MIDTERM TOPIC

WEEK 1: STAGES OF LIFE

Human life cycle is the cycle that occurs in human beings and involves a time period for
different stages of life.
The Twelve Stages of the Human Life Cycle
Which stage of life is the most important? Some might claim that infancy is the key
stage, when a baby’s brain is wide open to new experiences that will influence all the rest
of its later life. Others might argue that it’s adolescence or young adulthood, when
physical health is at its peak. Many cultures around the world value late adulthood more
than any other, arguing that it is at this stage that the human being has finally acquired the
wisdom necessary to guide others. Who is right? The truth of the matter is that every
stage of life is equally significant and necessary for the welfare of humanity.
1. Prebirth: Potential – The child who has not yet been born could become anything –
a Michelangelo, a Shakespeare, a Martin Luther King – and thus holds for all of
humanity the principle of what we all may yet become in our lives.

The process of prenatal development occurs in three main stages. The first two
weeks after conception are known as the germinal stage, the third through the
eighth week is known as the embryonic period, and the time from the ninth week
until birth is known as the fetal period.
2. Birth: Hope – When a child is born, it instills in its parents and other caregivers a
sense of optimism; a sense that this new life may bring something new and special
into the world. Hence, the newborn represents the sense of hope that we all nourish
inside of ourselves to make the world a better place.
Birth, also called childbirth or parturition, process of bringing forth a child from
the uterus, or womb.

Labor has three stages: The first stage is when the neck of the womb (cervix) opens
to 10cm dilated. The second stage is when the baby moves down through the vagina
and is born. The third stage is when the placenta (afterbirth) is delivered.
3. Infancy (Ages 0-3): Vitality – The infant is a vibrant and seemingly unlimited source
of energy. Babies thus represent the inner dynamo of humanity, ever fueling the fires of
the human life cycle with new channels of psychic power.
The first year after birth is called infancy. Infancy is a period when the baby grows
very fast. During infancy, the baby doubles in length and triples in weight. Other
important changes also happen during infancy:
The baby's teeth start to come in, usually at about six months of age.
The baby starts smiling, paying attention to other people, and grabbing toys.
The baby begins making babbling sounds. By the end of the first year, the baby is
starting to say a few words, such as “mama” and “dada.”
The baby learns to sit, crawl, and stand. By the end of the first year, the baby may be
starting to walk.

4. Early Childhood (Ages 3-6): Playfulness – When young children play, they recreate
the world anew. They take and combine with what is possible to fashion events that
have never been seen before in the history of the world. As such, they embody the
principle of innovation and transformation that underlies every single creative act that
has occurred in the course of civilization.

Gross motor development in the 3- to 6-year-old should include:

Becoming more skilled at running, jumping, early throwing, and kicking

Catching a bounced ball
Pedaling a tricycle (at 3 years); becoming able to steer well at around age 4
Hopping on one foot (at around 4 years), and later balancing on one foot for up to 5
seconds
Doing a heel-to-toe walk (at around age 5)

5. Middle Childhood (Ages 6-8): Imagination – In middle childhood, the sense of an

inner subjective self develops for the first time, and this self is alive with images taken in
from the outer world, and brought up from the depths of the unconscious. This
imagination serves as a source of creative inspiration in later life for artists, writers,
scientists, and anyone else who finds their days and nights enriched for having nurtured
a deep inner life.
 Children in this age group might: Show rapid development of mental skills. Learn better
ways to describe experiences and talk about thoughts and feelings. Have less focus on
one's self and more concern for others.

6. Late Childhood (Ages 9-11): Ingenuity – Older children have acquired a wide range of
social and technical skills that enable them to come up with marvelous strategies and
inventive solutions for dealing with the increasing pressures that society places on them.
This principle of ingenuity lives on in that part of ourselves that ever seeks new ways to
solve practical problems and cope with everyday responsibilities.

Emotional/Social Changes
Children in this age group might:

Start to form stronger, more complex friendships and peer relationships. It becomes
more emotionally important to have friends, especially of the same sex.
Experience more peer pressure.
Become more aware of his or her body as puberty approaches. Body image and eating
problems sometimes start around this age.

7. Adolescence (Ages 12-20): Passion – The biological event of puberty unleashes a

powerful set of changes in the adolescent body that reflect themselves in a teenager’s
sexual, emotional, cultural, and/or spiritual passion. Adolescence passion thus
represents a significant touchstone for anyone who is seeking to reconnect with their
deepest inner zeal for life.

8. Early Adulthood (Ages 20-35): Enterprise – It takes enterprise for young adults to
accomplish their many responsibilities, including finding a home and mate, establishing
a family or circle of friends, and/or getting a good job. This principle of enterprise thus
serves us at any stage of life when we need to go out into the world and make our mark.\

9. Midlife (Ages 35-50): Contemplation – After many years in young adulthood of

following society’s scripts for creating a life, people in midlife often take a break from
worldly responsibilities to reflect upon the deeper meaning of their lives, the better to
forge ahead with new understanding. This element of contemplation represents an
important resource that we can all draw upon to deepen and enrich our lives at any age.

10. Mature Adulthood (Ages 50-80): Benevolence – Those in mature adulthood have
raised families, established themselves in their work life, and become contributors to the
betterment of society through volunteerism, mentorships, and other forms of
philanthropy. All of humanity benefits from their benevolence. Moreover, we all can
learn from their example to give more of ourselves to others.

11. Late Adulthood (Age 80+): Wisdom – Those with long lives have acquired a rich
repository of experiences that they can use to help guide others. Elders thus represent
the source of wisdom that exists in each of us, helping us to avoid the mistakes of the
past while reaping the benefits of life’s lessons.

12. Death & Dying: Life – Those in our lives who are dying, or who have died, teach us
about the value of living. They remind us not to take our lives for granted, but to live
 each moment of life to its fullest, and to remember that our own small lives form of a
part of a greater whole.

ASSESSMENT
Activity 1. Graphic Presentation
1. Choose 3 stages. Make a creative graphic presentation by writing your experiences in
each stage. You can use Canva, Photogrid, etc. Save it in image format (jpeg/png).
Then attach it in Microsoft Word with your name, 1 page only. 50 points.

(NOTE: This is a sample only.)

Activity 2. Glow up
1. Attach 2 glow up pictures of you then write BEFORE and AFTER.
(NOTE: This is a sample only.)