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Prenatal Development and Birth
After developing in my mother's womb for nine months, I was born at 8:44 am on March 10, 1991, in Ann Arbor, MI. -
The First Two Years: Biosocial Development
As a newborn, I have the necessary reflexes for survival. I breath as soon as I am in the "air" environment. I have a sucking reflex and will attempt to suck anything near my mouth. This ensures that when a food source is near my mouth, I will eat. These two are some of the major reflexes infants should have when they are born. -
The First Two Years: Cognitive Development
As I continue to grow and develop, my mind grows. One ability that begins to develop is language. Around my first birthday, I begin to speak words that my closest caregivers use around me. Maybe only my parents and sisters knew what I was saying, but I was talking! -
The First Two Years: Psychosocial Development
A month or so after my first birthday, I gain a sense of self-awareness. I am able to point to myself in a mirror and model off my dress up clothes. I also form secure-attachment with my mother and look to her for social reference. Should I cry after I fall in the grass? Mom is laughing so I do too. -
The Play Years: Biosocial Development
During my play years (2-6), lateralization occurs. My "left-side dominance" begins to show, as in this picture where I am seen holding the handle of a flashlight with my left hand. As my brain develops, the corpus callosum connecting brain hemispheres goes through rapid growth in this time period. My brain begins to coordinate and specialize. -
The Play Years: Cognitive Development
At this point in my life, I have 3 sisters and am beginning preschool. This means that I have great sources for social learning. I have conversations with my sisters and watch/play with the other children in my preschool class. I observe their actions and reactions and learn from them. The picture shows me on the morning of my first day of preschool with a bag I have made with my mom to carry my things in. The bag says "CARISSA." -
The Play Years: Psychosocial Development
During this time, I begin writing in a journal that my grandmother gave me. My responses are usually short and I spell words incorrectly often, but I am learning. The page shown says "What would your mom and dad say you do best?" I write "read". I may have been reading often because of the extrinsic motivation I got from my parents telling me I was doing it well. I am proud of myself for being able to read well. -
The School Years: Cognitive Development
I loved to read in class. Whenever the teacher would ask for someone to read aloud, I would be one of the first to raise my hand. One day I was told to go down to another teacher's office. I was not sure why because this teacher was often helping children with speech and other problems. She asked me to read a section and I did so happily, but then she asked me about the reading. I was not quite able to answer questions about it. They helped me to start "paying attention" as I read. -
The School Years: Biosocial Development
I remember having Gym Day in elementary school. On one specific occasion (I think 4th grade) I wore a dress to school. My gym teacher made me participate in gym that day. I had to ride a little four-wheeled scooter across the gym and I cried because I thought everyone would see my underwear. I guess the teacher was trying to tell me gym was important. -
The School Years: Psychosocial Development
At some point in the end of my elementary school years, I was bullied. I always had a lot of friends. I think one of my girlfriends was jealous of me. I was very shy and she took advantage of that fact. For some reason, I still tried to be her friend. Soon I told my mom about what was going on. I don't remember how it was resolved, we just went to different middle schools. I was always incredibly shy from that point forward in school. -
Adolescence: Biosocial Development
It was the Fourth of July, or some time around there and I was out to dinner with my family. I had a terrible pain in my lower back. I went to the bathroom and discovered that I had started my period. I was terrified. This is a big step in adolescence. -
Adolescence: Cognitive Development
By ninth grade, math was usually dealing with X and Y, forcing my classmates and me to think in an abstract way. Formal operational thought is gained during adolescence. -
Adolescence: Psychosocial Development
Friendships are important throughout life. Some of my best friends I met during my high school years. This is also the first time that I began to have close male friends. Friends, romances, and peer acceptance are very important during adolescence. -
Emerging Adulthood: Cognitive Development
Over the past year I have begun developing my faith. Up until I turned 18, I really had no desire for religion. A friend introduced me to Christianity and I have been working on shaping my life to include religious and moral values that I think are important. Most people develop ideas about religion during emerging adulthood. -
Emerging Adulthood: Biosocial Development
For my New Year's resolution for 2011 I decided to work on my exercising habits. I did not have a weight loss goal or anything, just a goal to be healthier. So far I have been doing well with working out. It is important to create healthy habits during emerging adulthood. -
Emerging Adulthood: Psychosocial Development
My boyfriend and I have been together for over a year now. Emerging adulthood is different from adolescence because you start to see boyfriends/girlfriends as potential life partners. Although we are not quite to marriage yet, my boyfriend and I are committed to each other. We have a mature relationship with good communication, shared respect, and a love for each other. -
Adulthood: Cognitive Development
At age 26 I hope to be doing well in my career as a Physician assistant (this may not be likely...). Being a PA, it will be necessary for me to use my practical intelligence everyday as well as analytical intelligence that I obtained while in school. As I continue throughout my career, I hope to continue growing all areas of intelligence. -
Adulthood: Psychosocial Development
I plan to be married at this point and possibly expecting a first child. Marriage and children will both require special commitments. I will have to make sure that I am communicating well with my spouse and learn to raise children to be mature, successful, and independent (a very difficult task, I'm sure!). At this time, I expect to have a good relationship with my parents that is almost like a friendship more than parent-child relationship. -
Adulthood: Biosocial Development
During adulthood, women undergo a "change of life," also known as menopause. This major event is the point in a woman's life when she stops mensrtuating. I am saying I will be around 50 yrs old because my mother is 45 and it has yet to happen to her. There is a decrease in certain hormones that may cause fluctuations in body temperature and mood. -
Late Adulthood: Biosocial Development
Today is my 65th birthday. While I know that I will not look like my 20 year-old self, I hope that life's events have not taken a huge toll on my features. I plan to still be exercising and eating healthy meals. Most likely I will have some wrinkles and a few gray hairs with my senses beginning to dull as well. -
Late Adulthood: Psychosocial Development
I will be 70 years old. Hopefully I am able to retire by now if not sooner. With my gained free-time, I plan to spend time with my grandchildren, volunteer for organizations that interest me, garden, and maybe travel. I hope that I have planned my retirement well so that I have sufficient funds and activities. -
Late Adulthood: Cognitive Development
I am 85 years old. While I am hoping that I still have my full memory and independence, I know that may not be the case. I will probably have a little bit of memory loss. I may also need help from my children with tasks like shoveling snow. As the years go on, I will probably need more assitance and suffer from more memory loss (hopefully not too much!). -
Death and Dying
I have lived to be 100 years old! Ideally, I will still be mentally and physically capable of many things. I hope to die with dignity in the comfort of my own home near family. I hope that I have everything ready for my family so that they have nothing to worry about.
