From time to time, all children get sick and naturally, will need to pay a visit to their doctors. But it’s also important to schedule “well-child” visits on an annual basis, so your child’s doctor can see if he is growing and developing properly, do preventive screenings (for lead poisoning, tuberculosis, and cholesterol), and keep your child up to date on his immunizations. Of course, if your child has a chronic health condition, such as asthma or diabetes, he should be seeing the doctor on a regular basis to ensure his condition is being managed as well as possible.

In addition to performing a physical exam, the doctor will probably ask about your child’s eating, sleeping, and exercise habits; if you have questions or concerns about whether your child is eating enough or too much, or getting enough sleep or physical activity, discuss them with your health care provider. Childhood obesity is a growing problem in the U.S., and many pediatricians encourage parents to help children develop healthy eating and exercise habits from a young age.Your child’s doctor should also ask about his social and emotional development and general behavior, how he’s doing in school and in other areas of his life, and whether he’s taking smart safety precautions, such as consistently wearing a bike or skateboard helmet or a seatbelt.These are practices you should encourage on a daily basis, just as you should insist that your child regularly wash his hands, brush his teeth, bathe, and wear sunscreen.

Indeed, one of the most valuable things you can do as a parent is to help your child cultivate habits that will help him stay physically and emotionally healthy. After all, healthy habits begin at home, under your direction, because a parent’s behavior has the most powerful influence on a child. So, if you model good eating habits at family meals (by filling your plate with nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains), make exercise a family affair (by going on bike rides together, for instance), respect your body (by taking good care of it and talking about it kindly), and practice good stress management techniques (by breathing deeply instead of yelling when you’re upset)—you’ll be doing your child a favor, too, because he’ll try to follow your example. This is important because once children reach school-age, they will venture out into the world on their own more often—to school, friends’ homes, sports and other activities—and you’ll want them to make healthy choices for themselves.