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After the child becomes adjusted to the social units outside the home the hightend emotionality tends to subside because
- The roles of the child are well defined and he knows how to play them.
- He has a ready outlet for any pent up emotional energy through games & sports.
- Of the improvement of skills the child no longer experiences the frustrations he formerly experienced due to failures.
The common emotional patterns of late childhood are – fear, jealousy, curiosity, affection and joy.
- Fear: Objects, situation, animals and people which terrify young children are accepted calmly by older children. On the other hand fears of fire, darkness, disease, doctors, dentists, operations, being hit by a car and being bitten by a dog, sources of fears are common at this age. Girls show more fear than boys.
Fear aroused by concrete stimuli decreases with age and there is a marked increase in the degree of fear of imaginary, fanciful, supernatural or remote dangers and of matters associates with corpses and death. They are also afraid of being different of being a failure in what they undertake.
School worries include failing a test being late for school or being left behind in school. Generalized anxiety which is a painful uneasiness, concerning anticipated illness is more common than any specific worry. It is greater in children who are unpopular and among girls than boys. It increases as the child grows older and as he faces more pressures.
- Anger: More situations provoke anger in late childhood than in early childhood, because the older child has a stronger desire for independence. He becomes angry when an activity is interrupted; constantly criticized and unfavorable comparisons with other children are made. He is annoyed when he is blamed or punished for something he did not do, when he sees someone cheating, telling lies or do unfair things. He also becomes angry when his achievements fall short of his goals.
Some children experience more frustrations or feeling of helplessness when a drive is blocked. Some treat in an aggressive way and some in a passive way by withdrawing themselves.
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Jealousy: Sibling jealousy continues even when the child enters school. Sometimes it is intensified because of his imagination that younger child might be getting mothers attention during his absence at home. He may transfer his jealousy to his classmates especially towards those who are popular or who excel in studies or sports. He will show his jealousy directly through quarrelling, crying, telling tales, teasing, bullying, criticizing or instigating quarrels. He may express his jealousy indirectly by ignoring, sarcastic comments, lying and cheating. As child progresses, indirect expressions of jealousy are more common than direct expressions.
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Curiosity: Curiosity is as strong in the older child as in the younger. He examines things that mystify him and he frequently takes them apart to see how they work. In addition to direct explorations, he asks innumerable questions to supplement what he has learnt by himself. He reads well enough to understand what he needs. Reading becomes increasingly a source of information to him.
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Affection: Affection is expressed only slightly by older children. Boys feel that they are too old to be sissied or hugged. They are likely to be embarrasses if such demonstrations are made in public. They even resent being addressed by words of endearment while girls are not so restrained; they too dislike demonstration of affection openly. Their affection is shown indirectly by their desire to be constantly with those whom they love to do things for them which they can.
- Joy: children derive joy from things which roused pleasant emotions when they were young like laughing at slight calamities sudden or unexpected noises or anything that seems out of place in a situation. Now during this late childhood period the child gets more pleasure from play and jokes. Anything that gives him a feeling of superiority such as practical jokes & eating forbidden foods gives him pleasure.
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