Ames Louise Bates

What happened to that sunny outgoing child of eight? As parents of nine-year-olds often discover, nine is a tricky age. Children are more distant from Mother and Father; they're more independant and rely on friends for companionship, or they have a tendency to spend time alone. Some nines are boisterous and wild, others thoughtful and withdrawn. Helping parents learn how to cope with the unpredictable nine-year-old is the aim of this practical guide from the Gesell Institute. Nine-year-olds are hovering on the brink of adolescence, and this in part contributes to their up-and-down nature. Dr. Louis Bates Ames and Carol Chase Haber paint a vivid picture of the child at this age and offer useful advice to make life easier for parents and children alike.

The six-year-old is a complex child, entirely different from the five-year-old. Though many of the changes are for the good -- Six is growing more mature, more independent, more daring and adventurous -- this is not necessarily an easy time for the little girl or boy. Relationships with mothers are troubled -- most of the time Six adores mother, but whenever things go wrong, it's her fault. It used to be, at Five, that she was the center of the child's universe; now, the child is the center of his own universe. Parents need the expert advice of Drs. Ames and Ilg during this difficult year, to explain parent-child relations, friendships with peers, what six-year-olds excel at, how they see the world, what it feels like to be entering the first grade. Children need patience and understanding to help make this transition easier.