are a big hit. Almost anything outside is great for him, though he originally needs a bit of coaxing to get out the door.

[Cujobunny]

what does your 5-year-old do all day?

reads, plays, eats, watches a little tv, loves to help me with chores, talks, talks, talks!

-does your 5-year-old play alone?

Occasionally, but usually with dd (almost 3)

-favorite toys?

superhero figures, transformers, lego, marble run

-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?

Yes. his favourites are Magic School Bus, Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog, Pingu, Go Diego Go, and he's cool with dd's favourites, Mickey Mouse, Clifford, usually they like the same stuff. They only watch commercial free kids shows. He has seen the original Superman movie, that's as violent as hes seen.

-does your dc dress himself/herself every day?

Ugh, no, but he is capable of it, he insists he "needs help" and I oblige him because it's not a battle worth fighting to me. If i really want him to do it, I make a game out of it (I bet him he can't do it, or see how fast he can do it.

-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read?

yes, at a 3rd grade level as far as as we know, he loves to read and devours chapter books right now.

-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences?

he is pretty agreeable, he's always been very verbal so explaining things to hime & negotiating with him always worked. I listen to him & value his opinion & encourage him to give it.

-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)?

No, he's been using the toilet since 2.5yo, wet the bed a handful of times since then.

-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods?

Excellent. Loves food. Japanese & Vietnamese are his favourites. Not crazy about cooked vegetables but will eat them raw.

-what are some fun things you do together with dc?

They love to go on outings- park, pool, library, amusement park, zoo, farm, especially when they get to ride the subway or streetcar. At home, playing play doh, doing crafts, they love to cook & bake & I encourage them to help with that too.

[~cassie]

what does your 5-year-old do all day? Watches tv, helps me clean and cook, plays outside for 2-4 hours, plays with Legos, makes forts in his room.

does your 5-year-old play alone? Yes, he has a heck of an imagination and plays pirates on his bed(either alone or with little brothers) builds creations out of legos, etc.

-favorite toys? Legos, toy guns, swords, cars/trucks

-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows? Yes. He likes different shows-Olivia, Curious George, Wubzy-mainly anything on PBS, Disney, and Nick Jr. Not too big on movies, I guess he doesn't like long shows.

-does your dc dress himself/herself every day? Yes. He may not match them very well but he does dress himself.

-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read? no, he could care less. He is on the physical side and would prefer to be jumping off the couch than to learn to read.

-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences? He is reliatively aggreable and very flexible and open to new things. He does fight me a bit on things he doesn't want to do, nothing abnormal for a child his age.

-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)? He will wet the bed occasionally-maybe once a month and sometimes poops his pants--once a week maybe. He waits til the last minute to go, otherwise he wouldnt have those poop accidents.
-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods? Very picky. Refuses to try most new things. I think he has a few minor oral aversions to foods.
-what are some fun things you do together with dc? We go to the park, play outside, swim, build castles out of legos, race cars, look through books, etc.

[elmh23]

-what does your 5-year-old do all day?-- color (she's really into drawing right now!), play kitchen, play house, play outside, boss around her brother.

-does your 5-year-old play alone?-- yes

-favorite toys?-- Barbies

-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?-- yes, I love the tv her favorites right now are backyardigans, martha speaks and princess movies

-does your dc dress himself/herself every day?-- yes

-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read?-- she's just learning how to read

-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences?-- all of the above it really depends on the day though I will say the oppositional days are becoming fewer and farther between.

-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)?-- rarely, maybe once every couple months

-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods?-- yes. again, depends on the day. there is only one food so far that she won't try anymore (ravioli.) she gags on it so i don't make it anymore (or when I do, I make something different for her.)

-what are some fun things you do together with dc?-- bike riding (she's trying to learn w/o training wheels), water play, got to the zoo or aquarium, painting, play games (she loves scrabble and life right now and is learning chess with dh.)

[seemfrog]

My boys will be 5 in September.

