Eriksons Theory

Erikson's Theory

Erikson’s Theory is the external factors that the child is exposed to from childhood all the way to adulthood. He had eight stages throughout the entire life, that everyone needed to pass. His theory is different from freud's because in his stages, children are active explorers, not passive slaves to biological urges. Another reason is that Erikson’s theory creates more emphasis on social and cultural influences, less on sexual urges.

My niece is considered to be in the second stage of Erikson's theory which is “Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt.” This occurs between 1-3 years. In this stage the toddler is realizing that they can direct their own behavior, meaning they are learning a lot of new skills and can sometimes feel shame or low self esteem, if they cannot master the skill. My niece is in the terrible twos right now, so if she doesn't get her way it's the end of the world. They are currently trying to potty train her, and with any toddler, it's a difficult task. You can tell she really wants to do it, to feel like a “big girl”, so we always encourage her. I believe when she tries, but doesn't succeed, you should still make her feel good about trying something new and that there's always next time. I think you should always encourage kids because you don't want them to have the feeling of low self esteem at such a young age, because that could grow into something bigger throughout the years.

Parents should have many opportunities for toddlers to make their own choices, like having the child pick out his or hers outfit for the day, it might not be the cutest outfit ever, but it's teaching them independence which will be better in their future.