126 MORAL CONDITION OF THE CHILD 



period of the creative imagination begins now 

 and extends on to the tenth year. Its importance 

 will appear in the next period. 



SECTION III. THE THIRD CHILDHOOD. 



The Third Childhood extends from the end 

 of the second to the seventh year. In the work 

 of parental direction of character-formation this 

 is undoubtedly the most important period of all. 

 It has been preceded by a physical foundation- 

 laying; it will be followed by other periods im- 

 portant in child self -direction ; but this is the 

 golden opportunity for the work of parent or 

 guardian spirit. Imitation and authority have 

 their fullest operation now, the two arms which 

 may encompass the child-life with a fair degree 

 of absoluteness. The important physical changes 

 are the second dentition and the arrival of the 

 brain to its full size. He is now slowly growing 

 out of the absolute domination of the emotional 

 element. In the ideal imitative period, from the 

 fourth to the tenth year, he is building with the 

 best material that is within his observation, and 

 with the power of a creative imagination which 

 runs through the same time he is dissecting this 

 observed material and building up its elements 

 into a life-castle of his own. He will not rebel at 

 authority if consistently and unvaryingly ap- 

 plied. He is now forming habits that lie at the 

 deepest foundation of his life, which like guard- 



