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The Trust Vs. Mistrust stage is the first stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. It begins at birth and lasts until a child is 12-18 months old, making it one of the most important stages as it marks the beginning of the way a child will be shaped to view the world. The textbook states, "People need to trust the world and the people in it, but they also need to learn some mistrust to protect themselves from danger" (14), however, at birth a child is uncertain about the world they just entered and therefore looks towards their primary caregiver for stability.  Upon speaking with my parents about myself as a baby during this first stage, I concluded that my resolution was Trust. Ever since I was born, I was a very fussy baby, mostly cared for by my mom, dad, and babysitter. I would cry all the time and my parents didn’t know what to do as I was their firstborn. However, they soon realized that when picking me up and holding me close, the crying would stop. This clearly shows what Erikson says to be true: "secure attachment reflects trust" (54), as I was satisfied at times of nourishment and physical contact.

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The Autonomy Vs. Shame and Doubt stage is the second stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. It begins when a child is 12-18 months old and lasts until the age of 3. This stage marks the beginning of a child's individual discovery of who they are, apart from their caregiver. Embarking on individual discovery allows children at this stage to either develop a greater sense of control, in turn helping to gain confidence, or children may doubt their ability to do things alone, reflecting mistrust and lack of confidence. The textbook relates the growth of Autonomy to the "terrible twos", "This drive typically shows itself in the form of negativism, that is, the tendency to shout "No!" just for the sake of resisting authority" (157). Upon discussing myself as a child during this stage with my parents, I concluded that my resolution was Autonomy. However, my way of exemplifying Autonomy was different than the example from the textbook. During these years of my life I was very independent, and would constantly say “I do self” when offered help. This shows Autonomy in a positive sense as I had the ability and the drive to exert my own power and control myself and my actions.

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The Initiative Vs. Guilt stage is the third stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. It begins at the age of 3 and lasts until the age of 6. During this stage, children assert themselves through direct play and other social interactions. Children of this age are discovering themselves, and while some may be on the right track, others may feel "the need to deal with conflicting feelings about the self" (72). For me, I believe my actions as a child during this stage proved to be those of gaining Initiative. Ever since I was a baby, I loved to be independent which came with having a lot of confidence. This lead to me to take charge when playing with others. I loved to play pretend life, and always took charge of assigning “roles” to others, leaving myself with the “best role”. This clearly shows Initiative as I took great pride in being bossy and a leader, which essentially made me feel secure.

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The Industry Vs. Inferiority stage is the fourth stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. It begins at the age of 6 and lasts until the child reaches puberty. During this stage, children are able to determine their level of self-esteem through productive work. When children are praised, it provides a boost of confidence, however, "if children are unable to obtain the praise of others...they may develop a feeling of low self-worth" (93). Upon looking back at how I felt as a child on a daily basis in school, I concluded that my resolution of this stage was Inferiority. When I finished elementary school, I was diagnosed with a learning disability. This mainly affected me in a classroom setting as it would always take me longer to understand a problem or complete a task, while my peers were very efficient. This shows Inferiority as the classroom environment always made me feel less capable than my peers, really taking a toll on my self-esteem.

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Stage 5: Identity Vs. Identity Confusion

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Stage 5: Identity Vs. Identity Confusion

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The Identity Vs. Identity Confusion stage is the fifth stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. It begins when a child reaches puberty and lasts until young adulthood. This stage is essentially about finding yourself and figuring out who you want to become. The textbook states, "the effort to make sense of the self is part of a healthy process that builds on the achievements of earlier stages - on trust, autonomy, initiative, and industry - and lays the groundwork for coping with the challenges of adult life" (109). While this may be a successful process for some, others may struggle to find their identity, leaving them confused. For me personally, I had no trouble figuring out who I was, allowing me to conclude that my resolution of this stage was Identity. In my high school years, I decided I wanted to spend more time in the art room, as I love to be creative, and I also wanted to spend time with little kids. I thought of an amazing way to do both things, while also giving back to my community, and that was to assist my Kindergarten art teacher, with her Kindergarten and 1st Grade classes. This experience not only allowed me to show my confidence and passion for things I love, but also allowed me to discover my identity as a leader and as someone who is passionate about teaching and working with little kids.

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The Intimacy Vs. Isolation stage is the sixth stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development that takes place during young adulthood. This stage is all about the importance of having healthy, fulfilling relationships, and the impact they have on one's life. Having such a relationship allows one to feel comfort in knowing that there are people to support you and help you to grow. The textbook states that great relationships allow people to "explore their own feelings, define their identity, and validate their self-worth" (111). However, there are people who are afraid to open up and be vulnerable and intimate, which leads to isolation. There was a time for me where I struggled with intimacy as I didn’t have very many friends in high school and didn't feel comfortable being completely vulnerable. This had a lot to do with my high school's environment, so I was very excited to start a new chapter of my life and embark on my college experience. Going to Indiana University from New York City is very rare, so I was getting a complete fresh start. While this was kind of intimidating at first, joining a sorority made all the difference. My resolution of this stage was Intimacy, due to the tight-knit bonds I made with girls who were once strangers, and are now like family.

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The Generativity Vs. Stagnation stage is the seventh stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development that takes place during middle adulthood. This stage is all about "making your mark" and "guiding the next generation" (14). Since I have not entered this stage of development yet, I can only predict. I believe my resolution of this stage will be Generativity. I hope one day I will find my person, get married, and have children. Having and raising children will allow me to make my mark on the world and give back to society. I aspire to be the best version of myself for my future children so that they too can learn to be great contributors to the wellbeing of society.

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The Integrity Vs. Despair stage is the eighth and final stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development that takes place during late adulthood. This stage is all about a person's "acceptance of own life, allowing acceptance of death" (14). Here, older adults try to make sense of their lives, either seeing life meaningful and whole or despairing at goals never achieved. Since I have not entered this stage of development yet, I can only predict. I believe my resolution of this stage will be Integrity. I hope one day I will have a complete and loving family, my dream job as either a teacher or working in the fashion industry, and lifelong friends. This feeling of completeness I hope to have shows Integrity by accepting the cycle of life, and all the good that came with it.