(Continued from last week)
The other source of pain may come from a tight foreskin. It is often difficult for a boy to explain this problem to his parents.It is a good idea to have the boys examined by the doctor, so that this area is examined for any birth defects which may be responsible for the pain.
Early treatment that will resolve the pain is possible. With girls the pain comes from the urinary system, and repeated infections, in an abnormal urinary tubular system.
Behavioural Disorders
The child is beginning to develop his own individual personality at this point.It is a good thing to take an interest in your children in this development period.
The child may acquire some  passing or harmless behaviours as they go through this phase, however, parents must be alert enough to notice persistent behaviour that may be a sign of underlying illness. When you are unsure it is wise to error on the side of caution and let the child be seen by a doctor.  Look out for excessive restlessness, a child who will not take instruction in class and disrupts class activity.
A child like this may have hyperactivity disorders. Children exhibit temper tantrums about the transition period between 5 to 6 years.This play acting is intended to intimidate parents into letting the child have its own way. When parents yield to this the child may become a tyrant in the home, and disruptive of all activities in the home.
This phase is passing, and should be handled firmly and decisively by parents. Sleep disorders are common among children, be observant of children who sleep too much or too little. Most children of this age should sleep for 8 to 10 hours in a day.

• Excessive sleep, including sleeping during day time activities may be a sign of underlying illness.

Excessive sleep including sleeping during day time activities (Narcolepsy)  may be a sign of underlying illness. Sleep walking and talking during sleep is common and tends to reduce as children get older. Nightmares and bed-wetting are common. Be careful about what children watch on television which may trigger nightmares. Bed-wetting tends to be common in boys, restrict fluids after 18hours and try to have the child woken up at intervals to pass urine at night.This phase tends to disappear as children get older.
See a specialist if it persists after 10 years of age.
An unusual association is the passage of stool with urine. Happily this is fairly uncommon. Children may exhibit these behaviours after a social misfortune such as loss of parents or siblings.
Look out for learning disabilities, speech and hearing difficulties. This tends to be evident as children play with other children.
Children who exhibit difficulties playing with other children and isolation characteristics may have brain development difficiulties. In general children at this age are very interested in playing with other children, and a red flag should be triggered if a child spends too much time alone.
Infections and Injuries
Children of this age like to play a lot. They are at risk of outdoor injuries. Boys in particular will be injured climbing mango trees. The bones which get broken during the mango season are commonly called mango fractures. These are mostly partial breaks in the bones of the forearm and wrist areas. The bones at this age are fairly flexible to compensate for this predilection to injury.The bones will generally reshape and heal very well.
Try to have someone supervise children at play.
Introduce some indoor games into the childrens play. Dog bites are also common, because children like to tease and chase dogs. Ensure your dogs and those in your neighbourhood are vaccinated against rabies.
Dogs with rabies are restless, the have a rasping cough and drool lots of saliva.
Try to keep children away from playing with dogs in a provocative manner. Infections are common at this age, among the most common are skin rashes, eye infection, ear and nose infections. Most rashes will be harmless, however, a rash that is associated with fever, redness of eyes and is persistent is a cause for concern.
Measles is a common rash that children may get, it comes out in crops on the skin, spreads quickly and can be quite itchy. It comes out as a small outbreak among schools, families and communities.
The child should be withdrawn from school and seen at the hospital. Most rashes can be nursed at home. Try to isolate the child from other children in the home if you can until the rash settles. Ear pain is often the first sign of ear infection. Watch out for a child constantly rubbing their ears or hitting their head against the wall. This may be a sign of ear infections.
Children may get repeated infection of the glands of the throat called the tonsils. This may lead to snoring at night, stuffiness of the nose and appearance of a rather prominent midface (Rabbit Face appearance).
This is the because of repeated infection causing an increase in blood supply to the mid face and makes the mid face bones grow faster than the rest of the face. Children will often be teased in school for this. Usually the period is transient and most children will pass through it with minimal ill effects. Have the child seen by a specialist if these conditions (Tonsillitis and Adenoiditis) cause disruption in school and the childs’ general attendance.
Conclusion
When children get older they love to play with other children. Take time to watch them play.See how they get on with other children. When children play well with other children it is a sign that they are healthy and developing normally.
Children born with abnormalities, especially of the heart, lung, abdomen and brain will fail at play time. When you watch out for this you will be able to detect and prevent health problems. Often parents take little time to play with their children and talk to them. By playing with children and talking to them we learn more about them and watch over their health.
Parents are responsible for providing a safe playing environment for children. Children develop as the get older their personalities are formed by the corrections of their parents and people around them. Watch over your child so that the are enabled to develop a wholesome and normal personality. Children should sleep well, play well and help other children. This leads to a well rounded and successful adult life.
Special points of interest:
Children at this age are most at risk of injuries such as falls and dog bites.
Take special note of children who sleep too much or too little.
Infections of the throat are common these may result in snoring and hearing problems.
Children may gets skin infections of various types, be especially suspicious of rashes that are associated with fevers and redness of the eyes.
Beware of a child rubbing the ears this may be a sign of ear infection.