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Conception.
If I was born on Feb. 11, 1957, this is right around when I would have actually began, conception: from ovum to zygote. -
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Prenatal Period
From conception to birth, I progess from ovum and sperm to zygote (germinal period) to embryo (embryonic period) to fetus (fetal period). I have a point of viability. -
My germinal period ended around here
I am a blastocycst and the implantation process has begun. -
My fetal period begins.
I am now a fetus, a deveoping human organism. This period will continue until my birth. -
My embryonic period ended around here
during this period I became a distinct being, though not recognizably human. -
My age of viability!
At this point, I could survive outside my mother's uterus, with the proper specialized medical care. -
Birth
I have arrived. I was born by cesarean section, a surgical procedure where incisions are made and I was removed from my mother's uterus. -
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First two years, infancy
My Freud oral and anal stage, Piaget sensorimotor stage, and Erikson trust v mistrust/autonomy v shame and doubt stages. I have rapid body growth and by 2 years, have strong language growth. I have early emotional development, smiling, laughing, as well as sadness, anger, and fear. -
Object permanence
A Piagetian milestone, whereby I can realize people and objects still exist when they are not seen, touched or heard. -
Started walking.
I recall being told that I started walking around the end of the year, a significant gross motor skill. -
First words around here
Don't recall what was my first spoken word, but it probably occurred right around my first birthday. -
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Early Childhood
My Freud continued anal and phallic stages, Piaget preoperational stage, Erikson initiation v guilt stage, and Kohlberg preconventional moral reasoning stage. My growth rate is slower and my brain development is in its early stages. I gain attachment to my parents and have rapid language development. -
Handedness determined
I am right-handed which means that my corpus callosum may be less thick than my left-handed brother (once he is born). -
Learned to ride a bike
The big biosocial milestone of motor skill development for any kid. -
Begin school, kindergarten
The start of my formal education as part of my development. Attending school involves biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial development. I did not attend a pre-school as many children do today. I feel that I was well prepared through my home educational environment. -
Early myelination completed
This biosocial milestone involves a process where my brain axons become coated with a substance callled myelin which fosters the transmission of impulses between neurons. -
Motor skills development
By now I can draw, write simple words, scan printed text, ride a bike, tie my shoes and catch a ball. -
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Middle Childhood
I am in my Freud latency stage, Piaget concrete operational stage, Erikson industry vs. inferiority stage, and Kohlberg conventional moral reasoning stage. My brain maturation is continuing and am heavily influenced by parents and peers. -
Father passes away
A significant psychosocial event, my father passes away suddenly. We became a single parent family. Mother had to play both roles. -
Enter first grade in school
Formal education continues with my entry into full school days in first grade. I changed schools and attended a private catholic school for grades 1-8. -
President Kennedy assassinated
A significant psychosocial event. Kennedy was the first U.S. president with whom I was aware. His death came just a few months after my father passed away. These two events had a significant impact of emotional loss and would contribute to my emotional developnment through the years, even to today. -
The Beatles
The emergence of the the Beatle musical group was a positive milestone, especially given my emotional loss events of the previous year. This group instilled an interest in music as a key component in my biosocial, cognitive, psychosocial development. They performed on televison two days before my 7th birthday. -
Begin playing music
I began formal music training around now, but had been self-learning for about a year. Learning to play music involves the process of automatization, whereby repetitive thoughts and actions make the actions and thoughts automatic, not requiring conscious thought. Playing music requires strong fine motor skills which I apparently poseess. -
Participation in athletics begins
I began playing sports, that continues to this day and has been a key component in my bio-social, cognitive, and psychosocial development. -
Much model building here
I am somewhat introverted and engaged in the solitary activity of model building. Loss of my dad may have drawn me inward but it was probably genetic as well. Model building requires strong fine motor skills which I apparently poseess. -
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Adolescence
My Freud genital stage, Piaget formal operational stage, Erikson identity v role confusion stage, and Kohlberg post conventional moral reasoning stage. I reach puberty and search for an identity. I now have the ability for abstact thought. -
Mother remarries
Another significant psychosocial event, my mother remarried. Many people, family and friends, didn't approve and unfortunately, didn't go well. Our home environment was plagued by his alcoholism and verbal abuse which provided a negative psychosocial environment. -
Playing music continues
My music playing continues with the addition of guitar playing. I have a keen auditory sense, a biosocial inheritance. I have the ability to recognize pieces of music on split second intervals. Music is also a key element cognitively and socially. -
My first job
My first job was as a restaurant cook. I was basically raised in the business as mother worked as a server to support the family. It was not uncommon to be taken to work if there was no caregiver available. The job was instrumental cognitively and socially. I developed mental and physical organization skills and, of course, subject matter culinary skills. Most of the employees were high school students from the area, so it was a healthy social environment as well. -
Reach voting age
A psychosocial milestone, voting my poliitical choice. -
Legal drinking age (18 years)
The legal drinking age at that time was 18 years. This age was soon raised to 21 but not until after I turned 21 so I legally drank alcohol after 18years old. Early use of alcohol can have a detrimental effect on brain development which is known to continue into early adulthood. -
My first real date
This psychosocial milestone occurred on my 18th birthday. Although I knew many girls and went to parties, etc, this was my first real date. -
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Emerging Adulthood
My Freud genital stage and Piaget formal operational stage continue. My Erikson Intimacy v isolation and Kohlberg postconvential moral reasoning stage occurs. I am at strong biosocial growth and stength and may reach a fifth stage of cognition, postformal thought. My social relationships are increasingly important as I embark on building a familiy and career. -
High school graduation
A cognitive and psychosocial milestone, and I looked to the future with job and college in mind. -
Stepfather dies
A sad psychosocial mielstone, step father succumbs to the reamifications of alcoholism. Fell asleep with a lit cigarette and was asphyxiated. -
Close friend commits suicide
A close childhood friend commits suicide. I experience the emotional pain of loss once again. -
Begin university studies
After some time at a community college, I transferred to a university to study product design. -
College graduation
A key event in my emerging adulthood and culmination of my further cognitive and psychosocial development during my college years. -
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Adulthood
My Freud genital stage, Piaget formal operational stage, and Erikson intimacy v isolation stage continue. Fluid intelligence declines but crystallized intelligence increases, especially vocabulary. I am married with a family and have a successful career and social life, with which i am increasingly dependent.
