Five and a half Years Old: Anxious

​Please keep in mind as you read the following lists of developmentally appropriate behaviors, that no two children are alike.  Some children might exhibit all the age-related characteristics, some might exhibit most, and there are some children who might not exhibit more than one or two. 

When using the list below, it is important to also consider your child’s adjusted age if applicable, environmental, and situational factors, the child’s temperament, and if the child is in a period of equilibrium or disequilibrium. 


A 5-year old child usually but not always:

• is brash and combative
• is hesitant and indecisive at times
• can be over-demanding and explosive at other times
• can be shy one minute, bold the next
• is in a constant state of tension, which results in an increase in tensional outlet behaviors (chewing on lose clothing, biting or tapping pencils)
• is restless and finds it hard to sit still
• is more awkward

Discipline Issues

• is not as likely to listen as age 5
• will rebel and go against what he is asked to do
• defies in order to dawdle
• may throw temper tantrums

 School/Learning

• is calmer at school than at home
• finds it hard to maintain grasp of pencil
• may reverse numbers or letters (this is not a good age to teach reading or writing)

Health/Self-Care

• experiences an increase in colds, headaches, earaches, stomachaches – feet hurt, face hurts
• may have toileting accidents when overly excited​

Much of the following information is based on the studies by The Gesell Institute of Human Development, with the primary source being Your One Year Old, by Louise Bates Ames, Ph.D. Also included is information from Pick Up Your Socks by Elizabeth Crary. This information Can be found at the centerforparentingeducation.org