There are many stressors that can affect children's development in all areas. These stressors include war, poverty, hunger, abuse, disease, and many others. While I am fortunate enough to have had no experience with any of these, I am very aware of the reality of these issues and the damage they can do to a child.
A close friend of mine spent the first few years of her life living in poverty. Her parents moved to the US from the Bahamas hoping to find a better life. They already have one child and then, while living in a two bedroom apartment, have five more. They could not afford to take care of these children and were having a hard time keeping food on the table. They visited the local food bank often and while their home was very crowded, they made it work. A few years late, Habitat for Humanity built her family a house. They were incredibly grateful and still are today, as her father donates money regularly to the organization.This house and help with their bills allowed the father the opportunity to save a little bit of money that lead to him starting his own business. He is now able to support his family without any assistance and is doing very well. Living in poverty did not negatively affect my friend because she did not have to live in the situation for very long. She always had food and parents that did all that they could to improve the situation. While, thankfully, my friend was not affected, it is a sad reality that many are. Children here in the United States and all across the world live in poverty that also leads to hunger and unclean water. These factors can affect a child's physical development and in turn, slower cognitive development.
The country that I decided to research for this assignment is Greece. Greece is such a beautiful country and it is a place that I would love to visit. I am aware that Greece has been having a hard time with their economy lately, but I had no idea to what extent. The economy in Greece has fallen 20% in the last five years with an unemployment rate of 27%, the highest in all of Europe (Alderman, 2013). Due to the lack of work available, many families are having to ration food, leaving children and adults alike, going hungry. According to a recent report, 10% of all Greek elementary and middle school children are suffering from hunger. The schools in Greece do not offer reduced and free lunch programs like America does, so if a child does not have food from home or money for lunch, the child will go hungry. These statistics are incredibly saddening and leave my heart very heavy. The Greek Orthodox Church has started collecting food from the public to help those in need while individual schools are also coming together to collect food for families. It does not seem that the government is assisting much with this issue. Children that are left hungry will not only suffer from delayed physical development, but will also reduce their rate of learning, slowing cognitive development as well (Alderman, 2013).
References
Alderman, Liz. (2013). More Children in Greece are Going Hungry. The New York Times. [Online Journal]. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/18/world/europe/more-children-in-greece-start-to-go-hungry.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
7.13.2013
Malnutrition in Children
"One in every four children in the world is suffering from chronic
malnutrition that is affecting their ability to learn, according to a
report by a charity."
This is a hard quote for me because it is not something that I was aware of before. Obviously, I am aware that other parts of the world are not as developed as the United States, where I live, I just was not familiar with the alarming statistics and the extent of this problem.
Chronic malnutrition delays a child's growth developmentally, physically, and cognitively. Obviously we are aware of the physical effects of malnutrition on children which then relates to developmental delays. But the effects of malnutrition also relate directly with a child's ability to learn. Malnourished children are 19% less likely to be able to read at the age of 8 (based on a study of children in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam). This disadvantage in early childhood can be seen as an indicator of how well these children will succeed later in life.
While the number of children who die from malnutrition is on the decline, from 12 million in 1990 to 6.9 million in 2011, the problem is still very much evident. Becoming aware of these statistics makes me realize that I need to become more involved to help children around the world. I am an early childhood professional because I have a passion for young children. A passion to help them grow, learn, and succeed. This passion has led me to join advocacy groups in my area and will now lead me to become involved in organizations that will make people aware of this problem, and ultimately benefit children across the world.
Resource for statistics: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/28/18550564-one-quarter-of-worlds-children-struggling-to-learn-because-of-malnutrition-study?lite
This is a hard quote for me because it is not something that I was aware of before. Obviously, I am aware that other parts of the world are not as developed as the United States, where I live, I just was not familiar with the alarming statistics and the extent of this problem.
Chronic malnutrition delays a child's growth developmentally, physically, and cognitively. Obviously we are aware of the physical effects of malnutrition on children which then relates to developmental delays. But the effects of malnutrition also relate directly with a child's ability to learn. Malnourished children are 19% less likely to be able to read at the age of 8 (based on a study of children in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam). This disadvantage in early childhood can be seen as an indicator of how well these children will succeed later in life.
