"According to Erik Erikson, middle childhood includes the phase of industry versus inferiority, characterized by a focus on meeting the challenges presented by the world" (Feldman, 2013, p. 308). Why is this so? Children in middle childhood struggle to know who they are. They struggle with social and academic demands. They are starting to realize that they are good and not so good at different things. By comparing themselves to the abilities and opinions of others, they seek to possess adequate skills to meet the demands of peers, teachers, parents, school, and the world, and they cling to those who are similar to them. It is essential that the child at this stage discovers the pleasure of being productive and the need to be successful. Middle childhood is about competence. The child's relationship with peers at school and in the neighborhood becomes increasingly important. This stage is also significant in building the child's self-esteem. According to Feldman (2013), “children search for self-understanding during middle childhood” (p. 309). Those who are noticed or applauded will likely feel good about themselves, and those who are not will feel uncertain. It is known that success leads to competence, and difficulty with the child's abilities (failure).