A mother is very upset because she feels that her 4-year-old daughter is “selfish” and does not understand how her behavior impacts on others in the family. She reports that the child has no problems in preschool and gets along with peers outside the family according to their parents. The social worker can best assist the mother by _________.

The daughter’s behavior is egocentric, and she has trouble seeing the viewpoint of others. This behavior is typical of children in the preoperational stage of cognition. Because others do not see her actions as problematic, it is likely that the mother has an unrealistic expectation that can be helped by understanding child development. The other response choices also do not “assist the mother” as instructed in the question. Based on the assessment, the mother needs education about child development.