Personal Development History of "david"

Personal Development History of "David"

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Personal Development History of "David"

The text to follow is written about a person close to me. Just for sentimental and personal reasons I would like to keep his identity confidential but he was very close to me and I am honored to describe his development history because we were raised together and he was my best friend. I speak in past tense about him because he unfortunately passed away a few years ago and therefore did not get to experience life past early adulthood. His spirit lives on, and for the sake of science his personal development history will now be discussed as I was able to experience it from infancy up to early adulthood. I'll refer to the subject simply as "David."

Infancy

At this stage, David's behavior mimicked that of most infants. His first few months were spent sleeping but he actually smiled early in his development and had some symptoms of colic up until about six to seven months. However, he was a very healthy baby and his physical development progressed quite normally. His cognitive skills were also sharp as he caught on to things quite quickly. He also loved to hear the sound of his own voice and he constantly made sounds, fascinated with the idea that he could communicate with the people watching him. He was also much attached to his mother from a young age and his brother as well, who was a few years older than he was. David learned quickly through constant interaction and play, and he experienced some anxiety when separated from his mother earlier in his development. However, once he later developed a sense of object permanence his separation anxiety diminished when his mother left but he remained extremely close to his brother and was somewhat lonely in his absence (Grace, 2010). Since his brother was not away from him too much other than during school hours, he was still a very happy and playful infant. David was showered with love and affection from his own family as well as other immediate family such as his aunts, uncles, and cousins so his psychosocial development included a deep trust for his family members that were constantly around him.

Toddler

David's personality really came into the light as he reached this stage of his development. He physically grew with no issues and began to express himself verbally, with a loud, clear voice. He used the tone of his voice to get certain reactions from the people around him, which was a major part of his cognitive and psychosocial development during this stage. He tested horizons and walked fairly early, and the trait to take risks was something that he carried into his later years. His "Terrible Two's" were not that bad but be did know how to get what he want, when he wanted it. His mother let him test the waters but was just a little protective of him at times and did not want to see him cry too often. It was a result of this that made David just a little bit "spoiled" but he was still independent to the point where he liked to experience many things on his own. Claudia Fletcher mentions in her 2009 article in Adoptalk that we "build self-esteem and autonomy as we gain more control over our bodies and acquire new skills, learning right from wrong." This was definitely the case with David because even though he had an affinity for getting what he wanted, he was still somewhat self-sufficient (Fletcher, 2009).

Early Childhood/Play Age

Every child is an interesting, and interested, creature during this stage in their life. David was no different. He physically progressed at an average pace compared to other children his age so he was not much taller or shorter than his peers. His cognitive progression, however, advanced at a quick rate as he was a very talkative person with an amazing memory for his young age. He remembered names and faces very well. His parents were consistent in their discipline while also encouraging him to think positively and figure out some of life's lessons on his own. Therefore, he psychosocially was able to develop good self-esteem and was well on his way to being a "people person" since he was naturally drawn to the crowd, and the crowd was as equally drawn to him. He was also able to choose his own paths at this age, which implanted an idea of freedom in his soul that he carried into his later years. Children begin to imitate parents and other older role models in their lives during this stage, and David also followed this behavior as everyone noticed how he was figuratively attached to his older brother's hip, doing and acting as he did (Switzer, 2010). Sometimes he even repeated many of the same words that his older brother spoke. This was not necessarily symbolizing that David did not have his own identity - it was mainly a way of showing himself and the world that he existed and wanted to make his presence known. He also showed some initiative, wanting to be a leader at this young age. David asked many, many questions in an attempt to learn about the world around him and why people acted the way they do. From this, he was able to figure out what we wanted to do and what he did not want to be associated with. This helped him to develop a sense of who he was, and he was also learning the role of his parents, and what it meant to be a "brother."

Late Childhood/School Age

David was a great peer that everyone enjoyed being around. He physically progressed at a normal rate and his athletic ability was brought to light around this age as he tried different sports such as baseball, football and basketball. His cognitive ability was one that followed a process of "What's the best way to score a point? If I cannot do it, then who should I choose to help me?" It was this intriguing thought process that led him to choose basketball as his primary sport and he got better with practice in his later years. David's memory became even sharper and amazed his family, as he would read road signs and billboards from far distances, which was complimented by his physical ability to see these objects before he came near them. He also acquired many friends during this period that