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6 years old
Many six-year-olds will begin to lose fat and gain more muscle, and you may notice a "stretching out" as your child gains more height and looks leaner than he did as a four- or five-year-old.Show more independence from parents and family.Learn better ways to describe experiences and talk about thoughts and feelings. Help your child set her own achievable goals—she’ll learn to take pride in herself and rely less on approval or reward from others. -
7 years old
Start to think about the future. Understand more about his or her place in the world.Learn better ways to describe experiences and talk about thoughts and feelings.Talk with your child about school, friends, and things she looks forward to in the future. -
8 years old
Pay more attention to friendships and teamwork. Want to be liked and accepted by friends.Have less focus on one’s self and more concern for others.Help your child learn patience by letting others go first or by finishing a task before going out to play. Encourage him to think about possible consequences before acting. -
9 years old
Start to form stronger, more complex friendships and peer relationships. It becomes more emotionally important to have friends, especially of the same sex.Face more academic challenges at school.Provide plenty of fruits and vegetables; limit foods high in solid fats, added sugars, or salt, and prepare healthier foods for family meals. -
10 years old
Experience more peer pressure.Begin to see the point of view of others more clearly.Know where your child is and whether a responsible adult is present. Make plans with your child for when he will call you, where you can find him, and what time you expect him home. -
11 years old
Become more aware of his or her body as puberty approaches. Body image and eating problems sometimes start around this age.Begin to see the point of view of others more clearly.Have an increased attention span.Keep television sets out of your child’s bedroom. Limit screen time, including computers and video games, to no more than 1 to 2 hours. -
12 years old
Children now have much better problem-solving abilities and are developing more advanced reasoning skills, with the capacity to contemplate different options and possibilities.t this age, children are increasingly likely to test parents by talking back, ignoring or breaking rules and generally rebelling against constraints imposed by adults
