SOLVING MIDDLE CHILDHOOD BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS 2

Solving Middle Childhood Behavior Problems

Middle childhood is the period before adolescence and after preschool years. In terms
of age, it is the period between age 5 to age 12 (Holden, 2009, p. 183). Thanks to physical and
cognitive development, children at this age often have greater autonomy. They are also often
under more external influences that include electronic media, school, and peer influence
(Holden, 2009, p. 183). All these influences have an effect on their behavior. Depending on
the type and level of influence, children at this stage may develop behavior problems. The
most common behavior problems that they develop at this stage are depression and
aggressiveness.
A depressed child exhibits behavior such as sadness and loneliness. Aggression, on the
other hand, involves behaviors such as cruelty to other children and cheating (Holden, 2009, p.
194). If these problematic behaviors are not addressed effectively, they risk impairing the
development of the child.
To address these middle children behavior problems, parents can use various methods.
One of them is positive reinforcement (Holden, 2009, p. 192). In this method, the parent
reinforces good behavior by rewarding the child any time they behave in the desired manner.
For instance, a parent may address a child’s aggressiveness by taking them for a treat any time
they treat other people with politeness and kindness. If the child enjoys being taken out for a
treat, they are likely to modify their behavior from aggression to politeness in order to get
more treats.
Positive synchrony is another method that parents can use to correct problematic
behaviors in middle childhood. The method involves development of harmonious, engaged,
interconnected, and reciprocal interactions between parents and children (Holden, 2009, p.

SOLVING MIDDLE CHILDHOOD BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS 3
191). It is particularly effective in solving depression among children in middle childhood
because it allows them to open up more freely.

SOLVING MIDDLE CHILDHOOD BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS 4

References

Holden, G. (2009). Parenting: A dynamic perspective. SAGE Publications