Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

Stress can hinder a child's development at any stage but especially in early childhood, ages 2-6 years old. Some potential stress factors could be: war, poverty, racism, natural disaster, isolation, hunger, noise, chaos, disease, environmental pollution, or violence. This week in class we had to choose one of the stress factors that we, or someone else we know, had a direct experience with during childhood. I did not fully experience any of the above listed stressors during my childhood. At times, my family struggled financially but muddled through. However, someone I am close to experienced poverty as a child. They are more comfortable if I do not share their identity, rather just their experience.

As a child, he and his family went through mild poverty. His mother struggled as her husband left her on her youngest son's first birthday. She tried to work, provide for her two sons, and put herself through school in order to provide more for her children. The boys attended free care at the local YMCA and learned to appreciate little things in life. Their mother did everything she could to make sure they had food on the table for at least the boys to eat, but could not always afford to buy new things like clothing and supplies. Because of this situation, the boys often dealt with teasing and bullying at school. Frequently they were teased for not having name brand clothing or because their clothing may have been worn or ripped. Many times the boys would result to fighting after dealing with extensive bullying on such topics. After years of dealing with these issues, as soon as they were old enough and able, they began working to make their own money and pay for their own clothing, food, and eventually their own transportation. As difficult and challenging as these times were for the two boys, it made them stronger and gave them a greater appreciation for many aspects of life now. Looking back, they will admittedly claim it wasn't easy; however, they are forever grateful for their loving mother giving the clothes off her own back to provide for them. Presently, they are financially stable and have come a long way. They are determined to provide for their families when the time comes to have one. They both reflect on these times as hardship that have made them stronger and provided them with a strong work ethic.

The second part of the assignment this week is to choose a country I am interested in and research common stressors on early childhood development in that country. I chose to research the country of Mexico on the stressor of poverty since I have worked with several students in my district who have come with their families from Mexico to New Jersey. Many of these families relocated out of Mexico due to poverty and struggles they hoped to be rid of by coming to a new country. According to the World Bank (2013), "The number of Mexicans living in poverty to 2010 was estimated in 52 million people," (http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/mexico/overview). In order to decrease the amount in poverty in Mexico, the organization titled the World Bank has become affiliated with the country in addition to a variety of programs taking place in the country to boost the economy. In addition, the organization claims, "Mexico has a huge potential for accelerating economic growth. The country has maintained a strong growth of 3.9% during 2012. This has been supported by both external and internal demand, with a firmer expansion in services," (World Bank, 2013). It seems as though the statistics provided by World Bank are improving with each year in Mexico so I am hopeful the poverty rate will continue to decrease as they economy continues to increase and boost over the next few years.

References

Berger, K. (2012). The Developing Person Through Childhood. New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

The World Bank. (2013). Mexico overview. Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/mexico/overview.