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My beginning:
I was born September 18, 2005, to my parents Laura and Kenneth Steedley. I was born in Louisiana. The culture around me was heavily influenced by Louisiana, like Cajuns. I have 2 older brothers. -
Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust (Erikson)
In early infancy I was learning to either trust or to not trust. Erikson's theory states that babies will learn to either trust or mistrust a caregiver based on whether or not their needs are met. My parents met my needs and fulfilled them, making me more trusting in them. -
Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame / Doubt (Erikson)
This stage begins at 2 and ends at 5. In this stage, infants will begin to question: can I do things myself, or do I rely on others? At this stage, I was learning to control my body. I began walking at age 2. This success in my attempt would lead to confidence at later attempts. If I had failed, I would have felt too ashamed to try again. I also had tantrums at this age due to the fact that my amygdala and my hypothalamus were working more than my prefontal cortex was. -
Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt (Erikson)
This stage ends at age 6. At this age, I was finding things that appealed to me. At that age I enjoyed cartoons and movies, and playing with my friends. At this age, when children are playing, they are discovering different roles and exploring them. Some children will pick up leadership roles through this. -
Preoperational Stage (Piaget)
Children in this age experience extreme egocentrism. They do not understand that world does not revolve around them. During this time, I would often ask my parents for new toys and whatnot when they could not afford to constantly buy new things. Because I could not comprehend this, I took it personally, like many children do. -
Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority (Erikson)
From ages 7-13, children will begin to form a sense of competency. They begin learning to read, to write, to do basic math. At this age, I was learning to read and was excelling at it. I received praise for my ability to read and write, and this praise helped me to avoid a sense of inferiority. Instead, I was encouraged. However, it was the opposite with math, and due to the inferiority I felt with math, I did not actively try to learn it as much. -
Conventional Morality (Kohlberg)
In early adolescence, we begin to explore morality. Educators and parents often begin to teach morality, right vs. wrong in this stage. During early adolescence, my school had a large focus on following the 'golden rule', treating others how you want to be treated. I learned to differentiate what is morally, objectively wrong and what is right. -
Concrete-Operational Thinking (Piaget)
Cognitive development really takes off during early adolescence. We learn classification and conservation. -
Stage 5: Identity vs. Role Confusion (Erikson)
As we get into the teen stage, we begin to explore social identity and wonder who we are and what we will be. During this time, I was figuring out who I would like to be friends with, the things I enjoy doing, and what I like doing. -
Formal Operational Stage (Piaget)
Teens and teenagers will, at this stage, enter the formal operational stage. We will begin to have better critical thinking skills and empathy. -
Where will I be?
In this stage, I will be entering college and gathering materials and education to jump-start my career. I will care less about hanging out with my friends and will focus more on my career and my future. -
Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation
In this stage, adulthood is entered. Often, people in this stage will begin navigating friendships differently. Now that we have exited high-school, the things that mattered then will not matter anymore to most people. They will have matured past it. This means people may begin valuing the quality of the friends that they have over quantity. 90% of adults will get married, and many of them have less and less friends over time. -
Formal Operational Thinking (Piaget)
Piaget's theory of formal operational thinking will come into play heavily here. I will begin using logic more clearly than I did in high school. -
Postconvential Morality (Kohlberg)
At this age, we have a larger understanding of the universal moral principles. We understand what is objectively wrong and what is objectively right. Whether or not we follow these morals is up to the person. Personally, I will follow through with maintaining conventional morality, or universal morality. -
Past the developmental periods...
After exiting young adulthood, usually our late twenties, we begin to apply everything that we have ever learned from our developmental periods. The ways in which we were brought up have shaped us as people. -
26-35
At 26, I will likely be finishing school. I plan on being dental hygienist, and so I will have finished schooling for this and may be at an entry level position. I will get married in this time, and will likely have children. -
How do Piaget, Kohlberg, and Erikson affect this stage?
My formal operational thinking will allow me to navigate my job, my relationships within this job, etc. My understanding of my identity and of my morals will also aid me. I will likely marry someone, and have my first child at 29. Logic and my morality will allow me to choose to properly raise said child. -
36-50
By this time, I will have a decent standing in my job. I will be providing for the family that I have created and will be making a solid income. By my late 40's, my children will be graduating high-school and entering adulthood themselves. -
51-65
By this time I will have grandchildren and my children will be navigating the world of raising children as I have. I will be spending time with my grandchildren, and my relationship with them will differ than that of myself and my children's relationship. Because I do not have to raise them myself, I will be able to have more fun with them and will spoil them probably more than my own children. -
65 and beyond
By now, I will have experienced all stages of life. My own parents will have passed, but I will have my own children and grandchildren. I will have retired by now. By this time, I would have contributed to the world by properly raising my own children, who will go on to properly raise theirs, and it will be a cycle of good parenting.