Children and Stress

In recent years I came across a little boy who unfortunately experienced the stress of chaos, daily.  This young man came from a home which in included his mother, father and brother, but their home life was complete chaos.  The mother would always scream, no consistency in controlling the household, the older brother would hit, kick, bite, and pinch this little boy who was only six (6).  He was often not bathed and wore the same clothing for days at a time.  Reports were made and filed to the proper authorities often, however investigations only found minor things and offered very little help to the family.  The school became his only place for routine and normalcy, which was sometimes hard due to his defiant behavior as well as some learning disabilities.  They learned that this young man often responded well to immediate positive reinforcement and extra attention, which again was hard with 21 other students.  The help that was offered outside of school truly did not make a difference but the school resources really helped this young man and he did progress slightly throughout the year.

One stressor I found about children in China is the fear/anxiety they have about school and being successful.  They fear the exams, the teachers and their parents.  It is said one three students experiences this stress and that they have physical symptoms such as headaches and stomach aches.  Here the students are compared to one another often and knowingly and each parent wants their child to have an edge and in order to so they push them tremendously.  Currently this issue is being looked at regularly and being monitored to find a solution to this problem.   

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7027377/Third-of-Chinese-primary-school-children-suffer-stress-study-finds.html

Child Birth and Development

A personal birthing experience I remember, which is also the only I think I have ever been a part of besides my own; is when my first God daughter Ashley was born, December 18, 2001.  My cousin was induced that morning around 6:45 am, labor started around 11 and after only pushing for a few minutes Ashley was born at 1:56pm, weighing 6 pounds 15 ounces and 19 inches long.  I remember we were listening to Christmas music because it was that wonderful time of year and well my family loves it and that the delivery happened very quickly once she started pushing.  My thoughts on birth and its impact on child development is that when someone brings a child into this world their life changes forever; they are responsible for the well being of the child and his or her development.  We need to remember that development starts at conception and a loving, caring and healthy environment needs to begin. 

I have chosen to research birth in Korea.    After reading the article on http://www.korea4expats.com/article-giving-birth-in-korea.html I can honestly say that I learned quite a bit.  Like here in the United States many deliveries occur in hospitals and Birthing pools are available.   Episiotomies are still commonly performed in Korea; however there are a high percentage of deliveries by Caesarean section.  Privacy is different from what is expected from Western hospitals as there is often very little privacy, even in the higher end private hospitals. In many cases you do not even have your own room unless you demand it and then it is not always a guarantee.   In Korea, fathers traditionally are not present during delivery, which here in the U.S. the father is encouraged to be there as well as other family members.  Many women of the Korean culture restrict their movements for two weeks after the delivery. Some mothers even go to ‘maternity hotels’ after they are discharged from the hospital to be taken care of for one or two more months. Here in U.S. most women go home and their family friends come to help.  After learning about this type of birthing experience I have to wonder about the child’s bond with recognizing his/her family and how the mother being in a “maternity hotel” effects the developing child’s emotional development and attachment to the father.  Although if they have been doing things like this for decades then something must be working for them.  I have certainly learned that each culture is different and each has its pros and cons, but all should be respected because in their opinion they are doing what their culture believes is best for the child.

http://www.korea4expats.com/article-giving-birth-in-korea.html