Trust Vs Mistrust Analysis

The first stage is Trust vs. Mistrust and takes place from birth to around one year old. This is where the infant displays either mistrust of individuals or actions or they show that they are not afraid and are very trusting. From what my mother tells me, I was a very trusting baby. (1) When I was 10 months old I started walking, I wasn’t afraid to try and I didn’t know that I could possibly fail. I wasn’t afraid to venture outside and run or climb either. (2) I was very trusting of my parents, I knew they wouldn’t let me fall. They kept a close watch on me, and I wasn’t afraid of trying things, or even interacting with the family pets – none of our animals were too big or too scary for me. (3) Whenever my mother would leave me with someone …show more content…
Shame and Doubt is the second stage Erikson claims that a person goes through in their life. This particular stage happens from age one to three. This is an essential time, as this is the point in which a child either rises up and believes in themselves and their abilities, or they feel shame and they doubt themselves. When I was young, my parents let me do things myself, (1) I slept in own full-size bed at age 1 because my younger brother was born then. So they made me feel special saying that I was a big girl and they trusted that I would be okay using that bed (now I realize it’s because they needed the crib for my brother) and encouraged me. (2) My mom allowed me to hold and care for my little brother and I took him everywhere and was constantly playing with him. It would have been easy for her to tell me that I couldn’t touch him or that I wasn’t old enough… However, under her supervision she let me love on him and she says I even thought he was mine at that time. (3) When it came to decisions about what I should wear or eat, my mother would give me options and let me feel like I was the one to choose what happened. A child could be impacted positively at this stage if their parents praise them for their accomplishments and allow them to try things to experience success and failure. On the other hand, the child could come out of this stage with a lack of self-esteem and feeling doubtful of what they are capable of. I am very thankful my mother allowed me to …show more content…
Guilt. Typically the person is three to five years of age in this stage. The child at this stage will either take initiative and become a leader, or they will feel guilty and think they are a nuisance to others (McLeod). (1) I exerted dominance in my friend group. I was the one to choose games to play and directed activities for us to do. I became a leader and was the one everyone looked to when they needed direction. (2) I was homeschooled and my mother praised me for questions I asked and encouraged them. Since she taught my siblings and I, my mom was home often and she had the time to explain things to me instead of just brushing them off or acting like my thoughts didn’t matter. (3) I did sometimes get aggressive and on one occasion I remember fighting with my best friend and I pushed him down. The boy was saying mean things about my brother, so I stood my ground and ended up hurting him. My parents taught me right from wrong and they explained why it wasn’t okay to push other people. Through this I learned self-control and I felt some guilt because of the aggression, but my mom did not punish me for this because I was protecting my little brother. The parents of the child have to find a balance between stopping their child and reprimanding them when they do something wrong or allowing them to do everything and encouraging them in every situation. The best possible thing to happen in this stage is for the child to be