The primary school years are a time of great change. Young children are discovery learners. They are motivated to experiment and find things out. They explore and interrogate the world around them, in a way which is often exhausting for their parents. They can seem to have boundless energy.
We often focus on the academic skills children are learning during this time. We worry when they can’t read as well as their peers, or don’t seem motivated to improve their maths. We don’t always talk so much about their emotions, but one of the tasks of childhood is learning how to manage your emotions and impulses. For very small children, their emotions are everything. As they grow up, this changes. They learn how to feel angry and not hit someone, for example, or that we can feel worried about something and then later feel better.
Parenting this age group is often intense. In my courses and webinars, I talk about how parents can promote their children’s emotional wellbeing and how to manage the challenges of this exciting period of life.
Many autistic children are anxious and it is hard to know how to help. Dr Naomi Fisher will help you understand and support your child.
Dr Naomi Fisher, clinical psychologist, explains the psychology of rejection sensitivity (or RSD) and how you can help your child.