Theories of Childhood, Second Edition (Carol Garhart Mooney) / quote 27 of 70
Developmental tasks can always be renegotiated
He believed it was always possible to go back and renegotiate issues from a previous stage of development. He was convinced that the tasks of each stage continue to present themselves at times of crisis in love and work throughout our lives. Though it is true that basic trust and independence are formed early and affect later actions and attributes, it is also true that people can choose to work toward a better resolution of any of these developmental tasks at any time throughout their lives. Erikson felt that the early childhood years were critical in children’s development of trust, autonomy, and initiative, but he did not believe all was lost if children experienced difficulties in the first three stages. We can refer to these three stages as “windows of opportunity,” or developmental timetables. They signify when the brain is most fertile for taking in specific types of learning.