A lesson on "trust" for Early Childhood Educators

1. ACDS Semester 2 Week 4 TRUST

13. ERIKSON’S EIGHT AGES OF EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT Stage Approximate Age Description Trust vs. Mistrust Birth to 18 months Children must come to trust that basic needs will be met by caregivers and that the world is a predictable and safe place. Otherwise, they will develop feelings of mistrust in others and the world. Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt 18 months to 3.5 years Children must acquire a sense of independence from parents and a belief that they can do things on their own. If children are overly restricted when asserting their independence, they will develop feelings of shame and doubts about their individuality. Initiative vs. Guilt 3.5 to 6 years Children must feel free to act, to create, to express themselves creatively, and to take risks. Children who are inhibited in these pursuits can become overwhelmed with guilt. Industry vs. Inferiority 6 to 12 years Children must come to feel competent in skills valued by society. They need to feel successful in relation to peers and in the eyes of significant adults. If they experience failure too often, they will come to feel inferior.

14. ERIKSON’S EIGHT AGES OF EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT Stage Approximate Age Description Identity vs. Role Confusion Adolescence Adolescents must develop a clear sense of self. They must acquire their own unique roles, values, and place in society. If they are unable to piece together these elements into a coherent view of self, role confusion results. Intimacy vs. Isolation Young adulthood Young adults must be willing to risk offering themselves to others. An inability to give to another can lead to feelings of isolation. Generativity vs. Stagnation Mature adult Adults must gain a sense that they have contributed to the world in some lasting fashion. Through child rearing, civic deeds, or paid work they must come to feel they have in some way given to others. Those who do not achieve this sense may suffer stagnation – a sense that there is no direction or purpose to one’s life. Integrity vs. Despair Older adult Older adults must come to feel great satisfaction with the events and accomplishments of their lives. They must look back on their experiences with pride and acceptance. Those who cannot feel this satisfaction as life draws to an end suffer great despair.