Trust: I was always well taken care of, whenever I needed to be fed or changed my mom always took the time to do it, which made me trust her for my needs & wants. 

“A baby’s working model of attachment is related to Erikson’s concept of basic trust. Secure attachment reflects trust; insecure attachment, mistrust. Securely attached babies have learned to trust not only their caregivers but also their own ability to get what they need.” (John Bowlby 1951)

Shame and doubt: as a toddler I was always held back from exploring on my own since I was my mom's first girl, and I was the youngest of four. I developed a need for my mom to do a lot for me, which now affects me in my young adult life. 

“ toddlers begin to substitute their own judgment for their caregivers’. The strength that emerges during this stage is will. As children are better able to make their wishes understood, they become more powerful and independent.” (Erikson 1950) 

Initiative: Although I was often held back from exploring on my own. When I got to the age where my parents finally let me be who I wanted, I was excited to try new things and get out of my comfort zone. I was always excited to meet new people and build friendships with my peers. 

“Conflict that involves negotiation, reasoning, and resolution can help children develop moral understanding by enabling them to see another point of view.” (Laible & Thompson, 2002)

Industry: from the time I could read and write my dad would sit me down and make me do math problems and science experiments as chores, this allowed me to believe I could do difficult tasks. I was able to achieve higher scores on tests and assignments because my dad supported me as I tried to do complex things on my own. 

“Prosocial children tend to act appropriately in social situations, to be relatively free from negative emotion, and to cope with problems constructively." (Eisenberg et al., 1996)

Identity: I always knew what I wanted to do with my life when I got older. I became interested in art and leadership and wanted to go into teaching. I became very close to peers with my same interest. From the age of 13 I became very aware that I am the mothering type of person in people’s lives, and it has stuck that way all the way into me becoming a new mom at 21. 

“Research has found that developing a sense of ethnic identity is beneficial. Several reviews have found that ethnic identity development has been related to higher self-esteem and better well-being, mental and physical health, and academic outcomes.” (Smith & Silvia, 2011; Rivas-Drake et al., 2014)

Intimate: a couple of examples on why I believe I am on the intimacy side of this stage is that I have been able to keep some very close friendships for over 7 years. I have also been in a long-term relationship and we have a child together.

“ The increased intimacy of adolescent friendship reflects cognitive as well as emotional development. Adolescents are now better able to express their private thoughts and feelings and consider another person’s point of view.” (Chow et al., 2013)

Generativity: Although I have yet to reach this stage in my life, I hope to become a person who feels successful and excited to contribute to society.

“Today, the road to adulthood may be marked by multiple milestones—entering college, working, moving away from home, getting married, and having children—and the order and timing of these transitions vary.” (Furstenberg et al., 2015)

Integrity: As I have not gone to this stage in life yet, I hope to have lived my life to its full extent and not look back with despair

“We each continue to write and experience the story of human development for ourselves and our society for as long as we live.” (Arnett, 2014; Buhl & Lanz, 2007)