Children's wishes

Abstract

160 pupils in the 6th grade were asked to write what they would ask for if they could have their 3 best wishes come true. 12-year old children in 1940 were found much more concerned with social welfare, political conditions, and family welfare than comparable children in 1935. Boys were more interested in personal development, social welfare, political progress, and possessions and pleasures; girls, in family welfare. The most common wishes were similar to the most common worries. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)