Seven Years
Development
Physical
- Still has better large muscle than small muscle coordination
- Rides a two-wheeler
- Begins to alternate rigorous and restful activities independently.
- Favors competitive games.
- Has more refined eye-hand coordination.
- May ask endless questions about life, death, and the human body.
- Still occupied with subject of teeth.
Emotional
- Becomes better at expressing negative feelings through language
- May blame another for own mistake.
Social
- Plays with boys and girls together.
- Usually has a best friend of the same sex.
- Shows growing concern about popularity among peers.
- Seeks approval of peers as well as adults.
- Takes it upon self to enforce rules.
- Tattles on other children perceived to be misbehaving.
- Tends to be quite critical.
- Begins to look for role-models.
Mental
- Experiences rapid language development.
- Wants to be “first”, “best”, “perfect”, “correct”, in everything.
- Is greatly concerned with right and wrong.
- Still has difficulty with the concepts of honesty and dishonesty.
- Begins to use logical reasoning to solve problems.
- Continues to enjoy dramatic play.
Parenting
- Read to your child every night.
- Limit the amount and monitor 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, Girls 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.