-
Prenatal Development and Birth
First, I went through the germinal period. The cells, or the blastocyst, separated into the placenta and what will become the embryo, and embedded themselves in the uterus. At the third week the embryonic period begins. There is a recognizable mass, but it is not yet recognizable as a human fetus. Starting at week 9, I was a recognizable fetus. At this point I continually grew and formed my limbs. I attained viability, and I was born on January 26, 1988. -
Birth Weight and Length
At birth I weighed 7 pounds 6 ounches and was 21 inches in length. -
Period: to
The First Two Years
Biosocial, Cognitive and Psychosocial events -
Biosocial Events continued
At about 6 months my gross motor skills improved, as did my fine motor skills. By two years old I was able to walk well, and I was also perfecting the pinching motion. -
Psychosocial Events
At birth there was only pleasure and pain, but by 24 months there is a wide spectrum of emotions including my self-awareness. I had a good temperament, and easily developed social bonds. I had a secure attachment with my parents, and had no problem being put into daycare. I was told I was a very good baby, so these events came easy for me. -
Biosocial Events
I grew rapidly, quadrupling my birthweight by my second birthday. I also slept up to 17 hours per day. My parents did not practice co-sleeping, so I woke up half as often as children whose parents practice co-sleeping. My head was 3/4 the size that it is now, but my body was only 1/5 of its current size. My senses functioned at birth, although hearing was the only sense that was good. At birth, my motor skills were more of reflexes than anything else. -
Cognitive Events
There are 4 distinct periods of cognitive development according to Piaget. The first is sensorimotor intelligence, which is broken into 6 stages. These stages are the stage of reflexes, first aquired adaptions, making interesting events lats, new adaption and anticipation, new means through active experimentation, and mental combinations. By 24 months I was making multiword sentences. -
Period: to
The Play Years
Biosocial, Cognitive and Psychosocial Events in the Play Years -
Biosocial Events
My body has continued to change, although my rate of growth has slowed down. I have also become more picky in my eating habits. My lateral movement has improved and is less impulsive. -
Cognitive Events
During these years I am still struggling with the concept of conservation, such as water being put into different containers yet continuing to be the same amount. I also learn a lot from others. My language skills have developed rapidly, and I know about 10,000 words. -
Psychosocial Events
My self-esteem is extremely high during this period. I begin to regulate my emotions as well. I had a temper during these years, but only when provoked by my older brother. My parents' communication was great, it was authoritative which provided a warm childhood and helped me become independent. -
Period: to
The School Years
Biosocial, Cognitive and Psychosocial Events -
Biosocial Events
This is the period in which growth is the slowest. Many children develop asthma during this time, but I was fortunate enough to avoid this issue. Exercise habits become important during this phase because obesity is also prevalent during this stage. -
Cognitive Events
During these years, children are more open to learning in general. They also grasp important concepts, such as reversibility. Vocabulary is easily attained, and children even have the ability to become bilingual. Due to the No Child Left Behind Act, there is more testing and increased emphasis on basic skills in school. I also tried cigarettes during this time. -
Psychosocial Events
Friends become extremely important as children become less dependant on their parents. Moral development is important, and rejection and bullying become apparent in this stage. Household stability is important, and a more stable household benefits children of all ages. Some theories even state that children develop defenses to stress. -
Period: to
Adolescence
-
Biosocial Events
During this period, my body was going through puberty. Girls were typically taller than me, since my puberty started later than theirs. My brain grew, and I was interested in girls. I did not participate in sexual activites during this period, although some do. A hazard of this would be early pregnancy. Drugs are another problem with children this age, though I did not participate in any drug use during this time. I knew people that did, but I decided not to. -
Cognitive Events
At this point I have the ability to partake in formal operational thought. I can understand abstract ideas, and my classes reflect that. I have my driver's license, and I feel as if I'm invincible. I speed everywhere, and unfortunately drive recklessly sometimes. My grades remained high, though some children's grades fall during middle school. We have to take standardized tests before going to high school for class placement, and more tests are needed during high school for placement in college. -
Psychosocial Events
During this time I am trying to figure out exactly who I am. I go to church and have an idea of what I want to be when I grow up, but I could care less about sex and politics. My friends are very important to me, and I spend most of my time with them. Sadness and anger are visible with me because my father passed away during this period of my life. I did not break the law with vandalism or arson, but I did frequently speed. There was no thrill for me from breaking the law. -
Period: to
Emerging Adulthood
-
Biosocial Events
I am most likely near my peak of physical health. My sexual drive is also near its peak, but I do not want to have children yet. i am not financially capable to do so either. I have quit smoking by now, and that was the only risky thing that I was participating in. The risk-taking lifestyle is not for me. -
Cognitive Events
I combine my thoughts and emotions, and I use my experience to make better decisions. My religious beliefs are gaining strength again, as they struggled during my adolescence. I dropped out of college but got myself back into school, and my drive to graduate is very large now. -
Psychosocial Events
I am finally comfortable with myself, though I am still searching to find out who I am completely. I currently have two jobs, one of which may turn into my career. My friendships have dropped off a little bit, but I am involved in romantic love with my girlfriend. She has taken the place of many of my friends. Luckily we are very similar with a lot of our preferences, therefore marriage should not be a problem. I did experience depression during this time period, but it was cured within a year. -
Period: to
Adulthood
-
Biosocial Events
During this period, my body will begin to age. The aging signs are obvious, but they won't really bother me until further down the road. My hearing and vision will begin to decline, and my sexual drive will decline as well. I will completely avoid tobacco, and I will exercise daily while eating correctly to prolong my life. I will most likely be on a cocktail of different medications, but that's what happens when the body ages. -
Cognitive Events
During this period, my practical intelligence will be the most important to me. I will no longer rely mostly on my academic intelligence because the practical intelligence is much more important during this time. Instead of focusing on what I have lost cognitively, I will focus exclusively on what I'm still good at and I will put my entire heart into that activity. -
Psychosocial Events
My personality during this period is affected by my gender, age and culture. Midlife crisis is mostly a myth, but I feel like I'm going to hit that one pretty hard. I will most likely have children, and my relationship with them, my spouse and my friends will be extremely important to me. 50% of marriages end during this period, but I hope I will not be a part of that statistic. My wife and I will have jobs, and we will have to balance our time between our jobs, our children and each other. -
Period: to
Late Adulthood
-
Biosocial Events
Most young adults feel as if I am impaired at this point, but I am still functioning at a high level. My appearance has definitely aged, and my body is slowing down. My hearing and vision worsen, and my brain has slowed down as well. I am still functioning well, but life has become more difficult. -
Psychosocial Events
Retirement is key during this timespan. Most will retire between 55 and 70, though I will aim for 60-65. I want to be able to work as long as I can. I do not want to move away when I retire, i prefer to age in place and work on my house. My marital satisfaction will be high, and will only get better when we spend more time together at home. Hopefully my friends will be alive as well, as this will provide support and happiness in my life. -
Cognitive Events
My senses have slowed down, and my brain is following suit. My short term memory is the first to show signs of deficit, though my long term memory remains intact. Staying healthy will improve my cognition at this age. Dementia has the possibility of setting in, and since there is evidence of this is my family I may be at risk for a memory-loss disease. There is no cure, but I may be able to slow it down using different techniques and medications. -
Period: to
Dying and Death
The life expectancy calculator predicted that I will die during this year. Assuming that I am happy with my life, 82 is old enough for me and I will be at peace with my death. Hopefully it will not be due to medical complications, and I would like to die peacefully in my sleep, with little or no pain involved.