Purposeful Parenting the Upper Elementary Child

With a firm grounding in most academic concepts, an ability to think abstractly, and a well-defined social network, the upper elementary child now turns her attention to understanding and developing a sense of ethics and morality.  Lower elementary children typically have a healthy respect for rules and authority as long as they have been consistently presented and reinforced. However, the lower elementary child often lacks the ability to accept exceptions to the rule or use moral judgment outside of a predetermined set of rules.  By upper elementary ages and on into middle school, children begin to notice and accept the more gray areas of morality and begin to formulate opinions and beliefs about upholding their own sense of right and wrong. This can be an incredibly complex process; hence the need for purposeful parenting that addresses these concepts and helps the child navigate this new territory.  Children of this age are also identifying themselves within a community; whether it is their school, church, or athletic programs, children begin to really develop a sense of responsibility for their contribution to the groups and communities in which they are involved. They learn what it means to become a contributing member of a team and what happens when someone on the team does not uphold their responsibilities. They also pay attention to the leadership of each of these communities and how the behaviors and choices of the respective leaders impact the community as a whol...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Children and Teens Parenting Child Development Communication Ethics Friendship Learning Relationships School Source Type: blogs