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This is arguable the most important developmental stage. Learning how to trust the people around you should be instilled as a young age. Erikson believed that "relieving discomfort promptly and sensitively" (p. 172) was a crucial part in development. My mom told me how anyone would pick me up when I began to cry and would do their best to soothe me through touch, talking, or feeding me. This taught me that if I was upset, someone would be there to help me, as well as how to trust those around me.

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This stage is when children start to do things independently. Giving children praise for doing things the right way will increase their self-confidence and will build a foundation for self-belief.  "...Assertions of independence with tolerance and understanding" (p. 173) is the main focus of the second stage. My mom would let me do small things around the kitchen with her and would encourage me the whole time. If I messed something up, instead of becoming upset, she would show me how to do it the right way so that I would remember for the next time. Also, she would give me small time frames of what I needed to do. If dinner was in 10 minutes, then she would tell me I had 10 more minutes of playtime before I had to come eat dinner. She said that it made me more mindful of what I would do in those 10 minutes and that I would even clean up before time was up. This greatly helped with my own time management as well as my independence and decision making skills.

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Stage three is where children "are eager to tackle new tasks, join in activities with peers, and discover what they can do with the help of adults" (p. 246). Children mostly do this through playing and doing things around the house. They learn about morality and their society's gender-roles through playing house, cops and robbers, doctor and patient, and so many more roleplaying games. During this stage I would mostly take initiative around the house: cleaning up my toys or helping my parents in the kitchen. My parents never criticized if I put a toy in the wrong spot, figuring that I preferred my way of organizing and it was okay as long as it wasn't messy. This helped me with my 'perfectionist' tendencies because I wasn't scared of doing things the wrong way, knowing my parents would correct me, but not punish me.

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In stage four, children start formal schooling and thus are exposed to kids who are maybe more inclined to certain things than they are. A positive reflection from the previous stages shows that children won't feel inferior to their peers because of a higher self-esteem they have built. I had always been around other kids my age, so meeting new people who could do things better than me wasn't new. If it ever did affect me, my parents would challenge me with things that I was really good at to boost my confidence a little bit, or casually talking about things they wish they were better at. It helped me not look too closely at other's achievements because I was still doing very well.

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Identity is important to everyone, and stage five is when people tend to shift their characteristics and "combine them with emerging traits, capacities, and commitments" (p. 398). I went through this shift, but my mom says it wasn't as drastic as other parents mentioned. I mostly listened to heavier music, wore darker clothes, but nothing crazy. My parents let me enjoy this time period and would buy me things that fit into that part of my life. I did grow out of it after a year or two, but my parents supported me through it all. Since then, I have had a couple of changes, but my parents always expressed that they were okay with it, or didn't feel the need to mention it because they knew it was what I wanted to do.

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Intimacy versus isolation happens when you finally reach adulthood. You're fresh out of highschool, maybe going off to college, and starting to think about relationships with friends and significant others. Positive and negative reactions to the first stages significantly affect this. Mistrust, doubt, guilt, and inferior feelings can affect how you meet new people and talk to them. I am a very introverted person, so it is harder for me to actively talk to someone new, but once the conversation starts, it's easy. I had very positive reactions, but it's still hard for me to get out of my shell. Mostly, my friends will introduce me to others, and then new friendships bloom.

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Stage 7: Generativity vs Self-Absorption

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Stage 7: Generativity vs Self-Absorption

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Generativity is when you pass your wisdom onto others, whereas if you don't as a mentor, you may feel unhappy with yourself and life. Stagnation can lead to isolation from family and friends. My sister recently had a son, so I hope that I can talk to him about decisions I regretted and act as a guide while also allowing him to live his life. I hope to be the kind of person he comes to for advice.

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Without a sense of integrity, you can fall into despair when you don't feel accomplished in what you did in your life. This can be avoided by living life how you want to, not how others want you to, and by making decisions that make you happy. Being a mentor can also help through talking through your decisions and realizing what you did that was wrong or just not smart and accepting them.