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Stage one in Erikson's Stages of Development is one of the most crucial ones.

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This stage is the fastest growth period in life. You start to develop trust in the ones around you, how you view the world, begin walking and talking. All important developments to form who you are. Being the first child and grandchild, I was very overprotected. If I cried everyone was there so fast! Upon asking my mom questions she told me that as long as her, my dad, or grandparents, or uncle were holding me I was fine and never cried. I was smart and curious as I was only ever around adults until Preschool, but I did not like having new people around in my safe place. I always wondered why I needed one certain stuffed animal and sounds to go to sleep, this started as soon as I was born. Same stuffed animal and thunderstorm sounds sooth me still to this day! I dislike real thunderstorms but need the "Alexa Storms" to sleep. Strange enough I was born during a tornado!

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Success in Stage two will lead to Independence. This stage usually happens around ages two and three.

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Developmental stages such as walking more independently start to happen. Most toddlers start walking more and learning to potty train. By the time I was 2 years old I was completely potty trained even during sleep phase! My dad said I hated the way diapers felt and refused to wear them. My parents fully trained me without pullups or diapers. My grandma said I really took this stage and ran with it. I was so independent it would stress my mom out! I refused help with brushing my teeth, one time I decided to go at it alone and used lotion as toothpaste, I am sure that tasted not so great. When my parents left me in my playroom and returned five minutes later, I was covered in butter, I told them i was putting lotion on! I really valued my independence.

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Stage three involves learning to have interaction with other children and learning while playing! 

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During this crucial development it involves regularly interacting with other children at school or social settings. Central to this stage is play, this provides with opportunities to explore their interpersonal skills through initiating activities. Children learn to plan activities, make up games, and initiate activities with others. Children need this opportunity, so they develop the sense of initiative and feel secure in the ability to lead and make decisions. I never had an issue with this stage according to my grandpa. I actually use to try to take over. My Preschool teacher, Ms. Annie said that at the age of 3 she told me that one day I would be the boss of a big company or president. I never really had other kids to play with until preschool as I was the only child for 8 years and the only little one! So, I guess you could say I always felt I was in charge and definitely felt secure in that role!

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Erikson's fourth stage occurs during childhood between the ages of five and twelve.

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In this stage children start to learn to read and write, starting to explore sums, and doing things on their own. Teachers start to become an important role in yours and your child's life. This is the stage where peers become more important in the way your child feels confident in their ability. If your child is encouraged and reinforced, they began to feel competent and feel confident in their ability to achieve goals. If initiative is not encouraged by parents and teachers a child can start to feel insecure and may not reach goals.
Society is very demanding. At a young age I started competitive gymnastics. It was demanding and if you didn't have the encouragement and support then you didn't have the drive to achieve new skills. Being an athlete is rewarding but yet stressful. My freshman year of college I was selected to cheer for Purdue. D1 athlete seems amazing, and it is rewarding but now I am home until my body fully rehabs from injuries. I have all the support I could ask for but with my competitive nature formed at a young age I never stopped pushing myself, and then it was too late.

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The fifth stage occurs during adolescence from12-18 years. During this stage we search for the sense of self and personal identity. 

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While trying to find oneself you start to explore your personal values, goals, and beliefs. This stage is very important. Children are becoming more independent and begin to look at their futures in terms of careers, relationships, families and just a sense of belonging to a society they fit in to.
In my opinion society puts pressure on us all to make hard decisions.
I believe we all go through awkward life stages. I look back at pictures and cringe because I feel like my face is so fat or wonder why my parents let me look so ugly or wear that outfit. They said it was self-expression. When we go to school we are just trying to find where we fit. Then we have the pressures of selecting our career paths and deciding on colleges or military. I feel like I spent my whole high school days prepping for college cheer and getting into college and earning those academic honors. Now I look back and I am sad because I didn't have time to enjoy it before it was over.

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This stage takes place during 18 to 40 years old. During this stage, the major conflict centers on forming intimate relationships. 

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During this stage we begin sharing ourselves more intimately. We start exploring relationships and forming bonds. We build relationships with someone other than family members. Planning our lives together and commitment to each other. Sometimes you find that person immediately and other times it may take making a mistake and starting over. Success in this stage will lead to a virtue of love.
Not everyone immediately falls in love. I've always been taught to never settle. Follow my heart and it will lead the way. I am 19 years old, and I have had the same boyfriend since sixth grade. I told my mom in the sixth grade I was going to marry him, and she would just respond with "we will see". Things could still change and that is totally fine. This stage of your life is important in forming what the rest of your life will look like.

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The seventh stage takes place during middle adulthood (ages 40-65 years). This stage is about making your mark. 

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This is the stage we give back in. We become successful adults and make our mark. Raise or own families with all the tools we've been taught. We become a bigger part of the picture. Success leads you to feeling useful and accomplished. This is when we decide if we keep going or we give up and feel failure for not achieving our life goals. Make life productive. If we do not complete the stages with success, we start to become stagnant and unproductive which then can cause a sense of uselessness. By this stage in my life, I hope that I will have achieved my dreams. I want to be a teacher, own my own home, own my own Cheerleading facility, and then start my own family.

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Final Stage of Erikson's Development Stages. This stage begins at age 65 and ends at death. This stage is when we contemplate our accomplishments.  

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This is the stage we become senior citizens. We tend to slow down our productivity and explore life as a retired person. Erikson believed if we see our lives as unproductive, feel guilty about our past, or feel that we did not accomplish our life goals, we become dissatisfied with life and develop despair, often leading to depression. If we had success throughout the other stages and feel complete, we are able to accept death without fear. You have a sense of closure.
I want to leave this world one day knowing I accomplished all of my dreams and goals. I want to know I made a difference and that I was kind to others. I hope that I encourage at least a handful of students that they are important and smart. Let them know that they do have that support to reach every stage and achieve every goal.