The Elementary School Years

Changes you will begin to see in your 7 to 10-year-old

You've made it through diapers, through potty training, through preschool and learning to read - now your child is ready for more independence, homework, and friendships.
By age 10, your child is likely to show signs of:

• Greater independence from parents and family


• Stronger sense of right and wrong


• Beginning awareness of the future


• Growing understanding about one's place in the world


• More attention to friendships and teamwork


• Growing desire to be liked and accepted by friends


• Rapid development of mental skills - continues to improve reading and writing


• Greater ability to describe experiences and talk about thoughts and feelings


• Less focus on one's self and more concern for others


• Stronger, more complex friendships and peer relationships (greater importance on having friends of the same sex)


• Experiencing more peer pressure


• Becoming more independent from the family


• Becoming more aware of his or her body as puberty approaches (be aware that image and eating problems sometimes start around this age)


• Facing more academic challenges at school