Consequences of Stress on Children's Develoment

    There are things you can not explain, especially when it happens as a kid. The feelings, and certain memories can not seem to go away:  I guess because of the sudden changes, the emotional affects it had on my childhood, or the lasting memories of how we (family) end up in Brooklyn.  I chose these stressors because the (fire) fit into different category: chaos, environmental pollution, and noise.  What is clear about the fire is that it spread so fast, it was very cold outside, the yelling, and the black smoke.  It was Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and it was freezing outside.  We lived in a attach tenement buildings, we were all home; my mother; my siblings; and my father was at work. As a child, a happy face can turn into a sad face at a blink of a eye.  My brother, and I happened to look out the window, all we can see is the people standing outside screaming, and yelling "get out, there's a fire."  I call my mother over to the window because she was on the phone. All we saw was the black smoke.

    The firemen came banging on the doors because the fire was spreading very fast.  My mother had to ramble with all five children. We were being rush to leave, grab coats, and run for our lives.  All I can remember is the yelling, and the black smoke getting stronger! When you are a child the world seen so huge, and helpful when things are effecting a lot of people.  The firemen carried all the children outside because my mother was home by herself.  We stood outside in the freezing cold until my grandfather came to pick us up.

      We could not return to our home because of water damage, black smear smoke, and had to be placed by the Red Cross.  However, we did not stay at a shelter. We stayed  at my grandparent's house until my parents found us a new home.  We were displaced for about two - three months.  We did not attend school, and was force to move on without giving the change to look back.  We move from the Bronx to Brooklyn and had to start all over again. But as a child, I could not move on,   I wanted to go home.  I missed my school, and all the things I knew.  When my parents bought our first house within two - three months, by then I was able to adjust to our new setting.   I guess because it wasn't another tenement building.  

     As a child growing up in the United State it's a blessing!  I thank god everyday for this country. I can not imagine myself being born in another country, and not have the means of how the United State operates and help children in this country.  We are always looking for solutions to help solve problems.

     In other countries, children are the last things on anyone minds.  Many countries still believed in the old saying that children should be "seen but not heard" is contrary to the emphasis on communication in many U.S. families.  However, it is widespread among other families, including some Latino in the United States Cabrera et al., 2006). and many fathers, especially those of low SES (Lamb, 2004).

Reference

Berger, Kathleen. (2006),The Development Person Through childhood, fifth ed.