Primary school children

After the anxious parenting of the preschooler, parents sometimes find these easy years - the calm before the storm of adolescence!

Children of this age often seem keen to please their parents, keen to copy the behaviour of those they admire and enjoy time with the family.

Five to twelve are important developmental years. Not only are children growing physically but important social, emotional, and cognitive development is occurring. Children are learning a lot about themselves during these years. They can also be subject to mood swings.

It is through this learning experience that children acquire strong or weak self-esteem. Getting along well with other children is vital to the development of strong self-esteem as is becoming skilled at the games and rituals of childhood.

Providing a loving and supportive family life is also vital to good self-esteem as is parental approval for children's achievements at school, home and on the playing field and clubs. Up until now children have learnt to obey rules and leave it to others to monitor their behaviour. Now they start to internalise the rules of what is good and bad and to make them their own conscience. They start to set their own standards and be able to manage their behaviour on that basis rather than personal impulse and desire.
 

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