Nineteen Things Children Should Know at Any Age

Parents always have a lot of questions about their children's development. They want to know if their kids are on track, if they know what they need to know for their age. There are some things children should know at any age. Discover them here!

Written and verified by the psychologist Raquel Aldana.

Last update: 14 December, 2021

Childhood is a time for marveling at the incredible world we live in. Children endlessly absorb information.

It’s fascinating to think about how their future personalities are shaped by what happens during their early years. Unsurprisingly, adults ask themselves many questions about childhood and healthy development. For example, what should my child know when they’re three? When they’re eight? When they’re ten? Are my children developing as they should?

Parents and professionals have some basic rules about normal, age-appropriate behavior and milestones. However, the better answer to those questions is probably that it really depends on the rhythm of each family, and how the child interacts with that rhythm.

However, there are some things children should know aside from counting to ten or knowing the colors. Discover them here!

Things Children Should Know at Any Age

There are many life lessons children learn over the years. Here are the ones we believe are really important:

• They deserve unconditional love and the people closest to them should love and respect them.
• How to protect themselves when something hurts, who can help protect them, and how they’ll do it.
• That there’ll always be someone around to offer them words of encouragement or comfort.
• Someone will always be willing to give them a hug when they need it and they should always be willing to hug someone who needs one.
• There’s always more than one way to solve a problem.
• Their abilities are extraordinary and there are many wonderful traits that define who they are.
• Everyone is different, and those differences enrich society.
• Their grades don’t define them.

More Important Lessons

• It’s okay to ask for help and offer people help.
• Everyone needs other people in order to live a full life.
• They shouldn’t let anyone violate their rights.
• They have personal and community responsibilities they have to fulfill.
• Their imaginations can take them to incredible places.
• No one has the right to judge their appearance or invade their personal space. Their bodies belong to them.
• Being alone is a great way to get in touch with themselves, reflect, and be creative.
• Everyone has emotional baggage and everyone has lived positive and negative experiences.
• It’s important to put yourself in other people’s shoes and try to see the world from different perspectives.
• Nature is a source of happiness and connection. People need to respect it and take care of it. It’s a space for endless play and wonder.
• The most valuable things in life aren’t material. No one is rich until they have the things that money can’t buy.

This is obviously not an exhaustive list of what children should know at any age. However, these nineteen lessons are crucial for a happy and productive childhood.