Although the ages from six to twelve are considered to be a period of relative psychological calm, children between the toddler years and adolescence face pressures in a number of areas: in school, on the sports field, at music class, in religious programs, at home, and even from their own thoughts. They struggle to make friendships and to find new role models apart from their parents; they are called upon to be increasingly independent and to become more sensitive to problems in the home; and they start to carve out their own identity.
