Developmental Stage from 3-7

During this stage of development,children shift from interacting with their environment through senses and movement to functioning in a conceptual-symbolic mode.

They can now think in symbolic form. Gradual language development begins around the age of 2, and is almost mastered by 4...

They can count, but still do not really understand what numbers mean...Their communication is no yet person to person, but consists of the child's monologue...

They are able to think operations through logically in one direction, referred to by Piaget as centration.

Children do not yet have the ability to mentally trace a series of events or easily understand cause and effect relations...

Piaget also uses the term egocentrism to describe children in this stage...

Egocentrism is the inability to take on another's point of view; children can not conceive that anyone thinks differently from themselves...

Stages of development from Age 6-7 years

Around the age of 6-7, or earlier if a child is constantly exposed to other children, egocentrism will erode...

Children begin to validate their own thoughts against those of their peers.

Through maturation and experience a more sophisticated and adult-like state of cognitive development begins to evolve...This is a good time to start with structured parenting.

Set up simple house rules, establish basic boundaries of time, place, touch etc. Children are in need of a consistent routine at this age...

It might be helpful at this point to read up a bit on discipline, boundaries, value and character development.