Childhood Observation Essay

Of the many theorists that have had the opportunity to make immense contributions to humanity regarding behavioral sciences, theorist Erick Erickson and Abraham Maslow are the two that I believe set the framework of understanding my adult stages of life. According to Feldman (2014), Erik Erickson’s intimacy vs. isolation stage commences from age eighteen through forty. During this stage of development, individuals are actively seeking to be intimately involved with others. Adults are attempting to explore and develop relationships that have the potential to be life-long. When a person is successful at this stage of development, he or she has developed happy relationships, and a sense of security and commitment honestly has acquired love (Berk,

The neighborhoods we were raised in were notorious for gang violence and illegal drug sales. In fact, my brother and I were always challenged by the individuals in our neighborhood to either engage in physical altercations or be labeled a coward. On the other hand, my mother was a hard worker, who instilled different values. She maintained three forms of employment; however, that would still not be enough for us to survive. My brother and I were raised by our mother, and she would be the parent that would never abandon her children. As a child, I can remember standing in the welfare line with my mother as we were a family in need of government assistance such as medical insurance and food. I remember going to stores for my mother and ripping out the food stamp money from the brown paper booklet to pay for groceries. It was then that I realized when I had the opportunity to raise my own family, I did not want my children to go through the same thing. As a result of my experience, at the age of 19, I obtained employment in the industrial field and placed my college aspirations on hold: just

I had no idea what it took to raise a family, but one thing I did know, was how to lace up my boots and clock in on time, just as my mother did. My wife and I were young adults raising a family, and we both agreed we would raise our children differently than the way we were raised. Employment in the industrial field consists of me working outside, where I learned to embrace all aspects of Bakersfield’s beautiful weather systems. During the time I was pursuing my career endeavors in the industrial field, I was privileged to work alongside inspirational men, that exemplified what it looked like to work hard and earn an honest living. In that regard, I was very fortunate, because the work ethic that was instilled in me by my mother allowed me to set the foundation to succeed in the industrial field. Initially, my career in the industrial fields was unpleasant, as I was destined to come home in either dirt or mud when it rained, oil, metal shavings, and fiberglass. As time transpired, I would attain a skill set that was worthy enough to lead a crew in small jobs at cogen power plants in the outlining areas of Kern County. The monetary gain from this employment was monumental for my family and I at the time, and my family would become accustomed to adjusting their daily schedules to match mine, as often I had to work shift