-what does your 5-year-old do all day?
Depending on if its me home with them or DH, go out or stay in, at the house they like to wrestle, read, play board games, do puzzles, play with music instruments, draw, play with their plastic animals (pretend stuff). They also love riding their trikes on the back wrap around patio, and looking for bugs

-does your 5-year-old play alone?
ds1 can play alone a lot, he loves to draw on his own, read, or play with animals/people toys, ds2 needs more interaction with others, lots of time with his twin, but if he is enjoying time by himself ds2 will want one of us to play with him. He is a lot more into physical movement, and if he gets bored he tends to get into "trouble"

-favorite toys
books, plastic animals, bug catchers

-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?
They do watch some tv, usually some pbs in the mornings, occassionally disney type movies/videos. They haven't watched things like star wars, they have seen Jurrasic park (thanks to dh) and love real animal shows - ocean and such

-does your dc dress himself/herself every day? yes - they pick their own stuff, occassionally need help with shoes

-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read? they both LOVE books, we keep a big box full in the car and they "read" most of the time while we are driving anywhere. They aren't reading themselves yet, show some interest in words, and into writing their own names.

-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences? depends on the day really, generally ds1 is pretty stubborn, so if he decides he doesn't want to do something, he sticks to it. ds2 handles new situations a little better generally. I really try and let them know when we are doing something new or different, whether its in the car on the drive over, or before we get out, I try to establish any rules too (stay close to me, no asking for cookies in the store, etc)

-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)? ds1 has no problems ever. ds2 doesn't have problems usually, but once awhile will wet the bed during the night, he is a deep sleeper and I think does a bit half/wake have/sleep thing and gets disoriented. Neither are very good at wiping after bm, they typically still call us first and we remind them to do it themselves first and we follow up.

-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods? If ds1 doesn't recognize something he tells us he doesn't like it, we encourage tasting everything for the first time, but no big deal if they don't want to continue eating it. ds2 will try anything but typically "likes" less things. They have different tastes, ds1 loves proteins, ds2 loves carbs. ds1 has some texture issues as I do (doesn't like slimy or mushy stuff).

-what are some fun things you do together with dc?
go out to the playground, fish aquarium store to look at fish, nature hikes, play hide and seek, make pancakes or muffins, play "wildlife show" (with us as the audience)

[lisalulu]

-what does your 5-year-old do all day?
Legos, digging in the sandbox, sometimes puzzles or paint. He also has T-ball and gymnastics for activities over the summer.

-does your 5-year-old play alone?
Yes but I would say his preference is for someone to play with him. Generally, legos are the only thing he will do alone.

-favorite toys
Legos

-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?
We allow some media but we don't actually have a TV. He gets dvd's from the library or he'll watch something on netflix. He likes the lego website and he likes Scooby-Doo.

-does your dc dress himself/herself every day?
No but partly its out of my habit. He can do it but sometimes I just do it assembly line with his brother and forget he could do it himself.

-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read?
No but I can tell he's interested because he'll ask what certain words are are look for them.

-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences?
I would say he's in the middle somewhere. He is can be pretty disagreeable about some things but flexible on others. He's generally open to new experiences.

-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)?
Not so far but I'm wondering how it will work with all day kindy this fall. He has a tendency to wait to the last minute and really only likes to poop at home. We'll see!


-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods?
We just went through a really pick phase and now he's back to trying new things again which is nice.

-what are some fun things you do together with dc?
He really likes hiking and we play board games together when his brother is sleeping.

[jtbuko]

Answering for DS as I remember at 5, and DD at almost 5

-what does your 5-year-old do all day?
DS -legos, pretend play, hang with me and daycare kids and sister
DD - play with bro, play with pets, play with toys, hang with me

-does your 5-year-old play alone?
DS - never got a lot of opportunity to play alone, 'cause his sister was always around and I had a daycare
DD - plays alone very well, but it can lead to potty issues

-favorite toys
DS - card boxes, PVC scraps, ramps
DD - gymnastic rings, plastic animals

-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?
yes.
DS - Mythbusters, Extreme Home Makeover, PBS kids shows
DD - Dirty Jobs, Its me or the Dog, Meerkat Manor, Dora/ Diego

-does your dc dress himself/herself every day?
Yes, but both have embraced sloppy looks and DD prefers her bros clothes.

