By David Robson | July 13, 2025

Around the age of six, something curious begins to stir in children. Once sunny and cooperative, they might suddenly become moody, rebellious, or tearful—seemingly without reason. German-speaking countries have a word for this baffling shift: Wackelzahnpubertät, or “wobbly-tooth puberty.” Though it’s not linked to actual hormones like teenage puberty, it marks the beginning of middle childhood—a crucial yet long-overlooked period of mental and emotional transformation.

Now, scientists are finally paying attention to this unique stage between ages six and twelve. Far from a quiet developmental plateau, middle childhood is a time of deep internal rewiring—one that shapes identity, emotional regulation, and social intelligence.

A Forgotten but Formative Phase

Unlike infancy and adolescence, which have been studied extensively, middle childhood has often been described by psychologists as “the forgotten years.” But this is changing. “It’s a key stage in which a child is constructing their identity,” says Evelyn Antony, a psychology researcher at Durham University. “They’re figuring out who they are in relation to others, and their emotional world is expanding rapidly.”

The Rise of Emotional Awareness

Early childhood is known for emotional outbursts—tantrums and tears triggered by hunger, tiredness, or frustration. But by age six, children begin to grasp more complex emotional states and learn ways to express them.

Language plays a critical role in this development. Being able to label emotions (“I’m sad,” “I’m frustrated”) can activate the brain’s prefrontal cortex and calm the emotional response in the amygdala, allowing children to better manage their feelings. This shift marks the beginning of true emotional regulation.

Still, the demands of middle childhood—navigating school, forming friendships, obeying social rules—often overwhelm their still-developing emotional tools. That’s why many six-year-olds experience sudden mood swings, clinginess, or anger, mimicking the emotional turbulence of adolescence.

Building Self-Control and Resilience

During this stage, children also start learning cognitive reappraisal—the ability to reinterpret a negative situation more constructively. A child who feels frustrated by a difficult task may, with support, reframe it as a challenge to overcome rather than proof of failure.

According to Antony, this is where adult guidance is essential. “Emotion coaching”—talking with children about their feelings, validating them, and exploring alternative viewpoints—can significantly boost their resilience and emotional intelligence.

Growing Social Minds

Socially, middle childhood marks a new frontier. “Reciprocal friendships” emerge, where relationships are based on mutual understanding, empathy, and shared experiences. Children start caring more about peer opinion, group belonging, and fairness.

This period also brings a leap in theory of mind—the ability to understand that others have different thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. The classic “Sally-Anne” test shows that by age five, most children grasp that someone else can hold a false belief. But by seven, they begin engaging in recursive thinking—understanding what one person believes about another person’s belief.

This deeper reasoning enhances social skills but can also trigger self-doubt. Studies show children begin to underestimate how much others like them—the “liking gap”—during this phase, which may explain why a child might suddenly feel excluded or anxious in social situations, even without cause.

Compassion in Action

Middle childhood also sparks a rise in empathy and fairness. Simone Dobbelaar at Leiden University found that older children in this stage are more likely to act kindly toward someone who’s being excluded. In an experiment simulating playground bullying, older kids showed solidarity by passing a virtual ball to a character being ignored—behavior linked to brain development that favors perspective-taking over self-centeredness.

How Adults Can Help

While these shifts can be confusing for both child and parent, consistent communication can make all the difference. Talk through social dilemmas with your child, whether from daily life or stories. Ask questions like, “Why do you think they acted that way?” or “How did that person feel?”

And when a child is overwhelmed—whether by sadness, rejection, or frustration—don’t rush to fix everything. Instead, sit with them, name their emotions, and explore constructive responses together.

Over time, these conversations build an emotional toolkit children can carry into adolescence and beyond.

From Wobbly Teeth to Strong Minds

“Wobbly-tooth puberty” might bring tears, tantrums, and unexpected rebellion—but it’s also the start of something remarkable. It’s when a child begins to truly understand themselves and others, to navigate a complex emotional world, and to form the first mature foundations of empathy, resilience, and identity.

With patience, guidance, and conversation, the adults in their lives can turn this turbulent phase into one of the most transformative and rewarding stages of growing up.