Wk 4 Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

     The stressor I chose for myself as a child is Violence.  As a child, I experienced violence in my home. My biological father was an alcholic and drug user. When my father was drinking or using drugs, which was very often he could and would be very violent, I would either hide in a closet or sneak out the back door and run across the street to my grandparents or aunts house. My father would physically, verbally and emotionally abuse my mother at any time of the day or night. My father would destroy our home, wake us up for no apparent reason and I was terrified to be with him from the time I was about 7 years old. The night that my mom said she had enough was the night that he drug her out of their bed, wanting her to cook him something to eat at about four in the morning and she fault back and he broke both of her jaws with the end of a shotgun and she had to be wired shut for about 12 weeks and finally pressed charges and had him arrested and she divorced him, but the scars were already there!
     I the way I survived was by having my grandparents and aunt living across the street from us, so when I wanted to get out I could run to either house and be safe no matter what, because my father knew not to mess with my grandparents. Both houses were available to me, no matter what time is was or what day of the week. My grandparents always had opened arms and their love was unconditional, that was my safety blanket.
     The ramifications that I had as I began to date was I always had a guard up and I didn't trust any male figure except my Paw-Paw and Uncle Craig, until I met my now husband. Once I realized that my now husband loved and respected me no matter what and I then learned how to be loved and respected. I was so afraid that I would go through what my mom went through and I didn't want to do that, at all. My husband is a hard working man, who drinks occasionally but after almost 22 years of being together, he has never yelled, disrespected me or our kids.
     I found an article about "A mother and her six month old child that is facing food and health insecurities inder bonded labor." This is happening in India, the Asian Human Rights Commission has recevied information that a mother and her six month child are currently living in the Balangir district of Orissa regularly migrated to Bangalore for the last two years to earn their daily food by working in a brick kiln. They did not have any resources to survive in the village. The mother lost her first daughter in 2008 due to the lack of medical care. She is currently faces a similar situation that may casue serious illness to her son and herself as the brick kiln owner allegedly does not provide adequate food and health care. (http://www.foodjustice.net/)
   The children will not develop properly if he is not given the proper nutrition. The child will not be physical condition to do the things that typical children do as he grows into a young child. Every child deserves to be provided the proper food, medical care and a chance to live a normal and happy live, however we all know that is not always possible. As an ealry childhood professional, there may be a child or family in our classroom or care that might going through the same issues that we read about on an everyday basis. We have to be aware of our surroundings and if we suspect that there may be special needs or special concerns, then these families or children should be referred to the proper resources.