Erikson's Second Stage Analysis

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Erikson’s second stage is autonomy vs. doubt and starts from the age of 1-3. In this stage the child usually develops self-confidence and control because of the thing he or she can do on their own. This is the stage that is also known as Erikson’s basic virtue of will. At this stage the toddler is learning more about themselves. They are aware of their body and are learning new way to control their surroundings. They learn to feed, dress, crawl, talk, and walk. One of the biggest steps in this stage is where the child is beginning the process of toilet training. The child is a little more aware of what they can do and are realizing that they have self-control and the will to do things on their own. At this point it is important for the parent to let the child explore and do things on their own. If a parent does not provide encouragement and acknowledgement of accomplishment the child might feel shame. If the child experience too much doubt at this stage, they will lack the confidence to complete goals throughout their life. When I was 1 my mom took the bottle away because she was told that at I should be drinking from a cup. The problem with that was that I started sucking my thumb to fill the void of the bottle. I think that I would use it to self-sooth. I’m not sure at what age I stopped but I know my mom did everything to try and stop me. It …show more content…
They begin to acquire closer relationships with friend and at work. They start to redefine who they are and have more independence in their life. Sometimes these individuals will define themselves in terms of their parents and loose a sense of themselves. Others can isolate themselves from intimacy because they have lost a sense of themselves and in this case it is hard for them to commit to a relationship. These individuals might not feel worthy of a relationship or friendship which can lead to loneliness or