Family ~ 8 Developmental Tasks ~ Tasks 1 - 4

A pioneer in developmental psychology, Dr. Erik Erikson theorized that the work or task of our lives was, in part, a function of our developing our personal ego. In contrast to Freud, who proposed that our psychological development was driven primarily by sexual need, Erikson hypothesized that our development was really driven by social need. In fact, he called his theory one of "psycho-social development." In his landmark book, Childhood and Society [1], he discusses several stages of human social/emotional development, each having its own task or "crisis" to be faced (and I don't believe he used the word crisis in the same way we generally do.) He spent a lifetime developing, expanding, and expounding on his theory, so I won't even attempt to give you more than just the barest skeleton here. However an understanding of Erikson will come in handy later when we talk about the development of our children.

In part 3 of his book, "The Growth of the Ego," Erikson proposes 8 stages or tasks through which all human beings pass. He describes these stages in terms of opposites, contrasting a healthy passing through each "crisis" to an unhealthy or unfinished passing. Here are the stages with a brief description; we will discuss each stage in more detail when we talk get into the heart of parenting:

1. Basic Trust vs. Basic Mistrust (birth to about 18 months) ~ This is the begining awareness of selfness. To a newborn, everything is him: his blankey, his mommy, his bottle. During the first 18 months of his life, he will begin to experience himself as a separate and unique individual. We will discuss the importance of trust issues in later posts.

 

 2. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (18 months to 3 years) ~ There's a reason we call this stage "The Terrible Twos!" This little developing ego has learned that, not only does he have a self of his own, he has a mind of his own as well!  His favorite word is often no.  How parents best handle this budding display of self will is key to healthy development.

3. Initiative vs. Guilt (3 to 6 years) ~ The preschool-aged child is beginning to recognize that she has great ideas and enthusiasm and that with those ideas and enthusiasm, she can initiate projects.  She doesn't have to wait to be acted upon, she can begin the action.  We will talk later about how parents can help encourage initiative while keeping the child within safe boundaries.

4. Industry vs. Inferiority (6 to 11 years) ~ These are the elementary school years.  The child's ego for the first time on an extended basis comes in contact with other young egos - her peers.  She  needs to feel industrious and experience a sense of accomplishment in her life.  This is the age when she can begin to learn that not everyone will like her or agree with her or even be kind to her, but that this does not in anyway diminish who she is. Parents can help her learn and remember her Divine Center.

 

Tomorrow we will discuss tasks five through eight, including those stages that encompass adolescence and adulthood.

[1] W. W. Norton and Company, Inc. NY. 1963

 

Text © 2012 Gebara Education

Pictures of Dr. Erikson from multiple sources on the web

Picture of infant from www.surefirecpr.com 
(I think this is actually the little doll they use to teach cpr on infants,
but I found him so cute in his little blanket, I decided to use the picture.)

Picture of toddler from www.bridgeforkids.org

Picture of preschooler from www.today.colostate.edu

Picture of school girl from www.extension.unh.edu