Happy and outgoing is the way every parent wants their child to feel.

For many years, I've enjoyed working with children and parents to help achieve this - developing drama, dance and singing classes with child development at their centre.

As Principal, I've learned a lot about children and the way that they develop the skills and attributes which define them as adults.

In these tips on child development, I cover some of the issues parents raise with me about their children's development at various stages between the 4 and 12 years old.

Do also have a look at games to play at home, a section devoted to some of the games and exercises we use in Perform classes to help develop social skills or visit our blog - a collection of thoughts about children, parents and family issues.