1. Stage #6: Adolescence (12 to 20 Years)
1.1. Physical Development: Girls and boys will tend to differ in physical development since girls growth spurt usually occurs around age 10 and boys growth spurt usually takes place at age 12. Girls reach puberty around age 11/12 and boys reach puberty at age 13/14. The primary sexual characteristics develop (reproductive organs) and then the secondary sexual characteristics develop second (pubic and armpit hair in both, breasts in girls, and deeper voices in males).
1.1.1. The beginning of my teenage years started when we moved to England and were stationed on the military base there. I spent my 7th and 8th grade years there and I can still remember to this day when I was a 7th grader at my friend's birthday party and puberty came out of no where and scared the crap out of me.
1.2. Cognitive Development: Adolescents are able to think with more abstract thoughts rather than simply concrete thoughts. They use formal logic when considering problems. Teens also tend to think with more typical and relative thoughts. Their verbal, mathematical, and spatial skills improve and they can think hypothetically. Teens also learn how to divide their attention and monitor their thoughts through meta-cognition. Egocentrism returns and the teen believes they are always being observed and judged by an audience and they also feel like nothing bad will ever happen to them. Teens are usually very self-conscious and tend to ignor danger.
1.2.1. I went to a military school for 7th and 8th grade and loved it. Kids in military school knew what it felt like to have to move around a lot and have to meet new friends and the teachers were understanding of it too and I enjoyed those years. After those years my dad retired and our family retired in Boise since it was were all our friends were and it was close to family. So luckily for me I got to go to high school with a lot of the same people I went to elementry school with. School was always very easy for me and I always got the best grades. I was even ranked number 25 in my graduating class of 396 students.
1.3. Social Development: Teenagers self concept becomes more organized and accurate and reflects on others' perceptions of them. As a result, defining identity is a key task in this growth period. Peer relationships provide social comparison nd help define acceptable roles. Popularity issues may arise and so will peer pressure to enforce comformity. Adolescents' search for autonomy can bring about conflict witht the caregiver Sexualtiy also assumes its importance and dating and other relationships begin to form.
1.3.1. I was a cheerleader in high school and that was the biggest socail aspect of my high school career. I loved cheering for my school even when we were losing and I was able to really learn all the rules of football and basketball... especially when I became captian my junior year. I always felt like I had a place and that I fit in really well. There are some days where I miss high school, but then there are also days where I don't miss it at all.
2. Stage #7: Young Adulthood (20 to 40 Years)
2.1. Physical Development: Physical capabilities of young adults peak in the 20's and this includes strength, coordination, senses, and reaction time. Growth is basically complete, however some organ such as the brain continue to grow. During young adulthood body fat increases which makes obesity a threat. Another threat that can become significant is stress, and the mid-30s disease overcomes accidents in the leading cause of death.
2.1.1. It is so crazy to me that body fat increase during this time period because I am getting terrible close to entering this age group. I am still 19 so I don't think I am here just quite yet, but sometimes I feel like I should be in this category already since I matured really young and have always tried to take on way more than I can handle.. like this semester I decided to take 18 credits again and take on 2 leadership postions in my sorority so I know all about the word stress and what it feels like.
2.2. Cognitive Development: A typical young adult will go throught many world experiences and those experiences will cause thoughts to become more flexible, subjective, and geared toward problem solving. Most young adults also go through significant life changes such as establishing a career, getting married, having children/creating a family, and becoming a contributing member of the society in which they live in. The intelligence of young adults is centered or focused and applied to these long term goals. These significant events may also shape the cognitive development of young adults so it will differ from adult to adult.
2.2.1. I feel very lucky and fortunate to be able to go to college and get a bigger and better education. I am currently studying to hopefully become a dietitian. My dream career is to become a registered dietitian after completing an internship and working in a hospital. I did a job shaddow over the summer at St. Al's in Boise and loved every aspect of clinical dietetics, but I still have somewhat of an open mind to the other fields that I could take with this major.
2.3. Social Development: Young adults will go from dating to forming more intimate relationships and those relationships become extremely important. The commitment of a young adult may be determined or corralated to the attachment style that they developed as an infant. Marriage and children often brng about developmental changes such as stress which in some cases can cause divorce to be a result. The career that a young adult establishes for themselves will also largely impact their identity.
