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A King is Born: Trust vs. Mistrust
The royal prince Kevin has arrived. Weighing 6 pounds, 8 ounces. The very first thing he sees is his mother, who quickly passes him off to their nursemaid (Martha) because she is feeling very tired after being in labor. Kevin and Martha instantly start to form a bond and will be one of his main caretakers.
In Erikson's first stage of life, during infancy, if an infant is loved and cared for, a sense of basic trust develops in the trust vs mistrust stage. -
Kevin Decides: Initiative Vs Guilt
It's a beautiful sunny morning, Martha asks Kevin what they should do today. Kevin says "We should go chase the butterflies"! Martha agrees and takes him to the butterfly garden and then they spend the day there. This is the third stage of early childhood called initiative vs guilt. In this stage, the child becomes capable of planning activities in a purposeful way. Encouragement develops a sense of initiative. But if the child is discouraged and treated harshly then guilt is experienced. -
Kevin Meets Veronica: Intimacy Vs Isolation
Kevin (Age 22) Sees a young woman across the room. They both look at each other and smile. Perhaps it was love at first sight? Kevin walks up to her and asks for her name. Kevin meets Veronica (21). They fall madly in love with each other and decide to combine their lives together.
In the sixth stage, early adulthood, the challenge for young adults is to risk their newly formed identity by entering a committed intimate relationship, typically marriage.