My Erikson generativity v stagnation stage (middle adulthood)
My Erikson integrity v despair stage (late adulthood) -
First job after graduating
Several months after graduation, I began a job as a software engineer. I have begun to establish a vocational identity as part of my psychosocial development. -
Severe knee injury
Continued involvement with athletics has its physical risks and I sustained a severe knee injury while playing baseball. This injury not only changed my physical state permanently, but also my psychological self-image. -
Older brother passes away suddenly
My older brother dies suddenly due to self abuse. He suffered from alcoholism and drug addiction. Unfortunately, another emotional loss. -
Begin new job at a new company
I joined Ford Motor Company in 1985 which would represent my career and vocational identity for over twenty years. -
Meet wife for first time
Met my future wife for the first time on my birthday. She was part of a group of people out after work. -
First date with my future wife
Our first date was on St. Patrick's day. -
Receive graduate degree
I enrolled in a graduate program to take further steps to improve finanically and vocationally. Thiefforty also had further cognitive development efffects. -
Marriage
A major psychosocial step, gettting married. One of the six "very important" objectives in life: marriage and family. My identy now includes that of husband. -
Buy first house
A psychosocial milestone, our first house. I made many new relationships through our neighborhood that continue to this day. Also a cognitive milestone in the develpment of new skils required to maintain a home. -
Major knee surgery
After living with a damaged knee for over 10 years I underwent a major surgical procedure to repair the damage. -
First child, son, is born
One of my "very imprtant" objectives, raising a family began with the birth of our first child, a son. I now have assumed the identity of a parent. -
Second child, son, is born
Our second child, another son, is born. My parental identity is enlarged. -
Become Boy Scout leader
Both sons are Boy Scouts and I become one of the adult leaders. My identity grows to include that of volunteer. -
Another knee injury
Another knee injury, to the other knee, during a hockey game. My biosocial state continues to evolve and in this case deteriorate as adulthood progresses. -
Another knee surgery
Another biosocial milestone, a second major sugery to repair the knee damage from the previous year. -
Retirement from career
I accepted, at age 50, a generous offer to retire early from my company of over twenty years. Not a typical retirement age, I looked to the future to return to school and earn a teaching certificate. -
Begin prescibed medications
As adulthood progresses, my biosocial condition has resulted in prescibed medications for blood pressure and cholesterol management. -
Mother passes away
An emotional loss of another parent. My mother had a tough, but long and eventful life. Although remarried for a few years after my father died, she raised the family alone. My emotions, naturallly, quite different than those when, as a child, when my father passed away. -
Oldest son starts college
Our oldest son begins his college career. My wife and I now have the identity of "parents of kids in college". -
Back to school for teaching
Healthy retirement involves continued activity, both physical and mental. Returning to school helped my to sustain my cognitive abilities which has been shown to reduce the risk of cognitive deterioration. Also a psychocsocial event by going to school with mostly young colleg age students. -
Complete teacher cert. program
A cognitive and psychosocial accomplishment, finishing my teacher education program and looking ahead to a job as a teacher of mathematics. -
Start first teaching job.
I am optimistic that I will have a full time teaching job for the next school year. My identity will be enhanced to include that of teacher. -
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Late Adulthood
Late adulthood will most likely bring disease and aging as my body's cells show the wear and tear of a lifetime. I may develop a neurocognitive disorder but plan to stay as active as possible. -
Knee replacement
Although repaired surgically, advancing age may cause the need for knee replacement. I am also faced with the social concern of medical coverage, which may not be insurance approved for a person of my age, a typical age prejudice. -
Become a grandparent
I expect both sons to be married at some point and have children before my own passing. I will spend as much time with them as possible and mentor them. -
Retire from teaching career
Staying active in a teaching career until almost the age of seventy has sustained my mental and emotioal wellness. My wife is also ready to retire and we plan on achieving the retirement milestone together, as studies have shown that it is the best timing for retirement when both people work. -
Stop driving
My mother suffered from cataracts and macular degeneration which precluded her driving ability . As this is hereditary, I am at risk for a similar outcome. -
Death, life calculator: 96 yrs
Based on the life calculator activity, my life expectancy is 96 years.