-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read?
DS- no
DD - no


-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences?
DS - oppositional, open to new ideas/ experiences, dreamy, distractable thinker
DD - flexible, open to new experiences, very social & cooperative

-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)?
DS - yes
DD - yes
I have posted elsewhere about our issues. Both in pull ups and night and lots of daytime accidents. With DS we believe it was because he was so focused on whatever he was doing at the moment. It got better around 5.5. With DD we thought she was emulating DS, but the issues continue. This time though I have a better perspective because I have seen a child grow out of it.


-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods?
Pretty good eaters.

-what are some fun things you do together with dc?
DS - hikes, creeks, outings, forts, chess,
DD - errands, hikes, creeks, training foster dogs

[kwilki8]

My dd was 5 in March

-what does your 5-year-old do all day?
craft projects, plays outside, activity books, reads books, plays Wii (she loves bowling), dances to music, plays dress-up, plays with toys/dolls, helps me with housework, plays with her little brother

-does your 5-year-old play alone?
Yes, mostly in the afternoon during her brother's nap time--she has her own room and likes to play in there by herself

-favorite toys?
dolls, dress-up clothes, tee ball set, bike

-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?
Yes, she gets to choose one show in the morning and one or two in the afternoon. I let her watch pretty much anything on PBS; her favorites are SuperWhy, Sid the Science Kid, Word World, and The Electric Company. She also likes to watch Food Network cake shows.

-does your dc dress himself/herself every day?
Yes, as long as I choose her clothes.

-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read?
Yes, she's been reading for a few months. She loves to read and we've spent a lot of time at the library this summer.

-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences?
She's pretty cooperative though not flexible; she likes structure and order. And she gets pretty nervous in new situations until she feels comfortable.

-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)?
Yes, and she is seeing a pediatric urologist because she has had several UTI's and a kidney infection.

-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods?
She's horribly picky and refuses to try new things. She has a pretty set rotation of foods that she will eat.

-what are some fun things you do together with dc?
We like to bake, play games, read books, go for walks, and go camping and biking

[Red Pajama]

what does your 5-year-old do all day?

My boys play a lot of pretend games (star wars, both dress up and action figures), playmobil, outside play in the sandbox.
-does your 5-year-old play alone?

Rarely. There are the two of them, plus little sister. When I only have one (say, the others are running an errand with dad) the one that's left does not know what to do with himself, and is underfoot a lot.
-favorite toys?

Star Wars dress up toys, star wars action figures (the galactic hero size), playmobil, maganatiles, little sister's toys, sandbox stuff

-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?

TV is only at rest time, or if someone is sick. They have seen PBS shows, but aren't attached to any of them. One of my boys likes adult nova programs about space or the hubble space telescope. The other likes road runner cartoons. Thank heavens for Roku.

-does your dc dress himself/herself every day?

Most of the time, unless something special needs to be worn or we're in a super hurry.
-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read?

Yes, both are, but to differing degrees.

-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences?

Yes to all? They both know how to be cooperative and agreeable, and if prompted ahead of time can usually be counted on to be good. They can both be very stubborn, one certainly more than the other. Certain things are difficult just because of novelty-- foods are a hard thing if they're new.


-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)?

One of my boys is still in pull ups at night, and very occasionally "can't" hold it.
-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods?

cautiously willing to try things if presented many times.

[earthmama369]

-what does your 5-year-old do all day?
She plays with her brother and friends, she asks a lot of questions, creates elaborate play stories and games, and begs me to take her lots of places.

