As the age grows, children’s social and emotional development has been noticed. A famous psychiatrist Erik Erikson has defined 8 stages of life where social and emotional understanding has developed.

Stage 1: Learning Basic Trust versus Basic Mistrust

At this early stage of life, children develop the trust on their parents for their caring and nurture. Children of 1 or 2 years feel safe when they are surrounded with their parents. In the absence of parents, they feel insecurity.

Stage 2: Learning Autonomy versus Shame

This stage is considered psychological crisis according to Erikson. Children from 18 months to 4 years feel safe and confident in the grooming atmosphere of their parents. Self-assurance develops on them which resulted in a kind of autonomy. At this stage, they develop some rigidness which encourages them to say “No” quite often.

Stage 3: Learning Period

This is a pre-school period where they initiate many things. Imagination power is developed and wide varieties of skills are developed. This is a fun period where there is no space for any guilt. Fear and guilt is developed if the surrounding atmosphere is not good.

Stage 4: Inferiority Complex

This is the stage where children have social emotional development. This is a school going period where formal rules are learned like teamwork, punctuality etc… If children have successfully passed all the previous 3 stages, they find positive growth in the 4th stage of their lives. If the previous 3 stages are not so well or proper caring is not given by parents in these stages, children may develop inferiority complex.

Stage 5: Learning Identity

At the age of 13 to 20, children become adult and become confident to give their identity. But they have some doubts and questions regarding self- keep. If the first 4 stages of the life have spent well, you can expect self-confident in these children. A clear gender identity has developed among them after some time or the later adolescence period.

Stage 6: Intimacy vs Isolation

A well developed or a well-groomed child can wish for intimacy in a relation at the 6th stage of his/her life. If the early nurture is not well, they may wish to live alone or require isolation.

Stage 7: Self-Learning & Generate Power

Young minds believe in productivity after becoming adult. They don’t want care by others but they want to generate care on their own.

Stage 8: Integrity

If a person has spent the whole previous stages confidently, they have become more daring to take challenges well. Sense of integrity is developed on them.