Erickson's Eight Stages Of Child Development

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vErickson’s theory has eight stages that are distinctively different from each other. (10) Among these eight stages, only four are related to child development. (10) According to Erickson (1959) each stage of these related to child development consist of two sides; the positive side which is characterized as being healthy, and the negative one which is character as unhealthy. (10) The four stages, Erickson stated, are interconnected and consequently, dependent on each other. (10) The first stage is trust Vs. mistrust. (10) It begins from birth to one-year-old. )10) In this stage, when the caregiver provides stability, secure, and the basic needs for the infant, the infant will develop a sense of trust. (10) On the other hand, when the parents …show more content…

Parents play a significant role in the development of children to become mature and healthy adults. In fact, they are the most effective influence for their children. Parents can affect their children’s development based on various factors which primarily include: direct interaction, emotional identification, and family stories. Direct interaction, which is the easiest way to communicate with children, involves praising or rewarding the children for doing something good or punishing them in case they did an undesirable action as well as the transferring knowledge. (11) For example, if the children asked for a candy in a polite way, they will get praised for it and rewarded as a consequence. However, if they yelled and asked in a rude way, they would be punished for their bad behavior. In addition, the parents would have achieved another goal which is transferring an understanding to their children. Emotional identification, which is the second factor, is that children between the age of four to five will start to unconsciously think and believe that if their parents have a characteristic, they will also have it. (11) For instance, a boy whose father is aggressive or fearless or may be popular will believe that he has these attributes too. (11) Moreover, children’s identification will be strongly affected when their families have financial issues. (11) For example, a ten-years old boy who is from a poor family will be susceptible to negative feelings such as shame and anxiety. The transfer of family stories also plays an important role in influencing the development of children as the third factor. It is done by telling the children stories about the accomplishments or experiences of their relatives. If the children knew that their father or uncle, for example, has accomplished a big achievement or has taken a reward because they did something that is kind of outstanding. (11) They will feel very