Childhood is the most precious period of a person's life, full of new discoveries and observations about the world around them. Children learn to become independent and take care of themselves. Their curious eyes explore everything around them and absorb knowledge from their parents and teachers. They also learn to make friends and learn to share with each other. As children grow, they learn to bond with others at school and become more involved in sports and learn to be in a group setting. Middle childhood is when children are between the ages of 6 and 12. They are learning the basics of forming friendships, learning morals, and being active members at school and at home. During middle childhood, children go through physical, emotional, cognitive, and affective changes that help them define themselves as individuals and how parents can promote their child's growth and development during this stage of life. During middle childhood, children experience physical changes as they move from infancy to middle childhood. Zembar and Blume (2009) write that “school-age children experience rapid increases in height and weight, as well as improvements in athletic ability. They begin the onset of puberty at different ages, with 11 years as the average age for girls and 13 years for boys, marked first by hormonal changes, followed by observable changes in physical appearance and behavior” (Zembar & Blume, 2009 ). Also, during this time, children experience puberty, which may be a new experience for them. Parents can encourage a positive transition through puberty by helping their children feel comfortable about the changes by talking to them about puberty and helping them adjust. Along with the ph...... middle of paper... skills they need to survive and thrive into adulthood. Works Cited: Fox, April. (2011). School age activities with social-emotional skills. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/way_6167629_school_age-activities-socio_emotional-skills.htmlN/A, . (2011). Middle childhood. Retrieved from http://www.brightfutures.org/physicalactivity/mc/1.htmlSkuse, David. (2003). Child psychology and psychiatry: an introduction. Abindton, Oxfordshire, UK: Medicine Publishing Company Limited. Wertlieb, Donald. "Child." Advanced World Book. World Book, 2011. Web. August 16, 2011. Retrieved from http://www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar110700&st=middle+childhood+development&sc=1#h4Zembar, M.J., & Blume, L.B. (2011) . Developmental milestones in middle childhood. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/developmental-milestones-middle-childhood/