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Predictable Attentiveness and Consistency: Trust vs Mistrust
Liam (2 months) relies heavily on his mother's caregiving skills. A consistent routine is followed and she always makes sure to respond quickly to his cries. In Erikson's first stage, infancy through the first year of life there is a need for consistency and predictability to establish trust vs mistrust and how a caregiver responds to their needs. Liam will grow up knowing that his mom tends to his needs, establishing the trust needed for future healthy relationships. -
With Freedom Comes Reinforcement: Initiative vs Guilt
Liam is now 5. His curiosity and exploration of the world are only growing. He has the confidence to play and know if something bad happens, it is not the end of the world. Erikson's 3rd stage of initiative and guilt the difficulty lies in trying to reinforce that mistakes happen and life goes on (initiative) without making the child feel like they are constantly failing and quick to disappoint (guilt). -
Finding Love: Intimacy vs Isolation
At 26 Liam finds the love of his life. He openly communicates his feelings and romantically proposes to his girlfriend with a detailed story explaining how he knew he loved her. By growing up and trusting others, and exploring the world around him freely, he is able to make an intimate commitment to another person (intimacy). He does not hold back his feelings or try and hide from love, and he is not afraid to openly commit himself to another person (isolation).
