Social Development

When considering whether or not your child is ready for sleepaway camp program, think about factors beyond your child's age, such as how independent he is and how well he handles new and unfamiliar situations.

School bullying is, unfortunately, a common problem among children. Bullying can happen at any age -- even as young as kindergarten or preschool -- and can take many forms, ranging from hurtful language to physical aggression. But parents can learn about bullying, and take steps to spot, prevent, and handle this problem as soon as they see it.

Finding out that your child has been acting like a bully can be devastating news for parents. What are some ways parents can handle bullying behavior in their child?

Do you know what you will say when your child asks questions about September 11? Here are some tips on how to talk to your child about the events of that day, and what they meant for our nation.

For 9-year-old children, their social network and role models are expanding beyond mom and dad. Nine-year-old children will put more emphasis on friendships and may look up to adults other than their parents, such as a coach or a teacher. They will care more about what others think -- which could lead to peer pressure and influence.

You may begin to see a newfound sense of self-confidence in your 8-year-old child as she expresses her opinions about people and things around her. She may pay more attention to news events, and want to share her thoughts on current event topics. At home and at school, 8-year-old children will enjoy friendships and thrive in sports teams and...

Seven-year-old children will develop close friendships, and will enjoy forming close attachments to a role model that may or may not be a parent, such as a teacher or an uncle or aunt. At age 7, children will care more about what others think, and will have a more developed sense of empathy, fairness, and morals.

Six-year-old children will naturally gravitate toward more independence and will increasingly begin to focus more on friendships with peers. As such, 6-year-olds will show interest in adults outside of the family, such as friends’ parents or teachers.

Five-year-olds are engaging much more in interactions with friends and playmates. At school or at home, 5-year-old children will increasingly play with other kids, learn how to share and cooperate, and develop close friendships.

Teaching empathy and nurturing emotional intelligence in a child is one of the most important jobs we have as parents. Research shows that emotional intelligence may even be more important for life success than intellectual intelligence. And teaching empathy to a child may be an important factor in warding off bullying behavior.

Children are naturally geared toward respecting and appreciating differences. Here are some great ways parents can nurture those instincts as they teach their kids about race and cultural diversity.

Your grade-schooler is ready to learn more about the environment, and what he can do to make a difference at home and in the world. Here are 10 great ways you can help him live a greener life.

Children are naturally geared toward empathy and charity -- wonderful traits we parents can nurture as we teach our grade-schoolers how to help those in need.

By kindergarten and grade-school, children are socializing more and are increasingly making friends on their own at school. But while you are no longer your child's sole social director, you can help your grade-schooler learn how to form positive and rewarding relationships. Here's how.

As your younger grade-schooler begins school and increasingly interacts with peers and grownups on his own, knowing how to behave respectfully will become more important than ever. Here are some manners you can expect your young child to learn.

Whether at school or in your neighborhood, grade-school age children are likely to encounter cliques. How can you help your child deal with the negative aspects of this common childhood phenomenon, whether she's included or left out?

The social skills that are important for first grade continue to be the ability to communicate his needs and interact with adults other than his parents,but this year many of his social emotional milestones revolve around his ability to get along with other children, in groups and to see other points of view.