We all move through a set of fairly predictable stages as we move through life. These stages are sequential and are related to our age. People of the same age often tend to be in the same stage.

Stages are based on the work of Erik Erikson, Lawrence Kohlberg and Gail Sheehey Infants & ToddlersEarly ChildhoodMiddle ChildhoodAdolescenceProvisional AdulthoodFirst AdulthoodSecond AdulthoodThird Adulthood

Infants and Toddlers  Birth to 3 years  Major issues:  Physical development  Language development  Mental development  Attachment and Separation – forming relationships and learning that you are separate from your environment

Early Childhood: Egocentric Years  ages 4 – 6  Major Issues:  Learning that males and females are different  Learning abstract concepts (love, empathy, cooperation, etc)  Beginning to distinguish right from wrong  Dealing with fears (e.g. “monsters in the closet”)  Increasing peer group interaction

Middle Childhood  Ages 6 – 12  Begin to learn:  self-acceptance  Appropriate male/female roles  To get along with others in their age group  Begin to develop a conscience  Primary influence: parents

Adolescence  Ages 12 – 17 Adolescence is a major transition period between childhood and adulthood

Transitions  Whenever we move from one life stage to another, we go through a transition period  Transition periods are difficult, because they challenge our beliefs and cause us to move out of our “comfort zones”  Events in our lives can cause us to move into a transition period  Transitions are important because they cause us to grow

Adolescence  Develop more mature relationships with peers  Accepting of physical self  Achieve emotional independence from parents  Prepare for marriage and a career  Acquire a set of values and an ethical system  Show socially responsible behavior

 Central process of adolescence is answering the question: Who am I? Primary influence: peers

Prior to young adulthood, we all go through the stages at about the same time. The stages are based on age. After adolescence, we go through the remaining stages at our own pace. The events of our lives more than our age moves us into another stage.

Provisional Adulthood  Generally between the ages of 18 – 30  During this stage, one transitions from being the responsibility of one’s parents to being responsible for oneself  Decide what our goals are in life and how we are going to achieve them  Most people choose a life partner and begin a family during this stage

During this stage one establishes him/herself as a worthwhile and significant individual

First Adulthood  Begins no earlier than age 30  Tendency to look back at what you have accomplished and at what you want to do with the rest of your life  Realization that you may not meet all the goals you had when you were younger – decide what changes need to be made to meet the ones you still want to work on

The big questions: Am I happy with the choices I have made so far? and What do I need to do to change things so that I am happy?

IIf one is going to have a mid-life crisis, it will happen during this stage as people re-evaluate: MMarriage relationship CCareer RRelationship to aging parents RRelationship to growing children (who may be entering adolescence!)

Second Adulthood  Begins no earlier than age 45  Often a time of adjustment to major life changes:  Children growing up and leaving home  Career changes and/or retirement  Death of one’s parents  Physical changes and limitations  Changes in one’s financial situation

For many Americans, this is a positive stage of life because:  They have more freedom and can do what they want to do  They are at the peak of their careers or are retired  Many people remain healthy and active into their 80s or later

Third Adulthood  Begins around the age of 70  A time of adjustments:  Retirement  Health issues  Death of spouse A time when we either give ourselves the permission to do the things we really want to do and enjoy ourselves or we sit back and let ourselves decline until we die