Stressors during Childhood

When I was was younger around middle school age my family went through a huge adjustment period that was quite chaotic. My older sister was  prison in Virginia and we lived in NC; my mother was informed that her 5 children we being placed in the foster care system.  The four older children where placed in the same home, but my nephew who was only two month old was placed in a separate home. I remember my mother and father having conversations about getting  a lawyer if needed to get custody of the children and eventually my mother and father made the trip to get all of my nieces and nephews.  At that point four of them came to live with us and then one with my aunt.  It was difficult having my little sister who was in elementary school and three other children around her age and an infant in a three bedroom home.  Everyone's routine had to change, all attention was focused on helping my niece and nephews adjust to school, new rules, and dealing with the overall experience.  My role changed too I was the oldest so I really had to step up and care for everyone.  My parents where stressed not only trying to care for everyone but handle what was happening to my sister.  Eventually my sister came on and my niece and nephews moved in with my grandfather, except for my youngest nephew because he was an infant he stayed with us.  To this day he lives with us and considers my parents his mother and father even though they have not legally adopted him yet.  My family dynamic was forever changed but eventually the chaos ended and we settled in.  

Health and Child Development

Nutrition/Malnutrition


Nutrition is affects how a child develops, learns and grows.  When a child is suffering from malnutrition death could be the ultimate result.  I choose this topic because as I work daily in my classroom I see children who seem to eat normally and one that may eat several plates of food.  I never like to see a child hungry.

As I researched the topic I found that:

Malnutrition is more common in India than in Sub-Saharan Africa. One in every three malnourished children in the world lives in India.


In India, around 46 per cent of all children below the age of three are too small for their age, 47 per cent are underweight and at least 16 per cent are wasted. Many of these children are severely malnourished.


I know that here in America majority of children do not suffer from malnutrition to the extent of India but there are malnourished children in our country; it may not be from starving but from not receiving proper medical care.  As a early childhood professional it is my duty to see that all children under my care are receiving proper nutrition and to tack action if not.


http://www.unicef.org/india/children_2356.htm