2.3.1. I can't wait till the day a handsome man gets down on one knee and proposes to me so I can get married. I have always been the hopeless romantic and I probably always will be. I come from a very strong military family (my dad and one cousin are Air Force and another cousin is Army) and I can definitely picture myself marrying a military man because it is a lifestyle I know and feel comfortable with and its not a way of life for everyone but I think it is one of the most rewarding lifestyles that there is out there. I think the military has given me a lot of the morals I have today and I would want nothing more than for my children to be brought up the same way I was and develop the same morals that I have.
3. Stage #8: Middle Adulthood (40 to 65 Years)
3.1. Physcial Development: Physical changes in middle adulthood become more evident as vision and hearing decline. Height reaches its peak during this time period and after the peak it will slowly begin to decline. Osteoporosis begines to speed up in women and the weight will generally increase as the strength decreases. Reaction time also begins to slow down but the preformance of complex tasks remains unchanged. Women experience menopause with unpredictable effects and symptoms. The male climacteric brings gradual changes in the man's reproductive system.
3.1.1. These are changes that I don't exactly look forward too.. The thought of osteoporosis makes me want to go drink a large glass of milk. I do hope to engange in an extremely healthy lifestyle. I want to be active and I want my family to be active as well so that none of us are at risk for obesity or any other diseases that are associated with being overweight.
3.2. Cognitive Development: During this time period their is a possibilitiy for some small loss of cognitive functioning, but overall cognitive competence holds steady. Adults use life experiences and effective strategies to problem solve and compensate for any small cognitive loss that may take place. There is also a small decline in the efficiency of retrieving information for the long term memory.
3.2.1. I've always been a firm believer of learning from your mistakes and learning from the past and I am guessing that this will come in handy during this time period.
3.3. Social Development: People in middle adulthood take stock, appraising accomplishments agains a "social clock" and develop a consciousness of morality. This time period is usually tranquil and satisfying to most individuals and personality generally stays stable over time. In most cases marital satisfaction is usally high, but family relationships can present challenges (especially when the child/children leave home and go to college). Career changes are becoming increasingly more common in this time period due to a change in the view of one's career that can sometimes result in dissatisfaction.
3.3.1. wMy parents had my sister and I when they were fairly young and I picture myself doing the same thing because they have barely entered this stage of life and are able to still have fun and go out with friends and not need to look for a babysitter since both of their kids are older and can look after themselves. I want to be able to have fun and love the career that I have. My mom loves what she does but hates the people that she works with but any other jobs that are open mean a decrease in pay so she hasn't changed job soley for that reason and I don't want that to be me. I want to love waking up to go to work. I want to have a love for life and a love for all the people that are in my life. I want to travel and see all kinds of cool place.. my dream vacation is Italy and a Europen Tour to go back and visit all the places I saw and lived in when I was younger.
4. Stage #9: Late Adulthood/Death and Dying (65 Years to Death)
4.1. Physical Development: Unfortunately in this time period wrinkles and grey/thinning hair become more noticable. Height declines as the backbone cartilage disks thin out. Women are espectially susceptible to osteoporosis. The brain shrinks in size which can cause a decrease in reaction time and a decrease in the efficiency of the senses. The heart begins to pump less blood through the body, and cataracts and glucoma may affect the eyes. Hearing loss is also very common. Chronic diseases and mental disorders also may begin to become more common or more prevalent.
4.1.1. I don't even want to picture myself with grey hair and wrinkles... I've always been the fairly short since my height is 5 feet 2 inches and the thought of become shorter makes me really sad. I want to do everything I can now while I am young to stay active and healthy so hopefully I don't have to experience any of those terrible diseases. I would much rather die a peaceful death of simply old age. Ideally I would like to go to bed peacefully and simply never wake up. I want to go to heaven and be with God and look down on the rest of the world, and if there is a chance to come to the earth in the form of a different life I would want to come back as a horse (since they are my favorite animal) and run wild and free.
4.2. Cognitive Development: Cognitive declines are minimal until the 80s. Cognitve abilities in late adulthood can be maintained with training and practice. Learning, in this time period, remains possible throughout the lifespan. Short term memory and memory of specific life events may begin to decline, but other types of memory remain largely unaffeted.
4.2.1. I am going to be like my grandparents and do sudokus and the word searches and crosswords and the little games in the paper and puzzles so that my mind can be as fresh as possible and I don't have to lose very much brain function. My biggest fear about getting old is losing my memory. I don't ever want to forget all of my good memories. I want to be able to hold onto them forever and always cherish them.
