Carol Chase Haber

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 Some nines are boisterous and wild, others thoughtful and withdrawn.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.

"Your Seven-Year-Old "is devoted to the delightful but often anxious and withdrawn child of Seven. Although any seven-year-old will have moments of exuberance, security, and happiness, in general this is an age of introspection. As it begins, parents and teachers may welcome the quiet after the tussles and tangles of Six. But once the child of Seven starts to withdraw it's almost as though he doesn't know where or when to stop. Seven-year-olds feel picked on by family, friends, and teachers alike; they worry that no one likes them; they expect every little task to prove too difficult to handle; tears come easily at this age. With wit and wisdom, Dr. Ames of the highly respected Gesell Institute and Carol Chase Haber offer insights into what children this age are feeling and thinking, and how parents can best deal with these moody, serious Sevens. Included in this book: - New body awareness - Sulking - Concerns about fairness - Stories from real life - Fascination with horror, gore - Threats of running away from home - Life in the second grade - Books for Sevens and the parents of Sevens "Louise Bates Ames and her colleagues synthesize a lifetime of observation of children, consultation, and discussion with parents. These books will help parents to better understand their children and will guide them through the fascinating and sometimes trying experiences of modern parenthood."--Donald J. Cohen, M. D., Director, Yale Child Study Center, Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Psychology, Yale School of Medicine