This book is an up-to-date, informative, reliable and authoritative guide for parents of children in the formative years of six to twelve. It was written under the direction of the Division of Research in Child Development of the Children's Bureau of the United States government, and reviewed by its Pediatric Advisory Committee and other professional persons trained in child development. While your children were very little things happened around your house because you willed them to. Your youngsters were completely dependent on you for their well-being and companionship. Their daily routines were determined by you. But as they reach school age and continue to blossom out as definite personalities, you will find that they have minds of their own. Their abilities, likes and dislikes, dispositions, and dreams make them unlike any other children you know. Their minds are opened to the influences of other adults. Their secret hearts are torn or warmed by the companionship of other children of their own age. There can be no set, fixed book of rules for guiding, helping to develop, and making completely happy children of early school years. Each child is a special person who requires special care. But those who have had wide experience in observing, teaching, and helping to develop the possibilities of children of this age group can give parents the benefit of their advice. That is what this book purports to do. It will tell you what you can expect as your child progresses from one growth adventure to the next. It will guide you in handling what might seem to be problems. It will help you avoid some of the pitfalls that might have unhappy results. It will take some of the surprise, and disconcerting anxiety out of your own reactions to your child's behavior. We hope this book will help you to be wiser, more comfortable, and more self-confident as you continue your job of rearing and training the constantly changing younger members of your family.