Page 159 - Meeting with Children Book

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inferiority. Not all failure leads to inferiority. A balance
between competence and modesty is important to this
stage of development. Success in this stage will lead to the
virtue of competence and industry.

A child's temperament (Thomas and Chess, 1977)
contributes to the child's behavioral style. it is the
characteristic way a child reacts to her environment. it is
the "how" of behavior vs. the "what" or the "why".
Temperament can influence social/emotional
development. Temperament is not age-related and
therefore must be viewed as an overall contributor to
understanding each child. (See temperament Scale).

What can be expected from a normally
developing 8-12 year old?
Look for the following:
8 to 12 yrs Child makes positive statements about
being able to make decisions about basic
things - likes and dislikes, positive
statements about leading various actions
or activities

Positive statements are made about child
having impact on family members and
friends

Child can hold two opposing views about
a friend, family member (10 yrs and up)

Child makes comments about social group
and status he/she has in the group... "I
hang out with the cool kids"

Positive statements about self-
competencies