From childhood to today, we learn and grow. When we first learn about Erikson's psychosocial theory, we may be surprised to learn how much we actually learn during our first years of life. During our first year of life, infants learn trust. After the first year, young toddlers now learn to realize concepts on their own. In Erikson's theory, these two concepts constitute the first two stages of Erikson's eight stages of development, known as trust versus distrust and autonomy versus shame and doubt. Trust versus distrust is Erikson's first stage, visible in the first years of life. This is the time when infants become familiar with their environment. During this stage, infants will learn to trust not only their children. One idea I immediately think of when I read about this stage is that infants and toddlers learn to feed themselves. Older infants learn to either hold their own bottle or drink from sippy cups. Toddlers first learn to eat with their fingers and also try small forks and spoons. Another example of this step is allowing infants and toddlers to explore freely. Creating large open spaces and drawing boundaries will encourage them to see how far you are willing to let them go. Another example for this stage is that infants and toddlers will learn the word "NO!" » As they become more and more independent, they will know what they want and presenting them with options they don't agree with will result in many "NO!" ". Erikson's theory of psychosocial development is a crucial part of early childhood development. It is important to note that the stages of confidence and independence occur during the first three years of a child's life. Even though we have gone through the stages of trust and independence, it must be understood that an infant or toddler will experience the other (distrust, shame and doubt), but there should be no reason to be alarmed. According to Erikson, one must gain confidence and then independence to pursue his eight different stages of