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Birth
I was born in Sibley Hospital when I entered my Italian immigrant family composed of a mother, a father, and my sister,Giulia. We live in a upper middle class situation in a single family home located in Bethesda, Maryland. Because my parents were not born in the USA, our family has strong ties to Italy, seeing as all our other family memebrs still live there. -
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Sensorimotor
Experimenting the world through sesnes and actions (looking, hearing, touching, mouthing, grasping) -
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Infancy
Issues= Trust vs. Mistrust -
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Toddlerhood
Issues= Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt -
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Preoperational
Representing things with words and images; using intuitive rather than logical reasoning -
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Preschool
Issues= Initiative vs. Guilt -
Started to Talk
This event happened during Piaget’s “Preoperational Stage”, where children start representing things with words and images and develop Egocentrism. This is also the time Erikson calls “Preschool” where Initiative vs. Guilt comes into play, and children plan and learn from mistakes. By learning to speak, I can communicate with my family and finally understand how to accommodate things into schemas with words. Now I can understand and fit into the English language, a skill one needs -
Started School
Now I’ve moved on to Erikson’s “Elementary School” stage, where Industry vs. Inferiority is prevalent, where I can learn how to interact with other kids, and where I will strengthen my knowledge. This is a big hallmark for me as the start of my education begins and the life lessons of friendship, respect and value for school will be passed down to me. I will grow to be a better person, understand rules, and reinforce my intellect. I will face challenges fitting in and understanding society. -
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Elementary School
Issues= Industry vs. Inferiority -
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Concrete Operational
Thinking logically about concrete events; grasping concrete analogies and performing arithmetical operaions -
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Formal Operational
Abstract Reasoning -
Puberty
Adolescence, the big change. This is where I suffer from Identity vs. role confusion, controlling new hormones, and dealing with periods and changes in my body. I will go through lessons of self-discovery and find who I really am along the way. Also my body will change as I will begin a menstrual flow, grow breasts and even have changes in my hormones. With all my experiences from school and home, I can construct the woman I would like to be. -
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Adolencence
Issues= Idenity vs. Role Cconfusion -
Graduate from High School
Graduating from High School is a big step. I will have to say good bye to many friends I have made over the years, and move on to greater and different places. The day I can look back on all my years of schooling and take into account what I can do to change when I go to college and further establish who I am. With graduation I must leave my comfort zone and learn to grasp for a more varied lifestyle. It’s the step before the unknown where I can acknowledge my family and friends. -
Go to College
College is where I can find my true interest, pursue my career goals, and finish piecing my identity together. For the first time, I will be schooling away from home and comfort. I will have to stretch my mind to understand new opinions, make new friends, and take my education to a higher level. High School may have taught me how to deal with my newfound adolescent, but college teaches how to deal with my new found responsibilities and duties. -
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Young Adulthood
Issues= Intimacy vs. Isolation -
Graduate from College
Now that I have acquired the skills and the motivation for my career, it is time to graduate. Afterwards I may go to graduate to school to further my education, but in the meantime as I enter into the “Young Adult” stage I must deal with the problems of Intimacy vs. Isolation. I have to learn how to make close relationships and hold on to valuable friends. On top of trying to reach the goal of personally success, I will also face the issue of finding a life partner after college. -
Move out of Parents House
Seeing as I am trying to get into the workforce and am fresh out of college, I decide to completely move out of my parents’ house in suburbia and rent an apartment in New York. There I can find tons of possibilities that match my college degrees. By renting and keeping up my own place, I will have to take on more responsibilities than I did in college. I will have to remember to pay the bills, cook for myself and clean. With a new apartment comes full independence. -
Get my First Job
Hopefully, I can successfully graduate from college with a double major in Theater and Journalism. I will use these two strengths to either land a job at Disney Animation Studios, an Advertising firm, or even being a successful actress. It will take dealing with rejection and accepting what the cards may deal, but this stage in life will teach me which path I should take. -
Get Married
Somewhere along the way, I will meet a man who is willing to be forever in my company. We will share hobbies like art, watching movies, doing exotic and different activities. By getting married, I will have to deal with all the ups and downs to come in our relationship, but hopefully I will find a man who is willing to ride the rollercoaster with me. We will have to adapt to each other behaviors and become a unified team. -
Buy a House
With my established job and husband, we may look into having children. But with the apartment we currently live in in the city, that could prove difficult. We make the financial decision to invest in a home in suburbia which should last a large part of our life time. We will have to face the new issues of taking out loans, being financially responsible and adapting our life so that our future children have a safe and comfortable environment to grow up in. -
Have a Child
Having a child is a huge step. Not only will have to change my life to make way for this new person, but I will have to review my development, learn and attempt to raise my child the best way possible. I may have to stop my job for a while to properly care for the baby, and my husband and I will have to consider the financial reproductions and think of the baby’s future. I will have to face many new challenges that are unfamiliar but the satisfaction of having my own child will assist me. -
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Middle Adulthood
Issues= Generativity vs. Stagnation -
Have Another Child
