As children get older they become more aware of their bodies, and more able to control their physical movements. Children are able to keep their attention longer, and have less distracting body movement. From gender, physical abilities, family life, economic and social class, education, and ethnicity. Stress is defined as the response of individuals to the events that threaten them and affect their coping abilities. One of the major stressors children have to cope with is the separation from parents or guardian.
Children have to adjust to the beginning of school.
Middle age children begin to attend school for 5 to 7 hours, five days a week. Parents of middle age children usually begin to work part and full time jobs when children start elementary school. Thus, causing the children to attend an after school program, daycare facility, or arrive home to a babysitter or caregiver. A second major stressor is the adjustment to parent separations, divorce , and lack of one parental figure. Separated families cause too much or too little, positive and negative attention on the children, as well as financial and economical strain.