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between the age of 0-18 months, I developed the understanding of what to do for someone to care for my needs. as an infant you cry to get the attention of caregivers. when this need is met the infant is able to trust the person meeting their needs. In this situation I chose trust. I trusted that when I cried someone would attend to my needs. Gabriela Martorell states in the textbook "Child", "The critical element in developing trust is sensitive, responsive, consistent caregiving"(54). A child can become aware of consistent care and can begin to trust their environment if they're given proper care.

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According to the text, "In the United States, this growing sense of autonomy is sometimes called the terrible twos"(Martorell 55).  During the terrible twos I would often tell my parents "No!" and try to do things on my own. My mother recalls a specific time when I was two that I refused to let her brush my hair. I had decided that I knew how to do it correctly and would scream and cry when she tried to do it for me.  At this stage a child is becoming a little more independent and they begin replacing their parent's judgment or rules with their own. I chose autonomy in this stage. By trying to do something by myself I was showing independence rather than shame or doubtfullness.

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When I was 5 years old, my cousins and I decided to play in mud puddles. We wanted to play more and didn't see a problem with covering ourselves in mud. We soon realized It was not acceptable to do so. This is a great example of initiative Vs. guilt. We had the desire to play in the mud, but soon felt guilty because it was not socially acceptable. The textbook states, "Preschool children can do-and want to do- more and more. At the same time, they are learning that some of the things they want to do meet social approval, whereas others do not" (Martorell 72).

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School begins for children roughly by five years old. From five to 11 children are in stage four of Erikson's eight stages of development. During this stage I can remember being in 1st grade and receiving a bad grade on an assignment over counting money. Because of this I felt inferior to my peers and didn't feel as competent when it came to counting money. I was always very gifted at spelling and would often receive 100% on all my spelling tests. Because of this I felt a sense of purpose and was confident in my abilities. Martorell writes that "If children are unable to obtain the praise of others or lack motivation and self-esteem, they may develop a feeling of low self-worth and thus develop a sense of inferiority" (93). Motivation and praise during this stage is crucial to keeping children's self-esteem elevated.

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Stage 5- Identity Vs. Identity confusion

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Stage 5- Identity Vs. Identity confusion

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Middle school and high school can be confusing and challenging for anyone. You have to make big life decisions during this time. Gabriela Martorell says that "identity forms as young people resolve three major issues: the choice of an occupation, the adoption of values to live by, and the development of a satisfying sexuality" (109). Personally, all of these major issues were very simple. I knew what my core values were by a very early age. I became satisfied with my sexuality a little later at 16. I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher. I've known that I wanted to be a teacher since kindergarten. While I know that lots of people struggle during those years, I personally did not have issues with those three situations, so I chose identity in this scenario rather than identity confusion.

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Martorell defines intimacy vs. isolation as when a person makes a commitment to others or will suffer in isolation (14).  I'm currently in this stage of my life. I have made a commitment to my partner and am not in isolation because of that commitment. I also have made commitments to friends. Staying in touch with them prevents me from becoming isolated and alone. If you don't seek companionship in the form of a relationship or friendship, then you're bound to be isolated.

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This is Erikson's stage where, defined by the textbook, "Mature adult is concerned with establishing and guiding the next generation or else feels personal impoverishment" (Martorell 14). In other words, this is the stage where people begin to have children with their spouse. I haven't gotten to this stage yet, but I can imagine that if I was unable to raise any children, I would feel that I wasn't able to bring anything good into the world which would lead to stagnation and a shallow lifestyle.

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This is the final stage of Erikson's developmental stages. this is when an older person reflects on their life and decides if they feel fulfilled or if they feel regret. Gabriela Martorell says that it is when an elderly person accepts death, or despairs because they are unable to relive their life (14).