Transitions and Challenges in Adulthood

Transitions and Challenges in Adulthood

Jennifer Haag

Lifespan Development

Walden University

November 4th 2012

Development from adolescence to early adulthood can be an emotional and physical roller coaster for most people. It all begins in the early stages of puberty in the adolescent years and escalates to a fair balance by early adulthood. It is a critical time of learning, developing, and growing for the person. It is the biggest transition they will ever have to go through as their body and their mind is changing. Some developments are much more prominent than others and there are always challenges whenever developments are progressing in one’s life, especially between early and middle adulthood. Once this time of transformation is complete, the person’s roller coaster does not stop but flattens out to become a more balanced world with better understanding of themselves and the world around them.

Adolescence begins when physical changes in the body are present; this is also known as puberty. It usually begins in the 11th to 14th year with physical growth, cognitive development, and some emotional/ social evolvement. The changes are different for boys and girls, however, the outcomes are similar. At this time, height changes are noticeable and sexual development begins. For girls, they might begin to menstruate and for boys, they may find themselves beginning to ejaculate semen. These things can be extremely frustrating for them, however, they also send a message to the brain where they begin to understand new concepts and develop new ways of thinking. Cognitively, they begin to grow showing a better ability to figure things out, develop reasoning and logical skills. They also become more focused on themselves and grow to be more idealistic and critical (Berk, 2010 p. 388). These changes lead to development of the emotional and social aspect of adolescence. The teenager begins to understand their gender better, and begin to form more connected relationships with just one or a few people instead of the large groups of childhood. This is also a time when the teenager begins to disconnect with parents or siblings and peer pressure makes its face known.

Around age 14, providing they have reached all of the previous milestones, the teen moves into middle adolescence which lasts until about age 16. At this time there are more obvious changes happening and some not so obvious changes. During middle adolescence, boys and girls have both had growth spurts, a boy’s voice will get lower and not so falsetto as a young boy’s might be, and each may be experimenting sexually even going so far as to have had sexual intercourse. Cognitive development continues to get better, although not complete, they continue to grow