Your child has now moved from a world of fantasy to a world dominated by logic and reasoning. She has moved into middle childhood and has begun to apply serious logical reasoning. She will continue to develop her cognitive abilities for the next several years. This period of development in her life is called the concrete operational period, named by the Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget who established this theory. At this stage, she is thoughtful and reflective and her individual style of learning becomes more defined. Your child is able to understand the reasoning behind right and wrong and is able to take the right decisions. Very well so, she can now also solve complex puzzles.
What you need to do
Encourage your child to think and resolve; refrain from providing ready answers for the doubts and questions that she may have. Encourage her to explore and learn more, to make an informed decision. This will not only train her mind to ‘work’ for solutions but also build up her confidence in problem solving.
You must allow your child to make a few mistakes and learn from them. But you also have to extend a helping hand before she thinks that the problem is too complex and gives up on it. This is a tricky phase where you have to be tactful in balancing the two extremes.
