As your child gets older, you will notice changes in his/her behaviour and interests. While it's exciting to see your child seek more independence, there are new personal and online safety concerns as well. The following section outlines common characteristics of children 8 to 9 years old.

The growing personality: children 8 to 9 years of age

• Take games very seriously and losing can be taken personally.
• Fantasy play becomes more realistic (Police vs. Power Rangers).
• Identity is joined with parents. They can show embarrassment of their parent's behaviour.
• Embarrassment and disapproval can be very upsetting.
• Enter the complex world of peer relationships.
• Language development helps deepen relationships. It is common for girls to build relationships through talking while boys tend to build relationships through activity.
• Peer relationships become important and interactions are based upon rules. Recognition of a pecking order begins.
• Self-image becomes defined by how peers treat them (e.g. if a friend doesn't like them, they may take it as a personal failure).
• Start comparing their body image to others.
• May make inaccurate judgments about their appearance.
• Begin to understand varying levels of feelings as opposed to things being black and white (such as being a little happy, versus being elated and being a little angry, versus being furious) which helps build more stable relationships.
• Security grows as they learn to understand how relationships work. They may feel insecure if they have difficulty with social skills.
• Acquire pride and enjoyment from doing something well (academics, sports, music, art, friendships, games, etc.).
• Have little abstract thinking. Their feelings are directly related to what they are thinking at the time.
• Start to seek some privacy (e.g. start deciding how their bedroom should look, asking people to knock before entering their room, etc.).
• Test parental limits through negative behaviour as it helps them learn appropriate behaviour.