Your Six-Year-Old: Loving and Defiant

The six-year-old is a complex child, entirelydifferent from the five-year-old. Though many of thechanges are for the good -- Six is growing moremature, more independent, more daring andadventurous -- this is not necessarily an easy time for thelittle girl or boy. Relationships with mothers aretroubled -- most of the time Six adores mother,but whenever things go wrong, it's her fault. Itused to be, at Five, that she was the center of thechild's universe; now, the child is the center ofhis own universe.

Parents need the expertadvice of Drs. Ames and Ilg during this difficultyear, to explain parent-child relations,friendships with peers, what six-year-olds excel at, howthey see the world, what it feels like to beentering the first grade. Children need patience andunderstanding to help make this transition easier.