4.3. Social Development: The basic personality traits remain stable but changes may be possible. In late adulthood people usually go through a "life review" and this can either bring about fulfillment or dissatisfaction. Retirement is a major event of this time period and can cause some significant adjustments in self-concept and self-esteem. A healthy lifestyle and continued activity in areas of interest can lead to large amounts of satisfaction. There are circumstances in late adulthood such as reduced income, aging or death of a spouse, and a change in living enviorment that can bring about large amounts of stress.
4.3.1. In my older life I want to be surrounded by family and friends and most importantly have no regrets. I want to remembered for all the great things I did and the impact I had on other peoples' lives. I want to die happy and content with the life I lived and I want to be able to look back and say that I wouldn't change anything or do anything differently. I want to be missed but in a good way. I do want to be cremated and I want to have a small funeral with close friends and family, but I also want there to be a celebration of my life and not have it only be sad and about my death.
5. Stage #1: Prenatal Period (Conception to Birth)
5.1. Physical Development: Germinal stage is the first 2 weeks and the cells dividing rapidly. The Embryonic stage is the next 6 weeks where the major organs and body systems begin to grow. The final stage and longest stage that lasts from 8 weeks until birth is the Fetal stage where the organs differentiate, major growth in height and weight occurs, reflexes and movement occurs, and most importantly the health is significantly affected by the mother's health and what substances she puts into her body.
5.1.1. My mom was pregnant with me when her and my dad lived in Germany and she had me in a hospital and she did opt for the epidural.
5.2. Cognitive Development: The brain is growing and intelligence can partially be determined. Some psychological disorders may being to appear, and both of these as well as several other brain functions can be negatively affected by tobacoo/alcohol/other drug use by the mother.
5.2.1. My mom has always said that I get my intelligence from her and not from my dad and it is always a big joking competition between them on who is smarter.
5.3. Social Development: Some personality traits can emerge genetically. Drugs and alcohol can hinder some social and personality traits as well as make it difficult for the child to form attachments and deal with multiple stimuli.
5.3.1. My mom was very good about not using any of the the substances that could have been dangerous to me during my growth and she ate healthy and took her vitamins and I can't thank her enough for that.
6. Stage #2: Infancy (First Year)
6.1. Physcial Development: The child gains 50% of their height within the first year as well as gains "baby fat" until about 9 months of age. Infants begin to wiggle, push forward, sit up, crawl, and eventually walk in this time period as well as grasp and pick up objects. An infant has perfect eye sight by the age of 6 months with depth perception and the ability to recognize patterns, shapes, faces, and colors. Infants also have the ability to hear a wide range of frequencies and can localize sound.
6.1.1. I was born in Bittburg, Germany on the Air Force Base at 12:50 am on June 27, 1993. I weighed 7 pounds and 11 ounces and my mom said she was so thankful that she was so blessed with a healthy baby.
6.2. Cognitive Development: Information Processing speeds up within the first year of life and the basic forms of communication such as babbling begin to appear. Infants may speak their first few words within this time frame as well.
6.2.1. Since both of my parents had to work during the first year of my development they got a nanny for during the day and she was a nice german lady who would talk to me in German so my first few words were German.
6.3. Social Development: Infants exhibit different temperatures and activity levels and facial expressions appear that reflect emotions and that facial expressions of others are understood.
6.3.1. My parents said that I would have really active days and some very lazy days, but overall I was a fairly easy baby. They said that my sister was easier than I was and sometimes it makes her think she was a better baby and so she likes to give me a hard time about it, but my parents have funny stories about me that always make both my sister and I laught everytime we hear them.
7. Stage #3: Toddlerhood (1 to 3 Years)
7.1. Physical Development: The child continues to experience rapid height and weight changes and the neurons in the brain continue to grow and connect together. Some of the functions of the brain have "critial periods" for normal development at this age. Speech increases and more even more patterns, shapes, faces, sounds, and colors become recognizable.
7.1.1. I think that I was fairly normal in height with the rest of the kids my age during this time period and my mom said that one of my favorite activities was coloring. My parents used to give me a coloring book and some crayons or some sort of art project and it would keep me busy for hours.
7.2. Cognitive Development: Language begins to develop rapidly throught the use of single words that stand alone for whole ideas. Telegraphic speech is also used. Toddlers begin to use words for representations and symbols at this age. and the speed at which information is processed continues to increase.
7.2.1. As a little one I was able to say several words in German and even a few sentences and I was also able to say the same things in English. Thats the reason I took 3 years of German in high school. I wanted to see if I could pick it back up, and I definitely did and still love talking to my parents in German occasionally. I also loved to watch Barney and sing along with him.
