Stressors in the lives of children

Hunger is a huge problem when it comes to children and their developmental needs. Children that go to school hungry are not able to focus on the teacher and information in front of them. They are more worried about were their next meal might come from and when it might be. Below are a list of facts from the Share Our Strength No Kid Hungry. Children maybe able to survive during the school year when they are able to get a free or reduced lunch, however, what happens in the summer when those programs are not available and those children are unable to get to a place that serves free lunches to kids.

Facts on Child Hunger

• 16.2 million kids in America struggle with hunger.
• 10.5 million kids eligible for free or reduced- price breakfast do not get it
• More than 20 million kids get a free or reduced-price school lunch on an average school day.
• Six out of 7 eligible kids do not get free summer meals.
• 15.7 million children in America live in poverty. 

As far as cognitive and academics Share Our Strength states:

• Undernourished children 0-3 years of age cannot learn as much, as fast or as well.
• Lack of enough nutritious food impairs a child's ability to concentrate and perform well in school. 

When it comes to emotional and social well-being Share Our Strengths states:

• Children who regularly do not get enough nutritious food to eat have significantly  higher levels of behavioral, emotional and academic problems and be more aggressive and anxious. 
• Teens who regularly do not get enough to eat are more likely to be suspended from school and have difficulty getting along with other kids. 

One resource that I found for families is the National Hungry Hotline. However, I just thought if children to not have food then the families might not have access to look up resources online. 

National Hunger Hotline- Why Hunger (1-800-5HUNGRY)

http://www.whyhunger.org/findfood

This is not just a problem in US. It is a world wide problem. 

According to Do Something. org, Poverty is the main cause of hunger. With poverty comes a decrease in available resources. Sometimes the resources are out there but the families are unable to get to them.   

References

Share our Strength: No kid hungry. (2011). https://www.nokidhungry.org/sites/default/files/2011-childhood-hunger-facts.pdf 

Do Something. org. 11 Facts about world hunger. https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-world-hunger# 

SIDS

"When a child loses his parent, they are called an orphan. When a spouse loses her or his partner, they are called a widow or widower. When parents lose their child, there isn't a word to describe them."--- Ronald Regan


Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

        I find the topic of SIDS very interesting. This is a meaningful topic to me because I work with infants and their families. SIDS is the leading killer of children between one month and one year. There is always a chance that an infant could die from SIDS on my watch. My coworkers and I take preventive measures to do all we can to make sure that does not happen.  We preform five minute bed checks, which means when I child is laid down for a nap we check on that child every five minutes until that child gets back up again. There is the Bare is Best movement going that says that there should only be a crib sheet on the mattress and nothing else inside the crib with the child.

     According to SIDS and Kids Australia had 54 SIDS related deaths for every 1,000 births in 2013 (2015 Fast Facts). Compared to other counties, "IN 1990 the SIDS rate in Australia was 1.81 in 1000 live births, less than the highest SIDS rates in that year which were in Ireland, New Zealand, and Scotland (2.0 in 1000 live births)." Statistics from ten years ago state, "Australia's SIDS rat was 0.3 in 1000 when the highest SIDS rates (0.5 in 1000 live births) were in New Zealand and the United States. The lowest rates (02 in 1000) were in Japan and the Netherlands." (Hauck & Tanabe, 2005)

Doctors to this day still do not have a cause for SIDS. However, as they continue to research and we learn more about possible things that increase the risk for SIDS there will be more for me to look for as a child care provider. This will impact my future majorly when I become a mother myself. My future husband and I will have questions to think about and different things to consider to make sure we are doing the best we can for our child's safety.

References
2015 Fast Facts, pdf, http://www.sidsandkids.org/research/

Hauck, F., & Tabanbe, K. International comparison of SIDS       rates. http://www.sidsandkids.org/research/

Welcome to the World

"Family: where life begins and love never ends."-- Unknown

August 14, 2003, I remember it like it was yesterday. The day my first nephew was born and my family added another member. I remember sitting in the waiting room in the old hospital with the soon to be first time grandma. My nephew was born by c-section at 12:23 in the afternoon. I could tell by the cry it was my nephew coming down the hall with my brother and the doctor. I remember see the tears of joy streaming down my mother and brothers face as we came face to face with the little guy. I chose this example because of the way it made me feel and the fact that I was able to be to see my nephew within minutes of him being born. I remember so many little details about that day. I have always wanted to have children. I believe that children are impacted from the very first moments of life. Attachment starts from the first hugs and first kisses.

I researched birth traditions in China. I found that childbirth traditions in China starts when the husband of the newly wed couple carries the new bride over hot coals into there house to ensure a successful labor. There are also different things that pregnant Chinese women avoid doing and eating such as: does not gossip, lose her temper, eat food that has been improperly mashed or cut, or attend a funeral. I found it very interesting that the baby shower does not occur until after the baby is born for the fear it is bad luck. I love how involved the grandparents are in the process of buying things for the baby. I remember attending my nephews baby shower and being an active participate at the party. I remember waiting in the waiting room for my nephew to be born. However, in China the grandparents do not visit the child until after the third day.   (Brown, http://www.babble.com/pregnancy/childbirth-traditions-china/)

I like some of the traditions that China has for childbirth, I do believe that one could mix some of the normal American traditions with that of Chinese culture.

"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The women existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new."-- Rajneesh