Does Logical Thinking Happen in Middle Childhood?

̶0;You̵7;re wrong, Mom̶1;

• According to John Gottman, psychologist and author of the book ̶0;Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child,̶1; as a child nears age 10, he gains significant control over the powers of his mind. Not only is he more able to recognize logical reasoning but he will also become aware of the power of logical thinking. Most noticeably, middle childhood marks an increase in stubborn behaviors focused on ̶0;being right,̶1; such as ignoring parents̵7; commands because the commands ̶0;don̵7;t make sense.̶1; Parents should expect a bit of sassiness to come with this new-found logic. For example, previous good habits might be discarded, with your child citing reasoning such as, ̶0;Why do I need to make my bed if I̵7;m going to sleep in it tonight?̶1;

You Multiply Before You Add

• If you̵7;ve been collecting your child̵7;s homework assignments from elementary school, middle childhood is a good time to make comparisons between her homework now and her homework then. This simple comparison experiment can show you how much his cognitive abilities, especially logic, have improved. Specifically, you will find that homework, and education in general, in middle childhood requires a longer attention span, stable strategies and better planning. All of these abilities are linked with the ability to think logically. For example, math homework in middle childhood often includes basic algebra, which requires the memorization, utilization and strategic application of the order of operations, a technique that is entirely based on logic.

Mind Beats Heart

• One important aspect of logic is its ability to prevail over emotions. Whereas in younger childhood, your child was likely to base most of his decisions or viewpoints on emotions, in middle childhood, he̵7;s much more likely to take a logical viewpoint. For example, a younger child might insist that he̵7;s right because of his emotions: ̶0;He hit me first, so I hit him.̶1; But in middle childhood, your child has a better understanding of the logical reasoning behind what̵7;s right and wrong, and in a situation in which he has erred is more likely to admit his mistake: ̶0;I hit him because I was angry, but hitting is wrong; people shouldn̵7;t hit each other.̶1; According to Gottman, independent moral reasoning typically starts in middle childhood.

Social Logic

• Despite sometimes seeming like robots, children in the middle childhood years are still very much human, especially when it comes to what they attach importance to. When children enter middle school, they enter an entirely new social environment. But unlike in elementary school, they now have the mental power to develop strategies and approaches to overcome many of the social pressures of making friends, maintaining good social standing and handling conflict. Here, the ability to use logic in place of emotions is especially important, as children will often need to suppress their emotions to avoid embarrassment and unnecessary conflict. In addition, a child̵7;s ability to reason morally will help him work through common social problems, such as finding a classmate cheating or engaging in illegal behavior.