Development
Physical
- Continues to be accident prone, especially on the play ground.
- Has more control over small muscles, and therefore writes and draws with more skill.
- Displays a casual attitude toward clothing and appearance.
- Seems to be all hands and arms.
- Often agonizes over height and weight.
- Seems to possess boundless energy.
Emotional
- Begins to realize others experience similar feelings of anger, fear, sadness.
- Is easily embarrassed.
- Becomes discouraged easily.
- Is often self-deprecating.
Social
- Can be argumentative and bossy.
- Can also be quite lovable and responsive.
- Shows increasing ability to understand the needs and opinions of others.
- Is preoccupied with finding compatible friends.
- Especially likes to belong to more structured adult-led groups, such as Scouts and Campfire.
- Begins to display sense of loyalty.
- Enjoys secrets.
- Shows some hostility toward the opposite sex.
- No longer wants to assist in household chores.
Mental
- Is often idealistic.
- Is keenly interested in projects and collections.
- Is proud of completing tasks.
- Resists adult guidance at times.
Parenting
- Read to your child every night.
- Limit the amount and the quality of television.
- Provide a quiet, well-lit place for homework.
- Be available for supervision.
- May want to start an outside group activity (soccer team, dance class, Girl Scouts, church group, etc.)
- Get to know your child’s friends and their parents.
- Provide supervision for your child after school. This is the best protection against future problems.