-
Birthday
I was born at Fairfax Hospital in Virginia to Corey and Beanie Burr, my parents. At the time, my older brother, Patrick, was 18 months old. We lived in Chevy Chase, MD. -
Period: to
Infancy
Trust vs. Mistrust
ifneeds are dependably met, infants develop a sense of basic trust
Erikson -
Period: to
sensorimotor
experiencing the world through senses and actions (looking, hearing, touching, mouthing, and grasping)
object permanence
Piaget
stranger anxiety -
Period: to
Toddlerhood
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
toddlers learn to exercise their will and do things for themselves, or they coubt their abilities
Erikson -
first steps
My first steps were an example of my biological growth (maturation). My muscles and mervous system became stronger and my motor skills were engaged, caused by the rapid development of the cerebellum. Being able to walk gave me more independence as a baby. -
learned to talk
talking related to my cognitive maturation. The ability to talk displayed that not only had my verbal skills developed, but also my thinking, knowing, and remembering had developed in order to allow me to communicate with those surrounding me. Piaget categorizes the aquisition of speech under the preoperational stage of cognitive development during which children begin to use words and images to recognize things (schemas). -
Period: to
preoperational
representing things with words and images; using intuitive rather than logical reasoning
pretend play
egocentrism
Piaget -
started preschool
Preschool marks the first experience of 20 significant years of schooling. Erikson describes the preschool years as years where children learn to initiate tasks and carry out plans. School helped my cognitive development and helped me to gain knowledge and virtues, as it still does. -
Period: to
Preschool
Initiative vs. Guilty
preschoolers learn to initiate tasks and carry out plans, or they feel guilty about their efforts to be independent
Erikson -
Period: to
Elementary School
Industry vs. Inferiority
children learn the pleasure of applying themselves to tasks, or they feel inferior
Erikson -
Period: to
concrete operational
thinking logically about concrete events; grasping concrete analogies and performing arithmetical operations
conservation
mathmatical transformations
Piaget -
Bob was born
I was nine years old when my younger brother Bob was born. He was born during my Elementary School stage, according to Erikson. Bob's presence in my life helped me to learn the pleasure of applying myself to tasks such as helping to feed him his bottle and change his diapers. I was able to employ Erikson's idea of industry to avoid feeling inferior. -
Period: to
formal operational
abstract reasoning
abstract logic
potential for mature moral reasoning
Piaget -
Charlie was born
I was 11 when my youngest brother Charlie was born. Charlie, too, was born during my elementary school stage, but not long after his birth I entered into adolescense. The presence of my younger brothers has helped to shape my identity as a person; caring, thoughtful, protective, and responsible. -
Period: to
Adolescence
Identity vs. Role Confusion
teenagers work at refining a sense of self by testing roles and then integrating them to form a single identity, or they become confused about who they are
Erikson -
began high school at a new school
-
start college
After graduating high school, college is the next step. In college, I become an emerginging adult, relying more on my own resources instead of my parents because I have to live on my own (relatively). In college, I will also be able to find out what my passions are and pursue them to find my career for later in life. -
Period: to
Young Adulthood
Intimacy vs. Isolation
young adults struggle to form close relationships and to gain the capacity for intimate love, or they feel socially isolated
Erikson -
graduate college
As I leave college, I become an adult, gradually separating myself from my parents and relying on myself for everything I need. I have developed my identity and know what I am looking to pursue as a career. I am now a young adult. -
begin job as high school biology teacher
After pursuing a degree in biology and minoring in education in college, I acquire my first job at a high school in the DMV teaching high school after searching and interviewing and rejections. -
get married
As a young adult, my ultimate goal is to create close relationships both between friends and between boyfriends. Eventually, I find the man who wants to marry me. Marriage requires commitment, work, and love to remain happy. -
first child born (son)
Soon after I get married, my first son is born. I adopt authoritative parenting techniques (especially once my child becomes older). I finally understand how my parents felt about me when I was their little baby. My child absorbs my time, money, and emotional energy, but none of it seems to matter because I love my baby. -
quit job to become full time mom
Pregnant with my second child, I feel as if my commitment needs to be fully with my family in order to give my children the attention that they need and allow my children to form secure and trusting attachments with me. -
second child born (son)