While the number of children who die from malnutrition is on the decline, from 12 million in 1990 to 6.9 million in 2011, the problem is still very much evident. Becoming aware of these statistics makes me realize that I need to become more involved to help children around the world. I am an early childhood professional because I have a passion for young children. A passion to help them grow, learn, and succeed. This passion has led me to join advocacy groups in my area and will now lead me to become involved in organizations that will make people aware of this problem, and ultimately benefit children across the world.
Resource for statistics: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/28/18550564-one-quarter-of-worlds-children-struggling-to-learn-because-of-malnutrition-study?lite
7.02.2013
Child Birth
Child birth in the United States is very much the same for each woman. It is typically at a hospital, where the woman and child are taken care of until they are well enough to return home. When looking back at a personal experience, the birth of my god daughter, it was very much like this. Amber, my very best friend, had nurses look after her the entire 12 hours she was in labor. She had her doctor check on her twice and then deliver her baby. She had an anesthesiologist administer her an epidural to help with the pain. She even had a woman come help her after the baby was born, showing her how to properly hold her child and change her diaper. Another woman later came in, called a lactation specialist, to assist Amber in properly breastfeeding her child. While this is my only experience with the child birthing process, it seemed very standard for our country. It is very controlled, people are there to take charge if anything goes wrong. While a hospital is not the most comfortable place to be, it definitely seems to be the best option for giving birth to a child. There are doctors and surgeons on hand to handle any situation that may arise, and that is a very reassuring feeling. It increases all infants chance of survival and helps to reduce many risks that could potentially hinder the child's development.
The standard child birth in Japan is much different than our norm. The majority of Japanese women give birth without any painkillers whatsoever. It is said that the reason behind this relates to the Buddhist perception of suffering. People believe that the pain endured in labor is a test to prepare the woman for the difficult role of motherhood. Japanese women do deliver in a hospital, as American women do, but many fathers will not be in the delivery room. Fathers are only allowed in the delivery room if they have taken prenatal classes with the mother. After leaving the hospital, most mothers and babies will go to stay at the mother's parents home for at least a month. It is a cultural tradition that women stay in bed with their babies for 21 days. Friends and family stop by to visit and join in eating the celebratory food osekihan (red rice with red beans).
While Japanese women give birth in a hospital, as Amber did, this was the only comparison between the two. Japanese women do not use pain killers, as Amber did. Also, while Amber's husband was there to help encourage her through the birthing experience, many fathers in Japan choose not to participate in this activity. They also do not see much of their child the first month of life, as the child stays at the mother's parents house. Both Japanese women and Amber, however, did eat celebratory food with their family and friends. Amber's celebratory food was pink lemonade cupcakes and sparkling grapefruit juice, to welcome their beautiful baby girl Sophia.
The standard child birth in Japan is much different than our norm. The majority of Japanese women give birth without any painkillers whatsoever. It is said that the reason behind this relates to the Buddhist perception of suffering. People believe that the pain endured in labor is a test to prepare the woman for the difficult role of motherhood. Japanese women do deliver in a hospital, as American women do, but many fathers will not be in the delivery room. Fathers are only allowed in the delivery room if they have taken prenatal classes with the mother. After leaving the hospital, most mothers and babies will go to stay at the mother's parents home for at least a month. It is a cultural tradition that women stay in bed with their babies for 21 days. Friends and family stop by to visit and join in eating the celebratory food osekihan (red rice with red beans).
While Japanese women give birth in a hospital, as Amber did, this was the only comparison between the two. Japanese women do not use pain killers, as Amber did. Also, while Amber's husband was there to help encourage her through the birthing experience, many fathers in Japan choose not to participate in this activity. They also do not see much of their child the first month of life, as the child stays at the mother's parents house. Both Japanese women and Amber, however, did eat celebratory food with their family and friends. Amber's celebratory food was pink lemonade cupcakes and sparkling grapefruit juice, to welcome their beautiful baby girl Sophia.
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