Unit 4 of Dear Abby

Chapter 11, Letter 1 - 3

I’m concerned because my ten-year-old daughter’s grades have been dropping. It’s been a tough year for her. She has already begun menstruation, and it is on the heavy side. She’s about five feet tall and has a BMI of 29. She’s missed quite a few days of school because she says she can’t breathe, but I wonder if she is just having problems with friends. What should I do?
Dear Abby,
 This age of your child is called middle childhood. This age can be the greatest of times as well as really hard times. This is a time of cognitive awareness greater than ever before with greater personality that any other them in her life. I would encourage you to embrace the potential fruitful relationship with your child. You know the situation of her more than me. Seek to counsel, understand, and bless her. I “recommend that the child see her pediatrician for a thorough physical examination. If the girl’s self-image turns out to be part of the problem,… social support” is very important to apply.
Sincerely
Alexander Hicken
I’ve noticed a real change in my seven-year-old son’s thinking. He is not as easily distracted as he used to be, and he seems to process ideas much faster. Almost every one of his skills has become more automatic and efficient. I know he is just getting more mature, but I thought early childhood was the time of rapid brain growth. Why all the changes now?
 Dear Abby,
Yes, your child’s brain is developing still. His brain’s development of Mylination, a fatty substance that speeds the processes of the brain, is developed, and the increase of cognitive efficiency is seen until he is about 16 years old. At your child’s age, automatization and many other cognitive developments are noticeable. Automatization makes reading as well as other skills as automatic in practice.
Sincerely
Alexander Hicken

What does an IQ score of 120 really mean? Is it more of an aptitude score or an achievement score? Does it change a lot over the life span? I’ve heard IQ scores are on the rise. Is this true? Is the population as a whole getting smarter? Also, what is the big controversy over IQ testing in schools? It sure seems like they give plenty of other tests.
Dear Abby,
Wow. That is a lot of questions. Haha
Yes. The IQ test is an aptitude test. “Aptitude is the potential to master a specific skill or to learn a certain body of knowledge.” The calculation of the IQ score is highly dependent on the age of the person, so it should be changing. It is a snap shot of the intelligence at that moment. Although the score should be understood as partly due to the nature of the person, “many developmentalists criticize IQ tests. They argue that no test can measure potential without also measuring achievement and that every test score reflects the culture of the people who wrote, administer, and take it.”
It is true that the IQ nations are increasing. It is “believe[d] that the reasons are environmental, including better health, smaller families, and more schooling in nations with higher scores.”
Sincerely
Alexander Hicken
Chapter 12, Letter 1 –2, & 5
My seven-year-old son’s schoolteacher referred to him as a concrete operational thinker. What does that mean? She mentioned something about logical concepts. Should I be concerned? He seems perfectly normal to me.
Dear Abby,
Concrete operational thinking and logical concepts are perceived as normal development at your son’s age of 7. Your child is perfectly normal, and there is no need to be concerned.
The teacher is talking about Piaget’s cognitive theory of child development. Concrete operational thinker is a stage that all children should pass through. It is more tangable than an abstract understanding of the world.
Sincerely
Alexander Hicken
 My eight-year-old daughter only cares about herself. She seems to judge whether something is right or wrong by whether you get a punishment or a reward. Is that normal for children her age? How do I teach her that we should do things just to help other people and our society or just because it’s the right thing to do?
Dear Abby,
Your child is in the age of concrete operational thinking. Helping is not a concrete thing. Their understand needs to become concrete. You may find teaching what helping is by giving a list of helpful concrete actions. At this age they discover the ability to categorize things. This is an age where anything can be learned.
I recommend that it you are asking for help that you asked help in a specific task.
Sincerely
Alexander Hicken
I’ve heard that children become much more pragmatic in language use during the school years.
What does that mean? What should I look for in my children to know if they are developing correctly?

Dear Abby,
The ability to use pragmatics is a good development, for it is the ability to speak to different people appropriately. You can coach them through this skill, but there will not be a problem in its development.
Sincerely
Alexander Hicken
Chapter 13, Letter 1 – 3
How old should children be before they can stay home by themselves? Are there certain indicators that would suggest they are old enough? Also, I was wondering about baby-sitting other children. Is there a certain age or skill set that is required?
Dear Abby,
The age 7 – 11 years old is called middle childhood, and this is an age of great independence. They can take care of themselves. They can prepare themselves food and live with stable and safe actions. There is a high probability that they will not feel a frightened without the presence of a guardian.
Sincerely
Alexander Hicken
 My son hates school and his grades have declined sharply, but he won’t tell me what is going on. I think he is having a hard time making friends and sometimes gets picked on. Could he be drawing negative attention to himself? Are some children more likely to be bullied? What should I do?
Dear Abby,
This is an age of emotionally driven actions. Emotions are only temporal, but middle childhood age people let it determine their attitude. Piaget noticed that there is a decision/feeling to be had in this age. It is between industry and productivity or inferiority. One suggestion that I have is to make a productivity feeling for him independent from his peers and school. Life is not about peers or school. It is about family; therefore, with the family, since it is independent, you can make a new life situation for him. Maybe you can take him out to do stuff with his father or cousins.
Sincerely
Alexander Hicken
 I’m a single mother. I get overwhelmed at times but seem to be doing all right. Do children really need a father? My children have a male school-teacher, and they occasionally see their grandfather. Isn’t that enough? What insight or suggestions do you have for me? Can any family type be equally successful? I don’t think a mail-order husband is in the future for me.
Dear Abby,
Children don’t need a father, and they can do fine. Children would like to have a meaningful relationship with at least one parent. Children are very resilient to difficult situations, but they are not invinsible to a lifestyle with limited care from guardians can damage a good soul’s nature.
Having one parent is weak, and communities of most sorts are constructive to satisfying their needs. An extended family would have a very good influence on children.
Sincerely
Alexander Hicken