Erik Erickson's Eight Stages of Man

            Erickson’s Eight Stages of Man theory is what I have chosen for this discussion. The aspect of his work that caught my eye is the fact that his theory includes both sexes, whereas Freud was primarily focused on his male patient population. And for parents, Erickson’s theory may be more helpful to them because it has more detailed and specific characteristics for each age group, allowing the parents to be able to have a “reason” their kid/kids actions. As well as giving them an idea on the issues that they may be able to help their kids get through versus the ones that they maybe should let their kids handle on their own. For instance, maybe the parents of a child avoid directly telling their child “no” when they are doing something they shouldn’t be doing. Avoiding this type of direct, negative language may allow their child to stop doing what they are doing without dwindling their curiosity.