Four years later, my husband and I will make the decision to have another child to accompany our previous one. We will have to face the challenge of incorporating a new family member and explaining to our existing child what that entails. Also, we will have to deal with the new found stress of having two tiny lives to watch over instead of one. I will have to learn to be open and understanding of my first child and bring the second one into a stable household. -
Kids Start School
Now that both my children are established in education and I fully enter my “Middle Adulthood”, I will deal with the issues of Generativity vs. Stagnation. By having children, I can feel that I have contributed by genes to the world, and hopefully as I have continued to be a working mom, I can also establish myself in whatever job I attain. I want my kids to look up to me, trust me, and learn from me. And I want to make a name for myself in the workplace, or if I can attain it, the world. -
Get a Dog
My kids decide to ask for a dog. I take to as a chance to introduce a new character into the household and start teaching my kids about responsibility. Also, as I continue to age, the dog can help keep my family and I active, introducing a pro-athletic household and teaching my kids the value of health. Seeing as this is the first time I’ve ever had a dog, I will have to learn how to raise and train a dog like with my children. -
Move to Different Area and Get a New Job
To introduce some variety into our life, my husband gets a job requiring our family to relocate. Not only will I have to adjust to the change accordingly but I will also have to help my kids adjust to the change and make their transition as comfortable as possible. I will also have to find a new job, adapt to a new society, and find a new suitable home for my family. This change will help me become more adaptable and offer new experiences to my children. -
One Child graduates from High School
With my first child graduating and on the fast track from college, I’m going to have to get used to the idea of letting him/her go and one less person living in the home. I will have to support my kids through college like my parents did and advise them throughout all their life choices. I will have to get used to the idea of my little baby growing up and being an independent. I will have to adapt to these changes and try to do the best I can by helping from the side lines. -
Other Child Graduates High School
After my final kid graduates from college, my husband and I will have to deal with a partially empty house. As our jobs start to gear towards retirement, my husband and I can return to the one on one time we had before children and maybe awaken some of those hobbies. My husband and I will have to adjust to a low stress house after 18 years of high stress. It won’t be a hectic change, so it won’t be difficult to get used to, but it will be a large change nonetheless. -
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Late Adulthood
Issues= Integrity vs. Despair -
Retire
My husband and I are entering the Erikson “Late Adulthood” stage. We will have to face many physical and mental changes as our bodies and minds have been growing progressively slower. We will have to deal with many upcoming health issues, but at least now we have the time to relax and soak life in. We can take clam hikes or even get more pets to try and keep our lives active and moving. We can do things we have put off for our children like traveling, writing poetry, or joining a book/quilt club -
Start Career in Volunteer Work
Seeing as it would be hard for a 70+ gal to be in a competitive work place, I decide to dedicate my life to volunteer work and give back to the community. As I go through Late Adulthood, I will deal with the issue of Integrity vs. Despair, or Satisfaction vs. Failure. As my kids go through life, I can advise, take part and support them. But at the same time I can support communities all over the world and try to leave an impact on people in the world. This allows me to reflect on my life meaning -
Create a Cat Rescue Center
As I work in volunteering, I decide to specialize in my favorite animal, cats. With some money I have left over from my kids college funds, I start a country wide Cat Rescue Squad that works to limit the amount of stray cats, and attempt to put all cats in proper homes. This continues to help me feel as though I have meaning in my life and it gives my husband and me a full time “job” that’s relax and fuzzy. This particular work gives me satisfaction and feeds my lifelong passion for cats. -
Become A Grandma
My first child gets pregnant with her husband and has a child. She’s decided to name it after my father. It gives me great satisfaction in my old age that my family can continue on, even if I cannot be around to see it all unfold. I will have to remember how my parents helped me through my pregnancies and try to pass their wisdom and my experience on to my daughter/son. A baby will be tough to handle, but they can do it. My legacy can live on in the baby's memory. -
Move to Italy
In my late life, I decide to reconnect in my family roots before I die and re-immerse myself in the art and culture of Italy. My husband agrees to come along, so we can bask in the beautiful beaches together. Like a permanent vacation. This move allows me to reconnect with my childhood and reflect on my parent’s life. Have I met their standards? Have I accomplished all that I’ve wanted to? I think they’d be proud. In Italy I can live the quiet, relaxing life and live pleasantly until my death. -
Win Nobel Peace Prize for Cat Organization
After all my hard work, my Husband and I earn a Nobel Peace Prize for our work in cat restoration and health. This establishes my husbands and my contribution to the world and the world of the felines. It might be hard to maneuver, or we might not be the sharpest tools at our age, but at least we can help our fellow feline and human neighbors. Also, our grandchildren can have a model to look up to, and might want to follow our footsteps in humanitarianism. -
Husband Passes
Tragically, my husband passes from a heart attack. This change is a large and difficult one. My husband has been my pal through almost 40 years of my life. He has helped me through tough times, he’s helped me raise our kids, and he has always supported my crazy ways. I will have to adapt to having my home be really empty as I no longer have a companion. We may have had our ups and downs but he was always there for me, and it’s hard to say good bye.I must prepare my family for my death. -
Death
If you’re reading this, it means I’ve passed on. Do not be despaired, for I can finally be with your father again, and we continue to spread our ongoing party through the afterlife. Remember all that I’ve taught you and that I will ALWAYS love you. Don’t remember me in death, but when I was alive and kicking. I have lived my life as I have always wanted to. A working mom raising you two beautiful kids. The memories of me you pass on to the grandkids will keep my fire alive. I miss you too,Mom.
