Family Dynamics - Coursework Example

Well, I do not have any vivid memories of the nascent stages of my life that is from my birth to when I was 2 years old, which according to Piaget happens to be the Sensory Motor stage of cognitive development (Piaget, 1997). Still when I think of my early childhood, I get vivid flashes of a range of people and places moving in and out of my life, which are somewhat attached to feelings of helplessness and dependence. So it will be pragmatic to move on to the later stages of my life. As I entered what is called Erikson’s Second Stages of Psychosocial Development, I remember that I was a very mobile and energetic child (Hoare, 2002).

One major thing I remember about this stage was that I was not exposed to any major set of family expectations at this stage. There was nobody who celebrated my first step or urged me to be playful and vigorous. Thereby I developed a sense of independence and the commensurate physical skills in the absence of an external motivation or warmth. As there was seldom anybody to guide the development of my physical skills, I scarcely felt ashamed at any failure and as I developed my physical skills, at the same time I developed a fledgling sense of autonomy.

I distinctly remember that it was when I was about 5 years old, that I transcended the notions of reward and punishment associated with varied actions and began to realize that each individual tends to think in a different way as is peculiar with Kohlberg’s Second Stage of Moral Developments (Simpson, 1999). It was at this time that my mind opened up to the idea of relative values as I realized that the each individual in my environment tended to think differently. This certainly motivated me to adapt my responses in consonance with the person I came across and opened up my mind to a variegated and diverse universe.

It was when I was what one may call Erikson’s Fourth stage of psychosocial development that is the school age that I felt myself opening up to many social and academic demands (Erikson & Erikson, 1997). It was very confusing as there was scarcely anybody to guide and mentor me. There was nobody who told me that what I ought to be in my life. There was nobody who verbally and socially helps me build a social persona. It was at this time that I realized the limitations I faced in my life. However, I was quick to pick up the fact that a certain kind of academic and social behavior accrued a sense of competence and pride and a certain kind of academic and social behavior made people dislike me.

There developed within me a resolve to be an academic and social success that I felt will somehow compensate for the lack of family I faced. I became more committed to my studies and aspired to be socially an amiable and cooperative individual. It was when I was 11 to 16 years old that I stated to develop a more organized and logical bent of mind as it happens in Piaget’s Formal Operations Stage of Cognitive Development (Smith, 1996). Though I did not have many role models yet I made it a point to learn from the behavior of the adult people around me whom I considered to be nice and good.

I was at this time that I developed the confidence to approach the adults I cherished and to seek their guidance regarding my academic life. It was in this time that developed puberty and attained what may be