Transcript Life Stages
LIFE STAGES
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 & Toddlers
Early Childhood
Middle Childhood
Adolescence
Provisional Adulthood
First Adulthood
Second Adulthood
Third 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?
If one is going to have a mid-life crisis,
it will happen during this stage as people
re-evaluate:
Marriage relationship
Career
Relationship to aging parents
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