Erikson's Stages of Development and Communication

Do I communicate effectively? One of the oldest questions in history of relationships. As we grow older we not only grow physically and mentally, but we grow emotionally as well. At this point in our lives, we have made it through the majority of Erikson 's Stages of Development. In our development we managed to progress through stage one : trust vs. mistrust, stage two: autonomy vs. shame, stage three: initiative vs. guilt, stage four: industry vs. inferiority, stage five: ego identity vs. role confusion, stage six: intimacy vs. stagnation, and we finally made it to stage seven: generativity vs. stagnation. (Feldman 2015) According to our text, generativity vs. stagnation period is entered during middle adulthood, a stage where family and

We both knew coming into this relationship that we did not want to relive past relationships. We started out with conversation on our first date, and we haven 't stopped talking since. Being a little older, and hopefully wiser, I understand how easy it is to fall into the four stages of communication breakdown. As a young adults, we do not have the ability to fully understand what it means to have to work at communicating. We think what we say should be it, what we feel everyone should feel. It isn 't until we grow a little more emotionally and cognitively do we understand that the world does not revolve around our wants and desires; and contrary to popular belief, our thoughts and emotions are not shared by all. Relationships are work, and communication is the key. When my sons father and I went our separate ways I made a conscientious decision to communicate more effectively in my life as I was taught by my mother. She always said the key to a great marriage is talking to one another and never going to sleep angry. A relationship is ever changing, and open lines of communications should flow with the changes. To me, relationships are like an amazing waltz; long strides, short quick turns and passion in every flowing movement. This is what Kevin and I have, and I am the better for it. It is comical at times that we are often mistaken for newlyweds in public. We just smile at each other because every day is still like the first in our