Children's feelings get hurt easily. There are mood swings, and children often don't know how to deal with failure. Physical Development Growth is slower than in preschool years, but steady. Eating may fluctuate with activity level. Some children have growth spurts in the later stages of middle childhood.
Children recognize that there are differences between boys and girls.
Children find difficulty balancing high energy activities and quiet activities. Intense activity may bring tiredness. Children need around 10 hours of sleep each night. Muscle coordination and control are uneven and incomplete in the early stages, but children become almost as coordinated as adults by the end of middle childhood. Small muscles develop rapidly, making playing musical instruments, hammering, or building things more enjoyable.