• Simplypsychology.org says, "…if the caregiver fails to provide consistent, adequate care and affection, the child may develop a sense of mistrust and insecurity."

Personally, I have a loving mother and father who've given me affection, made sure I had a bed to sleep on, and given me the nutrients I needed as a child. 

This Stage Resolved with Trust.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/erik-erikson.html 

• Naeyc.org provides tips on how to make a child more independent. They say to "Provide opportunities for your child to be independent. Toddlers and twos can carry their own lunch boxes, put toys away, put their shoes by the door, and help with chores like putting clean laundry into drawers."

This quote is very relatable. While I don't remember much, when I was 2 to 3, my mom told stories of me helping her with chores and making me put my toys away. These actions helped me become more independent.

This stage resolved with Autonomy.

https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/growing-independence-tips-parents-toddlers-and-twos

• Verywellmind says, "Children develop a sense of initiative vs. guilt through having opportunities to explore, initiate activities, and make choices. Children who cannot do this may develop a sense of guilt."

As a child, I remember being much more extroverted than I am now. A core memory for me is when I was in the mall's playpen for children and invited some other strangers' kids to play with me. I loved choosing games to play, even pretending I was characters from books and playing video games with friends. 

This stage resolved with Initiative.

https://www.verywellmind.com/initiative-versus-guilt-2795737#:~:text=An%20example%20of%20an%20activity,and%20secure%20in%20their%20abilities.

• Gilliamswritergroup.com says, "At this stage, children are increasingly aware of their competencies and begin to compare themselves with their peers…..Conversely, repeated failures or negative comparisons may result in feelings of inferiority."

I think this is what happened to me as a child, specifically with times tables and being able to learn them fast enough. Every time we remembered our times tables in elementary school, we got to add a topping to our "sundaes." This was just a paper cutout of a sundae. But, whoever got to finish their sundae was allowed to turn it in for real ice cream. I processed times tables too slowly, and I always felt as if I was dumber than the other students. This crossed into middle school as well with our science fair projects. I never felt smart or accomplished back then.

This Stage Resolved with Inferiority.

https://www.gilliamwritersgroup.com/blog/eriksons-stages-of-development-industry-vs-inferiority#:~:text=Written%20By%20Gilliam%20Writers%20Group,learning%20new%20skills%20and%20knowledge.

• Simplypsychology says that. "How an adolescent's peer group perceives them can impact their sense of self and identity formation."

Again, this is very relatable. My friends all moved on and matured faster than I did, and with my friend group splitting, I was confused for most of my teen years. Who I wanted to be as a person and how I acted were heavily monitored and filtered by myself just to seem socially acceptable. As time went on, though, I learned friendships go, and the ones that stayed helped me become who I am now. I love to draw and strive to have art somewhere in my career path. I also like who I am and my beliefs.

This Stage Resolved in Identity.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/erik-erikson.html

According to Simplypsychology, this includes "…building our lives, primarily through our careers, families, and contributions to society." 

As a future teacher, I will contribute to the community by passing on my knowledge to future generations. I hope to have a small family with whom to share my skills, too. If I'm lucky, I hope that my paintings and artwork contribute to society and pop culture. That would be cool.

I hope to live my life to the fullest and reduce any feelings of stagnation. 

Hopefully, this stage resolves in Generativity.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/erik-erikson.html

Hopefully, this stage resolves in Ego Integrity

I am currently in this stage of development, and it will not resolve for a couple of years. At the moment, I have a loving boyfriend I am very close with. I also have a family I'm close with. If this stage were to resolve right now though, I would still feel very isolated. I struggle to keep up with any of my old friends, and texting feels like a chore. I talk to my family, but really, I only talk to my boyfriend about anything and everything. 

• Simplypsycology says that “Avoiding intimacy and fearing commitment and relationships can lead to isolation, loneliness, and sometimes depression.”

This sounds really sad, so I hope to strengthen my bonds with people and learn to chat with others more in the future.

Hopefully this stage resolves with Intimacy.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/erik-erikson.html