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Prenatal Influences That Impacted My Development
My Mother never smoked, did drugs, or drank while she was pregnant with me. Speaking with my Mom about her pregnancy with me revealed that her and my birth Father's relationship had just mended when I was born. Therefore, her pregnancy with me was a good time for her and my Dad. -
Prenatal Influences That Impacted My Development
My Grandmother and my Grandfather heavily impacted my prenatal upbringing. Times were tough with my family, especially because my parents had recently gotten back together, and they helped my parents financially support my mom’s health. Growing up, my family lived in between my house and my Grandparents house and their support helped my family to stay afloat. -
Infancy: Birth to age 2: Erickson's Trust Vs. Mistrust
Attachment to my mother began while my Mom was pregnant with me, as I had already found my safe place inside of her womb. Once I met her my attachment to her became even greater as she breastfed me and therefore I was very dependent on her. Throughout my infancy, she was constantly loving on me, hugging me, and spending all of her time with me and I was well aware that she was my protector. . -
Birth to Age 2: Piaget's Theory Sensorimotor Stage
Pictured are my sisters and I on Halloween, my little sisters were 2 months old, my older sister was 4 years old, and I was 22 months old. Being the second child, I learned how to use my language to communicate what I wanted with the help of my older sibling and was well aware of the world around me. I was also being potty train and was walking by the age of 2. I became very involved with my siblings, being close to my big sister and being jealous of my new twin sisters. -
Early Childhood: Age 2 to 5 years old: Erickson's Initiative Vs. Guilt
At age 3 I was very much attached to my 3 sisters and adventures to my Father's parents house; my Grandparents, was always a fun time. We would run around their huge backyard and play with our brother, who lived with my Grandparents. We would imagine our own games and have fun together as a family. -
Age 2 to 5 years old: Piaget's Preoperational Stage
Swimming at our friend Jerry's house with my family was a very fond past time of my childhood, as we created games and stated playing independently from our parents since we were old enough to communicate and have fun with one another. -
Early Childhood: Age 2 to 5 years old: Erickson's Initiative Vs. Guilt
Trips to Seaworld with my Grandparents and big sister Malyssa were great memories of my childhood. My twin sisters were infants at the time, so my Grandparents would take my big sister and I out often to allow us to know we were special and loved. I grew up with my Grandparents living a couple miles away and it was often that they would take my sisters and I away from my parents. This was never a struggle for detachment from my parents, rather I was independent from my parents at this stage. -
Middle Childhood: Age 5 to 12 years old: Erickson's Industry Vs. Inferiority
At age 6, I started the 1st grade at a school I would spend the next 5 years attending. My big sister was in the 4th grade and therefore I depended on her for protection and guidance. I would find some of the best friends that I have to this day, at this school and this is where I would become a social butterfly. I did not have a poor self-esteem, rather because of my father’s absence I would seek approval from many men in my life, especially my teacher’s. -
Middle Childhood: Age 5 to 12 years old: Industry Vs. Inferiority
It is at this stage that I had the most friends both at school and outside of school. My mother stated that I was always at a birthday party, sleepover, or friend’s house. She stated that I was anywhere but home, possibly due to the divorce of my parents that was unfolding before my eyes. Despite my parents having issues, I had a well-rounded friend group and was comfortable in my skin as a nine year old. I still had high hopes of impressing the men in my life because of my father’s absence. -
Adolescence: Age 5 to 12 years old: Identity Vs. Role Confusion
After my parents’ divorce, my mother had taken my twin sisters and I out of our, long attended, elementary school and moved us to a private school. Because my mom and dad were now divorced, the role of decision making to see him was implemented by my mother and instead of seeing him daily, I now had a choice to see him. This new change of one parent, rather than two, a different home, and a different school caused me to grow up, as I had to be strong for the changes occurring around me. -
Adolescence: Age 12 to 18 years old: Erickson's Identity Vs. Role Confusion
In the 8th grade I went on a trip to Washington DC trip where I was gone for over 2 weeks exploring the east coast. This was my first trip without my Mother and it was my first adventure in finding out who I was apart from my Mom, which I had not known yet. I did not have much money to spend and I had many people at home awaiting my safe travel home, which created great pressure as a 15 year old. I was forced to learn how to be an adult and this was the ground work for my adult life now. -
Age 12 to 18 years old: Piaget's Formal Operations Stage
At age 15, my Mom decided to move my little sisters and I from our home state in California to Colorado. My sister’s would be starting their 9th grade and I would be starting my 10th grade year in high school. My sister’s and I had started new schools at the end of elementary school so we had taken our new kid skills to yet another school. This new high school would be a growing experience for us all. -
Age 12 to 18 years old: Piaget's Formal Operations Stage
Being at a new high school caused for more involvement and when I was a junior I had decided to try out for the tennis team and spent this year and my senior year on the team. I dedicated hours to practicing to be the best and wanted to follow in my mother’s footsteps, as she also played tennis in high school. I had decided to push myself even further and through also looking for the right college, I also looked for a college tennis team to be a part of. -
Age 12 to 18 years old: Piaget's Formal Operations Stage
During my senior year in high school I was offered to complete a Certified Nurse Aide program through the local community college. It was here that I truly started to plan out my life to study to be a nurse and this program would only get me closer to my new found dream of being a nurse. As the semester ended, a test was given to apply all the knowledge we had learned all year and upon taking it, I was one of the first people in my class to pass the test and receive my license. -
Adolescence: Age 12 to 18 years old: Identity Vs. Role Confusion
Pictured is my graduation from high school in the year 2011. At this point in life, I was nearing the end of this stage and trying to figure out who I wanted to be and mainly, where I was going to college. At this point in time I was enrolled in Colorado Christian University in Lakewood, Colorado and would study to be a nurse. I had assumed my role as an independent adult, as I was done living at home and being a child. -
Adolescence: Age 12 to 18 years old: Identity Vs. Role Confusion
In the middle of the summer before college, a radical change occurred and instead of attending a college in Colorado, I had decided to apply to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. I had never visited this school, but decided to apply and got in within a few weeks. Before I knew it, I had assumed a completely new role as a self-sufficient adult, so I packed my bags and moved to another state and lived on my own for the first time.
