Communication competencies and sociocultural priorities of middle childhood.

Middle childhood has been characterized as a time of innocence. It might even be considered a time of relative calm for many parents. We are past the physical demands of the sleepless nights of infancy and not yet enduring the emotional demands of parenting an adolescent. This is not to imply this period is any less filled with change, including the continuing development of communication competencies in multifaceted domains and relationships.