Developmental Analysis and Milestones Research Assignment

Developmental analysis and milestones
Institution
Date
Introduction
Development milestones are fundamental stages in growth and development of human being. Each and every individual undergoes these stages right from the time they are conceived to aging or death. Various theories explain these growths and developmental milestone that a particular need to pass through as they grow. From Jean Piaget theory of cognitive development to psychosexual development theory by Sigmund Freud, to psychosocial development theory by Erik Erikson. Human growth and development incorporate the stages of childhood, adulthood, and late adulthood. These steps change individuals and shapes what an individual becomes. Various theories underscore the underlying principal that characterize such changes. While some are grounded in moral reasoning, other are grounded on parental love while other are on sexuality and so on. To better understand the development milestones, the paper takes a look at the writer's development since conception to date. The paper will rely on Sigmund Freud psychosexual l theory to show the author's understanding of human growth and development through the developmental goals and milestone that the writer went through.
The Freudian psychosexual theory is anchored on the premise that psychological development in human beings happens in three fixed stages. These steps are fixed on libido, and I believe this stages helped shape my life to what it is now. According to Freudian theory, I am at early post adolescence stage, which is late latency and early genital stage. Most of my decision are influenced by the relationship that I have developed. As a young adult, the genital stage presents a critical phase in my life that I have to navigate carefully to fully develop into adulthood.
During pregnancy
My mother speaks of various struggles during my pregnancy. Other than being in labor for over three days, my mom underwent stress during the time she was pregnant with me. She had to attend several specialist counseling sessions to restore her health. Having been born to a single mother, the prevailing economic times at our home took a toll on my mom and the stress levels affected my development later on. During my birth, my mother could not go through the normal delivery process and had to be delivered through the caesarean section. According to Charles Larson (2007), prevailing stressful conditions during pregnancy can delay a child cognitive development and result in poor performance in school. My early performance in school echoes this view as I performed dismally in my pre –school and first grades.
Developmental milestones
According to Freudian psychosexual theory, each child has to attain a particular milestone before moving to the next stage. Every step is dependent on the previous stage, and a child is considered to have a fixation if one stage is not entirely developed. From infancy, children experience tremendous change and growth, and the quality care and nature determine the kind of change a child get. These stages are characterized by the development of gross motor skills, social skills, cognitive skills, language and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills enable a child to sit, play, walk and play (Blum, & Miller, 2013). These skills allow a child to use their muscle groups. Another set of competencies is cognitive. When a child has reached the cognitive milestone, they show the ability to solve problems and reasoning ability and understanding. Communication skill, body language, and speaking ability indicate that the child has acquired the development milestone required for language use. Socializing, interacting with strangers and knowing how to behave in a social setting are attributes of the social discovery. Each and every milestone is significant as the child grows. Therefore is important to keep track of the child's growth so as to ensure each stage is fully developed before moving to the next level. Freud underscores the importance of having the milestone met when he equates libido to the analogy of military troops who have to navigate conflicts to advance. Conflict, therefore, forms the essence of development, and if navigated successfully, the child can develop into a better being. Monitoring child growth entails analyzing child growth, history, and physical examination to determine the progress made in growth. Any risk of delay in development will be assessed by clinicians who are cognizant of the healthy growth and development sequence (Heineman, Middelburg, & Hadders‐Algra, 2010).
Personal development
As indicated earlier, I believe Freudian psychosexual theory of development best describes my developmental journey. I came to this ground after carefully analyzing information presented to me by my mother and having read and clearly understood Jean Piaget theory of cognitive development and Erik Erickson theory of psychosocial development. Both Erikson and Freud agree that development happens in stages. And that failure to hit the milestones in each and every stage influences the overall development of an individual. Freudian theory states that personality is developed as a result of the expedition of pleasurable thoughts and actions. I firmly believe my development is influenced by the conflict between pleasurable thought and social norms. That the relationship between id, ego and superego influences behavior.
Oral stage
Freud development begins at the oral stage when a child is aged zero to one year. The infants use its mouth as the only source of gratification (Van Hasselt& Hersen, 2013). The child derive satisfaction from the pleasure of sucking, eating, and talking. The mouth at this stage becomes very important aspect for the child. The child depend entirely on the mother and caregivers who feed the child. This total dependence creates trust and comfort and binds the relationship between the caregiver, or mother and the child. According to my mother, I was attached to her and was very dependent on her for almost everything. In what Freud calls the weaning process, it took long to wean from the care as she was a single mother and I was the firstborn. I had complete trust in her and she says I only became responsible after she got my sister who followed and had to be cared for entirely. Although I was very much dependent on her before the birth of my sister, fixation did not occur as I was able to wean myself off her care early enough.
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