7.3. Social Development: Toddlers begin to feel empathy towards others, and attachment patterns become extremely visible between the child and the caregiver.
7.3.1. My parents said I was always the little kid that had a ton of sympathy and empathy for people and that I loved to give people hugs when I noticed that they were sad. I had a very secure attachment style as a kid and I didn't like being left with my nanny at first because I would get sad when my parents would leave, but I would always run to give them hugs when they returned to pick me up.
8. Stage #4: Preschool (3 to 6 Years)
8.1. Physical Development: The preschooler will continue to experience increases in height and weight and the body will become less rounded and will slightly slim out. The body will also develop more muscle mass. The brain will grow larger and the neural interconnections will continue to develop as lateralization emerges. The child's gross and fine motor skills will advance and they will be able to develop handedness. The child will also be able to throw and catch balls, run, use utensils while eating, and tie their own shoes.
8.1.1. I was normal with my gross motor skills and loved running around the house and playing catch with my dad in the backyard. I was 6 years old when I played my first season of softball. I was a Devil Ray and played short stop.
8.2. Cognitive Development: The child will show more egocentric thought as the focus on only one aspect of a stimulus (they fail to see others' perspectives). Their memory, attention span, and smbolic thinking will improve with the beginning of intuitive thought. Their Language skills will also increase as they are able to form longer sentences and understand a larger vocabulary.
8.2.1. My parents said I always had a fairly good attention span and was good at listening to directions most of the time but sometimes I would want to go off on my own and do my own thing.
8.3. Social Development: The preschooler will develop self-concepts and they may tend to exaggerate on those concepts. They understand that there is another gender and different races/ethnicities. Children at this age will most likely develop their morals from the parents' rules and the rewards that come with following those rules and the punishments that come with breaking those rules. Play becomes more cooperative and constructive as they are introduced to more children their age and these interactions help to create important social skills that will be used later in life.
8.3.1. My sister was born on May 22, 1997 in Cheyanne, Wyoming on the Air Force Base there. I was 4 years old and loved nothing more than being a big sister. Every sunday before church I would feed her a bottle, however I didn't love sharing my toys with her right away but I learned to like sharing. For the longest time I hated that she always copied me at everything I did and it took me a long time to realize that it was more of a complement that she wanted to be like me rather than the bad thing I thought it was.
9. Stage #5: Middle Childhood (6 to 12 Years)
9.1. Physical Development: The child's growth slows down and becomes more steady. The muscles develop even further with the improvement of the gross motor skills such as riding a bike, swimming, and ball handling. The child also further develops their fine motor skills as they can begin to write letters and eventually their name, they can learn how to type on a computer, and fasten buttons, and pull up zippers. The children can dress themselves and become a little less dependent on the caregiver. The child also looses the "baby fat" due to all the physical activity and decreased rate of growth.
9.1.1. We moved to Guam for 2 years and lived on the Air Force base there and I learned how to swim and my dad would call me his little fishy every time he picked me up from swimming lessons. My mom hated when I started wanting to dress myself because she loved picking out all my outfits... that and the outfits I picked out never matched...
9.2. Cognitive Development: These children can apply logical operations to problems such as word problems in math. They begin to understand conservation and transformation (objects can change shape and the quanity doesn't change and the object is the same object just in a different shape or organizational pattern). They can begin to look at other perspectives rather than just their own. Memory encoding, storage, and retrieval improves and meta-memory develops. Language pragmatics and metalinguistic awareness improve significantly.
9.2.1. My favorite subject in elementry school was math because I was always so good at problem solving and it always made so much sense to me and to this day I still love math and trying to figure out problems. I loved going to school because I was always really good at it.
9.3. Social Development: Children refer to psychological traits to define themselves and their sense of self will become differentiated. They use socail comparison to understand another person's identity. Their self esteem will grow and a sense of self-efficacy will also develop. Chilren approach moral problems by what society defines as right and by maintaining socail respect. Middle childhood is where friendship patterns between boys and girls will differ (boys will usually hang out in large grows whereas girls will usually have one or two best friends that they do everything with).
9.3.1. My first day of elementry school was one of the scariest days of my life. I was in a brand new place and we didn't live on the base and I didn't go to a military school but I went to a public school with kids that weren't in the same situation that I was in. I had Mrs. Jonas and the first girl I sat by became my best friend for all 6 years of elementry school. Sometimes I wish that life could be that easy again where you don't know someone but it doens't matter and then 5 minutes ago you are playing like you've known each other for years. No judgement... I wish it was that simple now.