Respond to the Classmate’s Discussion (below) as you would in a face-to face
class by stating why you agree and asking questions pertaining to the
discussion.
Discussion 1 (Dave)
When Dr. H was going through the slide on “self-esteem” one of the questions I had
was, “how does attachment style affect this part of development?” I can’t help but think
that those with less healthy attachments to their caregivers must struggle with this more
during early childhood, whereas those with healthier and trusting attachments would
develop in this area in deeper and more complete ways.
Also considering anxiety and depression in this age group. I’m reminded of my oldest
son. When we returned to the states after living abroad for several years, or oldest
entering middle school had a significant amount of anxiety dealing with social situations,
school phobia, and separation anxiety from his mom and me. I think there were several
legitimate reasons for this considering all the major changes and stressors in his life at
the time. But now, as I consider the developmental phase he was in, it makes even more
sense that we would often spend 15-20 minutes in the parking lot talking through tears,
and considering the day ahead as he found the nerve to go into the school yet again.
In considering peer relationships in this age group. If we see a child who is lacking in
quality and quantity of peer relationships. What might be some interventions we could
apply as professionals to help a child develop more and quality relationships with
peers? Is this a matter of coaching the child, introducing other children and positive
environments, a combination of the two, or are there other strategies to help develop
this vital piece for healthy development?
Thinking about bullying in this age group: I’m curious to see others’ responses to what if
any part, children should be involved with any type of social media during this stage. We
live in a world where it is almost impossible to mitigate all forms of online and social
interaction. What guidance would you give to caregivers regarding social media, online,
and the ideas of bullying?
Respond to the Classmate’s Discussion (below) as you would in a face-to face class by
stating why you agree and asking questions pertaining to the discussion.
Discussion 2 (Eve)
Learning about Erickson’s Industry vs Inferiority view of development has helped me
gain some insight into how I experienced my development during my elementary school
years. As is described in the text, this was a time of learning tasks and expanding my
knowledge and abilities and beginning to see my capacity for industry. However, I also
experienced what Erikson described as the “developmental crisis” as I struggled in areas
such as reading and writing and needed to be placed in classes to help address these
struggles. I remember how struggling in my regular classes impacted my self-concept. I
struggled with this tension between feeling inferior and feeling capable and industrious.
Through the support of various teachers, I was able to gain the skills needed to “catch
up” and even excel in the areas where I struggled, my self-esteem began to improve, and
self-concept began to change. Learning about Erickson’s paradigm helped me
understand these experiences in a new way. While my view of what it means to be
“industrious” and contribute to society has changed and I no longer place so much
weight on being able to read and write at the same level of my peers, I do believe that
Erikson’s model captures the tension that many children experience as they go through
the developmental processes of middle childhood. I believe that it is important for
counselors to understand the “Industry vs Inferiority” view of middle childhood
development, especially as they work with kids who my be struggling with self-esteem or
children who are performing below their grade level and help them understand the
tension they are experiencing as they struggle to meet the demands of school. I thought
the material from this chapter was very insightful, beneficial, and useful as an aspiring
counselor.
Reference:
Erford, B. T. (2017). An advanced Lifespan Odyssey for Counseling Professionals. Cengage
Learning.
