Preschooler Development

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Behavior

The preschooler learns the social skills necessary to play and work with other children. As age progresses, the child's ability to cooperate with a larger number of peers increases. Although 4- to 5-year olds may be able to start participating in games that have rules, the rules are apt to change frequently at the whim of the more dominant child.

It is common, within a small group of preschoolers, to see a dominant child emerge who tends to "boss" the others around without much resistance from the other children.

It is normal for preschoolers to test their limits in terms of physical abilities, behaviors, expressions of emotion, and thinking abilities. Having a safe, structured environment within which to explore and face new challenges is important, but well-defined limits must be included.

The child should display initiative, curiosity, the desire to explore, and enjoyment without feeling guilty or inhibited.

Early morality develops as egocentrism gives way to the desire to please parents and others of importance. This is commonly known as the "good boy" or "good girl" stage.

Elaborate story telling may progress into lying, a behavior that if not addressed during the preschool years, will probably continue into the adult years. Mouthing off or back talk in the preschooler is usually a means of getting attention and attempting to elicit a reaction from the adult it is directed toward.