It's so hard to believe this is the last blog I will write for this class! I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed class, and I have learned so much in a short time. I find it fascinating to see how life span development is connected with so many aspects of everyday life as shown in Life Smart chapter 13; as a parent, spouse, in lifespan development careers, coping with death, grieving, better understanding a loved and self. I find this course very helpful to understand how my children are developing, better understand my husband and myself in middle adulthood, as well as having the ability to better help my patients by offering resources to help cope with difficulties experienced during various stages of their development.
I learned about different theories that explained development, intelligence, and cognition amongst others. These "theories are essential for constructing meaning out of facts" (Fiore p. 300). Theories help us better understand what people at different ages and phases of development experience daily; having a clear understanding of what is considered normal and abnormal at any life stage can prove to be valuable for coping, and useful to get help or the needed resources sooner rather than later. I will be able to "validate what [I] observe daily and what is important to [me] in [my] current life [and] work" (Fiore p. 300). It is exciting to know that "careers that utilize the knowledge of lifespan development will continue to expand and evolve in the future" (Fiore p. 300). All jobs that employ people and serve people should be trained in the knowledge of lifespan development. In Western culture, it is often thought that if a person does not have the same opinion (religion, culture, and worldview) as the majority, they are a threat, or considered an outsider for not thinking or acting in a particular manner. This knowledge can possibly help to prevent abuse, and other criminal activity; education of lifespan development can be helpful to others by helping them to recognize that each individual has and can develop normally despite doing so in ways different from what they have experienced or may be used to. Those jobs that provide customer service (deal with the public) can use this knowledge to help them understand how to better serve people; understanding how environment, economic, and social status will play roles in the development of the community and the people that use their services or products. It is also my hope that schools enforce yearly, mandatory student check-ups as opposed to only those few years that vital immunizations are needed. At annual doctor's appointments, both children and caregivers are or can be educated about the expectations of their child at each stage of development in hopes to maintain homeostasis or catch any abnormalities to be managed properly before causing harm to themselves or others.
In conclusion, I am now aware of how lifespan development can be used in everyday life. Whether a person is a parent, have a career in lifespan development, curious about how an individual or oneself is developing, grieving, or coping with death, lifespan development is always being used. It is best that education of lifespan development is known to help expose others to different ways of life, cultures, and the resources available to cope with difficulties experienced in the different phases. People need love, acceptance, and guidance at every stage, and without this knowledge those basic needs can go unfulfilled for many people.
