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Marissa feels like she failed as a mother.
Marissa is the mother of 3 children who she loves very much, but she just got layed off from her job and has no way to pay the bils until she can find another job.She feels as though she is stuck in one place right now. In Erickson's 7th stage, generativity vs. stagnation, people establish their careers, settle down with a relationship, and begin their own family. They give back to the society by raising their children, excelling in their work, and being involved in their community. -
Samantha looks back on her lifetime.
89 year old Samantha begins to look back on her life and the things she accomplished. She is very satisfied with the things she has done and feels she can die happy knowing that she did everything she wanted to do in her time. In Erickson's 8th stage, people begin to slow down and explore life as a retired person. People in this stage contemplate their accomplishments and either feel guilty about not accomplishing something, or feel great because they did everything. -
Tommy is guilty about stealing a cookie from his friends at school.
4 year old Tommy stole a cookie from his friend at school and walked away without asking for the cookie. After school he felt guilty about stealing the cookie because his friend would not talk to him. In Erickson's 3rd stage, Initiative Vs. Guilt, Children begin to explore their boundaries and see what they can get away with and this is when their parents begin to punish the children for doing bad things. -
Joey is confused about his role as a person.
17 year old Joey is about to graduate highschool and isn't quite sure what he is capable of or what he wants to do with the rest of his life. In Erickson's 5th stage, Identity vs. Role confusion, the transition from childhood to audulthood is most important. Chidren begin looking at their future in terms of career, relationships, family, and housing. During this stage, the child will re-examine his identity and try to find out exactly who he is.
