Seven-year-olds range from being self-absorbed to feeling self-conscious. Some feel the need to dominate and show off; others hold back and never attempt new skills or activities for fear of failure. Clear boundaries help to reign in both extremes and help everyone get a shot at success. Sevens can be moody, loners listening to music or playing with dolls/animals. It's a time of retrospection, and many tend to prefer working with a good friend on a project, not in a group.
They're typically hard workers, sometimes perfectionists. Seven-year-olds will sometimes put a hole in their papers erasing and erasing to get an answer just right. They want to both be correct and have it look "right." So they take a long time with tasks and get upset if they don't have time to finish. Sevens love the routine and structure in school…they are often frustrated when there is a substitute teacher, for example, since he or she may not "do things the way the teacher does."
The good news about sevens is that they're good listeners and they still love being read to. They like playing board games, working on puzzles, learning new words and numbers, they're driven by curiosity, and love to discover and invent. Sevens are intense; they enjoy the balance between hard work and self-assessment, but can sometimes quit a project when they feel overwhelmed or inferior.
Unfortunately, seven-year-olds can be hypersensitive to both physical injuries and emotional ones. Sarcasm, teasing and joking can be very painful to them especially if their ideas are called "silly" or their answers "wrong." They're sensitive to other kids feelings, but sometimes tattle on school mates or friends.
Here is a list of typical traits in your seven-year-old that means they're perfectly normal:
- they need a "heads-up" that it's time to transition to another task
- they have trouble with timed tests like spelling or math
- enjoy memorizing codes or puzzles
- they like "discovery" areas
- frequently change friends
- they can write longer stories with correct spelling
- they are ready for learning capitalization and punctuation
- they enjoy "chapter" books and love a great story line
Seven-year-olds are better athletes than younger children are. They keep their belongings neater at home and school and they have strong likes and dislikes. As they rapidly develop their vocabularies, enjoy your inquisitive sevens!
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