The Stages of Life-How They Happen and What to Expect
Life is one of those things that we’re all born with, and live to die. Yet as you progress through your youth and adolescence, life changes dramatically. From the day we enter this world, we know nothing of it and so much happens during our years on earth.
There are many stages of life to be lived and each one has its own set of joys and sorrows. It’s simply a circle-a never-ending cycle that repeats itself over and over again.
The Stages of Life
The stages of life consist of infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. These stages of life are characterized by different physical and mental developments and the demands that each stage places on an individual. Infancy, childhood, and adolescence all come with an enormous amount of changes.
How They Happen and What to Expect
First, you’ll experience your youth and adolescence. You will grow and change and learn more about yourself. Suddenly, you’re an adult and you’re responsible for the things that come with adulthood-your career, your family, and your finances. You might also be caring for aging parents or grandparents.
Next is old age: the care of your body starts to wane and something as simple as getting out of bed can feel like a chore. Ironically, even though it’s the last stage in life, it’s the one we all look forward to because it means we’ve finally accomplished what we set out to do-we lived our lives fully.
Childhood
Childhood is a period in one’s life that is characterized by child-like innocence, due to the fact that children are usually free of responsibilities and parental constraints.
Childhood is often viewed as playtime, but it can also be difficult. It can be very hard for kids to keep up with their peers in terms of development, which can lead to physical or emotional struggles.
Adolescence
Though adolescents may still be innocent, they take on many more responsibilities than children do. Young people become obligated to stay at home after school until their parents come home from work. Adolescents must be the family “babysitters” when their mom or dad has to run an errand.
They must also learn how to prepare basic food for themselves. Adolescence is often the time when people are given “the talk” about sexual education, contraceptives, etc. It’s common for adolescents to begin dating around this age, which can make it very confusing and challenging for them to ascertain what they want in a partner.
Adulthood
Adulthood is the time in one’s life when he or she is viewed as a full-fledged adult. Responsibilities include finding employment, choosing a career path, living away from home (if not already), getting married, and having children. This transition usually involves some form of schooling to obtain the necessary skills to succeed in a career.
Adulthood also brings about the end of one’s carefree youth. Adulthood is when a person makes adult decisions, lives on their own, and may even have to take in a roommate if they’re not making enough income from their career.
Old Age
In old age, people begin to retire from work, spend more time with family or friends, and generally enjoy their time after spending so many years working. If a person hasn’t worked up to this point in their lives, they finally have the opportunity to enjoy themselves and relax.
A common activity during old age is retiring to bed by 8:00 p.m. and sleeping until 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. because there’s not much else to do.
Life is a series of stages all people experience through their childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Even in old age, it’s a never-ending cycle. As you go from one stage to the next, there are always sorrows and joys to be experienced.
Life can be amazing even when it’s hard and we all deserve to live and enjoy ourselves while we’re here on earth.