-does your 5-year-old play alone?
Not often, but she has a 4-year-old brother. We did have a Mama-Daughter day recently and she wanted a lot of my undivided attention then. She's very much a firstborn that way.

-favorite toys?
I'm not really sure. She's much more interested in people. She plays with chalk and paint, the cotton doll she's had since she was a baby, workbooks and coloring books, games.... I can't think of any particular favorite, though.

-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?
We do allow TV. Well, Netflix. We avoid the rampant advertisements you find on TV and just watch shows by DVD instead, without the commercials. She's partial to Caillou, Angelina Ballerina, The Last Airbender, and pretty much any kid-appropriate Hayao Miyasaki movie ever made.

-does your dc dress himself/herself every day?
She's a fashion kid. She's been expressing a strong opinion about clothing since before she was a year old. She's been dressing herself without much help since she was 2. At this point, she has some trouble tying bows behind her back, but that's about it. I keep being surprised when she does a zipper or button on her back without asking me to do it for her. (Man, did boys luck out there with buttons and zippers. They're always in front!)

-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read?
She's expressed an interest on and off for a couple years, but is just now starting to have enough confidence to actually do a little reading. I'm not pushing it, but we're getting a ton of books from the library and reading together every day just so she has the chance to try if she wants.

-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences?
She's generally an agreeable, cooperative, flexible kid who seeks a lot of social time. Five has ushered in a phase of snottiness that I'm not too fond of, but from what I understand, it's entirely normal at this stage.

-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)?
No. We went through a couple months of needing to remind her to follow all the steps of pottying when she turned 5 -- wiping, flushing, washing hands, etc. -- but that's normal. Pretty much every 5-year-old I've encountered has hit a phase of pushing the hygiene boundaries for a while. She got a mild UTI for a couple days, we talked about how that can happen, and that was the end of that phase.

-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods?
Oh so picky. She'll still try new foods, but we must now accompany this great sacrifice with a wide range of Calvin-like facial expressions. I haven't catered to the pickiness because she literally changes her mind about what she'll eat from minute to minute. I can't keep track of it, so I don't. For a while we let her make a peanut butter sandwich when she didn't like what was for a meal, but she started making a big thing out of it, and it became an issue with her younger brother (who has some sensory issues, so we really want to encourage him to continue to try new foods and eat the ones he already has), so we decided to ask her to eat at least three bites of everything on her plate instead. The theory we gave her to work with is that sometimes the tongue forgets what it likes and you need at least three bites to remind it that a food really does taste good.

-what are some fun things you do together with dc?
I'll do messy time with the kids. Shaving cream, beans, dry oatmeal, ooblek, etc. We'll take out bins and scoops and just get messy for a while, then hose off in the kiddie pool. We also garden together and read a lot of stories together. DH takes them for bike rides and does break time with them. He brings home abandoned electronics from work and they take them apart and see if they can fix them or turn them into something else. When they took apart some speakers, we had fun putting different objects (beans, beads, an orange) on the speaker insides and seeing if we could make them dance with sound vibration.

[pianojazzgirl]

My 5 yr old dd will be 6 in mid-September.

what does your 5-year-old do all day?

It depends on what we're up to. A typical day in the summer (if we're home - ie. not on vacation somewhere) is hanging out at home, trips to the park, trips to a friend's house, that kind of thing. She spends quite a bit of time playing with her little brother (turning 3 in Oct), and also likes to spend a lot of time drawing and painting.

-does your 5-year-old play alone?

Yes. And probably less than she'd like to, considering she has her little brother hanging around. She's definitely good about drawing, doing activity books or playing make-believe with her animals by herself.

-favorite toys?

Stuffed animals, board games and card games, balls, bicycle (does that count as a toy?), craft supplies.

-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?

Yes, we allow tv. Mostly she watches a bit of "Kid's CBC" in the morning. Favourite shows are Go Fret and Busytown. She also likes Zooboomafoo (sp?).

-does your dc dress himself/herself every day?

Yes.