Now a full-time mom, my stresses are definitely not over. I have to find ways to manage two young children and create loving relationships with each one. Having a younger child, I am able to teach the older child about responsibility and love as we both assimilate to having a younger baby -
third child born (son)
Having a third child bears newfound stresses on my other relationships because of the amount of time that has to be devoted to my new baby, especially since my older children have learned to expect my full time and attention. -
fourth child born (daughter)
My last baby and I finally have a baby girl. After raising three boys, I have to help my baby girl grow up with confidence in her gender role as a female even with the influence of her three brothers (as I had to deal with in my youth and adolescense). Life is hectic, but my husband and I find ways to make sure every child has his or her fair share of our time and attention and love. -
move to North Carolina
My husband receives a new job offer, and we move to NC. My whole family my uproot and be able to find new schools, churches, social crowds, friends, etc. in our new home state. It feels as though I am reliving adolescense and young adulthood as I search for my new social identity in my new community. -
Period: to
Middle Adulthood
Generativity vs. Stagnation
in middle age, people discover a sense of contributing to the world, usually through family and work, or they may feel a lack of purpose
Erikson -
resume job as a teacher
As my children grow older, I have more time to myself so I begin to pursue my passion agian: teaching. I find a job at a local high school teaching biology. -
menopause
I definitely cannot have anymore children. Even though I still have fairly young children, my body is beginning to tell me that I am aging and my menstrual cycles end. As I cope with my emotional feelings regarding my gender role relating to menopause, I will rejoice in not having the burden of mustruation anymore. -
fourth child goes to college
As my last child moves out of the house and becomes an emerging adult, I begin to experience "empty nest syndrome". My children don't have to rely on me for everything anymore, but my marriage becomes happier because of the decreased strain of children being around. -
first child gets married
As my first child gets married, I realize that my children no longer need my full support in life. I look forward to the prospect of more in-laws and grandchildren. -
first grandchild
My first grandchild is born and I am able to finally become the grandmother I have always wanted to be. I spoil my grandchild because now I can enjoy the pleasure of having a baby in my life who is not fully dependent on me. -
dad dies
An event I knew would eventually come has arrived. I enter into a period of grief over my father but it does not last for too long because I recognize that he could not live with me forever. I have lost a role model and one of my primary caregivers -
Period: to
Late Adulthood
Integrity vs. Despair
reflecting on his or her life, an older adult may feel a sense of satisfaction or failure
Erikson -
mom dies
The most dreaded event that I knew would occur in my life. My mom lived to the ripe age of 100, but she had to leave me. I have another stage of grief. With the death of my mother I have lost my primary caregivers and my ultimate role model. Even in old age, I try to emulate my mother. -
retire
As I enter "Late Adulthood," my husband and I both retire allowing us to live a more relaxing life together. We are able to look back on how we contributed to our job and family communities and how we contributed to the lives of those people we met. -
husband diagnosed with Alzheimer's
My husband's diagnosis is devestating because it means our time together is short. His mental disintegration is gradual but my life now revolves around spending time with him and taking care of him. -
husband transferred to nursing home
As I become older, I can no longer provide the care that my husband needs, nor can my children because they have moved away or have families of their own. Because of this state, my husband must move into a nursing home during the final years of his life. I visit him often. -
husband dies
A long awaited sadness and relief. My husband has escaped the pain of his disease, but we have spent 60 years together so I go into a long stage of grief that takes a toll on my health because of my age. Many of my friends are experiencing similar events. This time the feeling of "empty nest" is not so happy. I stay in better contact with my children. -
lose hearing
Between age and grief, my health is declining and, because of biological predispositions, I eventually lose my hearing making it hard to communicate with my children because I cannot use the phone. My children visit me often. -
death
As sad as my death is for those I have loved and cared for, I hope they do not grieve for me long because I have moved on to a more wonderful place then earth. I raised my children to be understanding and loving toward everyone, and I hope they continue to live their lives in my image. I hope that, through teaching, I have helped my students to recognize their passion for science or helped them learn life lessons.