-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read?

She's reading at a beginner level, but has the personality type to not like doing something unless it comes easily, so isn't that interested in reading at the moment. She does love books however, and I expect sometime in the next year she will become a read-a-holic like her mother!

-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences?

Agreeable - sometimes. Cooperative - occasionally. Oppositional - yup. Flexible - depends on mood (usually on hunger, tiredness). Open to new ideas and experiences - yes.

-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)?

No.

-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods?

Picky, though will try new things if we ask (and usually reject them...).

-what are some fun things you do together with dc?

Play board and card games, go for bike rides, read books, run around and be crazy.

[limabean]

(My DS will be 6 in October)

-what does your 5-year-old do all day?
Plays outside, plays with friends, builds with Legos/Playmobil, annoys his little sister, runs around wildly, plays dress-up/pretend, plays with cars, reads, plays board games, watches TV, etc.

-does your 5-year-old play alone?
Yes. He prefers to play with someone, but he'll spend a fair amount of time playing alone, especially when he's doing something like building an intricate structure with Legos.

-favorite toys?
Legos, Playmobil, cars/trucks/trains, Schleich animals, board games (Cariboo, Mancala, Hullaballoo, Trouble, Connect Four, Yahtzee Jr., etc.)

-do you allow tv? if so, what are some favorite shows?
Yes. He likes Arthur, Max & Ruby, Harold and the Purple Crayon, and Little Bear. I don't let him watch more intense stuff -- he saw the cartoon Clone Wars once and found it frightening.

-does your dc dress himself/herself every day?
Most days, yes. He likes to be helped, so a couple times a week DH or I will help him get dressed.

-is your dc reading or interested in learning to read?
Yes, he's reading simple beginner books with little help.

-is your dc agreeable? cooperative? oppositional? flexible? open to new ideas/experiences?
Yes, he's always been a ridiculously "easy" kid -- he has a sunny, even-keeled personality like his father.

-does your dc have any potty issues (forgetting to use bathroom, wetting bed, etc.)?
No.

-how are dc's eating habits? Picky? Experimenting with new foods?
He was fairly adventurous as a toddler, then his range of foods narrowed until about age 4.5, when it started to open up a bit more. It's still fairly narrow, but it's continuing to expand as he ages.

-what are some fun things you do together with dc?
One really fun excursion we do a few times a year is take the train a few towns away and go to a fancy teahouse -- we both really enjoy that. More everyday fun stuff we do together is read chapter books (we're doing the Little House series right now), play board games, water play in the backyard, Disneyland (we have annual passes), go for walks/bike rides, go to the park, go to the library, walk to Foster's Freeze for a dipped cone, etc.

[benandmarensmom]

My 5 yr old

She will be 5 august 24. and is 11yrs younger than her brother. Im trying to remember all the questions. SHe will happily play by herself for a good few hrs. Puzzles, dolls , with her dollhouse or farm animals.We have limited toys so a little goes along ways. I do allow some tv and movies, she is sensitive so it is all about the backyardigans all the time if she could, Word World is also pretty popular.She is almost reading and is sounding out tons of words. Sleeps well although she co-slept until last summer. TOilet learning has been a challenge, she has only been in panties overnight for 1 week, day trained for 1 1-2 years but walkingg up every morning until 2 weeks ago wet. We are sooo very happy that she was ready to be dry for her birthday. She is a super easygoing happy sweet girl who is on the shy and timid side.( Her brother was wild and afraid of nothing). My best friends daughter is 6 months older and thinks everyhting my daughter likes is for babies wants nothing more than to be a teenager and thinks that family guy is the best show ever.Her dad thinks it is something for them to do together.I cant beleive what a difference there is between the two girls.My daughter was only scribbling with one color last summer and now draws and prints very well.My friends child could write and draw at two but it hasnt progressed really since then. It is intersting to us how compleatly differnt two kids of similar age can be. please excuse the horrible spelling I am trying to do two things at once.