STORIES OF POVERTY

As a child, I was blessed to escape the atrocities of war, poverty, natural disaster, disease, hunger and other extreme stressors. However, I have known others who have had to brave war, poverty, disease, and other maladies as children and as adults.  Today, I want to tell you about my mother who was a young child during the depression.  She hardly ever spoke about it, but when she did I listened because I was intrigued by her stories.  Living during the great depression that began in 1929 when the stock market crashed was an experience that she would never forget.  She would say when she was a child, children of her age learned to, "use it up, wear it out, make it do" (a phrase that was also used in WWII (1941-1945)). She grew up on a small row crop farm in Utah and the family was poor.  I remember her saying that potatoes and onions were the only food staple that would store during the winter and that was what they ate hoping they would make it through the winter.  They would eat potato sandwiches (if they were lucky to have flour for bread) and “poor man’s stew” which consisted of potatoes, onions and water.  It was a meal that the vagrants (homeless men who rode the rail looking for work.) ate. Oft times the vagrants would stop by her home and her mother always shared what little they had. Living in poverty shaped her into a frugal individual.  The family and their church was the support system that helped them make it through those trying times.

While visiting China several years ago I happened upon a mother with four (4) small children begging on the streets of Beijing. The mother sat on the street with the youngest child in her arms. The mother held a tin cup while cradling the youngster. The other children huddled near the mother trying to hide from onlookers and attempting to stay warm. This was a family from outside the city. “Unacceptable types who came to prey on the people of Beijing,” our guide informed us. I gave her a five dollar bill and you would have thought I gave her the world. This money, I was told, would feed that family for a month.

Living in the very extremes of poverty can affect children’s development biosocially, cognitively, and psychosocially. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs paints the picture of how children’s needs if not met will not progress. Cognitive learning, physical development, and social mores will all be adversely affected.  One cannot think about learning or having friends if they are searching for food and shelter constantly.  

 

Huitt, W. (2007). Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/regsys/maslow.html

Good Mental Health

More often these days, when I am feeling the stress of life it is an indicator that I need some down time.  So, I have to make time to rejuvenate my endorphins and feel the release of troubles from my mind.  I do this in myriad ways. Number one; I practice deep breathing techniques that I learned from Dr. Mehmet Oz (Better Homes and Gardens, 2010), number two; I see my Chiropractor, number three; I get a massage, number four; I take a relaxing bath with fragrance and candles, or I settle down with a bowl of buttery popcorn and watch a movie that will make me laugh. 

I have noticed that there are many individuals who are talking about feeling the pressures of everyday living and that they need a break, but they do not have the time.  I hear about it as parents pick their children up from school, at parent/teacher conferences, and as I talk with acquaintances in the grocery store.  I see this tension trickle down to the children.  It manifests itself in “melt-downs” that are initiated by something as simple as a peer invades someone’s space when they are not invited.  Let’s face it; there are so many variables (divorce, death of a parent, illness, pressures of doing well in school, bullying, etc.)  facing children today.  We need to solve for the variables (M x H = gmh (good mental health)) to fix the problems that children are facing so they can experience good mental health and learn ways that will ensure their well-being. 

What can we, as educators do? Mental Health American has listed ways for parent, guardians, and caregivers to support children with good mental health (Mental Health America, 2011). As you view the following lists take note that all health topics are related to another. Therefore, we must be cognizant of all aspects of our health in order to encourage good mental health.

Basics for a child’s good physical health:

• Nutritious food
• Adequate shelter and sleep
• Exercise
• Immunizations
• Healthy living environment

Basics for a child’s good mental health:

• Unconditional love from family
• Self-confidence and high self-esteem
• The opportunity to play with other children
• Encouraging teachers and supportive caretakers
• Safe and secure surroundings
• Appropriate guidance and discipline

Mental Health in Africa:

Low income, low mortality rate, elevated incidences of communicable disease, malnutrition and overall susceptibility to conflicts affects Africa on a daily basis. Because of such matters, mental health problems seem to be the last on their list of concerns for the government to deal with.   

In 2000, the WHO (World Health Organization) estimated that children younger than fifteen made up one half of the total population.  They anticipated that for the age range of 0 – 9 years, three percent suffered from a mental disorder (Okasha, 2002).  Those particular children experience parental neglect which causes deficient psychosocial development and brain damage is the primary cause of severe mental retardation (Okasha, 2002).

You might ask, “Is anyone doing anything about the lack of mental health services in Africa”?  Well, in 2001, the World Psychiatry Association (WPA) asked African leaders of psychiatry to attend a meeting in Cairo to talk about combating the current mental health concerns and design a plan for teamwork that would follow the collaboration of WHO/WPA (Okasha, 2002).  There roundtable of discussion pinpointed main concerns in the area of delivery of services and the value that is placed on mental health.  They also outlined the many challenges they face in combating adverse mental health problems which include lack of awareness, lack of human and monetary resources, absence of policies, and others (Okasha, 2002).  In light of the many barriers, leaders of psychiatry in Africa have decided to form the African Association of Psychiatry and Allied Professions, to study, plan and endorse the mental health and mental health care (Okasha, 2002).

To read more about Africa and the topic of mental health, visit the following site: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1489826/

Mental Health America (2011). What every child needs for good mental health. Mental Health America. Retrieved from http://www.nmha.org/go/home

Okasha, A. (2002, February 1). Mental health in africa: the role of the wpa. World Psychiatry, 1(1) 32-35. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1489826/

Oz, M., M.D. (2009). Dr. mehmet oz’s guide to preventing a heart attack. Better Homes and Gardens network site for Heart-Healthy Living. Retrieved from http://www.hearthealthyonline.com/heart-attack-stroke/heart-attack-stroke-basics/dr-mehmet-oz_ss3.html

The Miracle of Birth

This is a sensitive subject for me.  I was never able to have children and a failed adoption of a brother and sister fell through leaving me with mixed emotions and a broken heart.  As I progress in age, I have found peace through my work with children and families and as an aunt and great aunt. 

In reminiscing about children that I am close to and their births, the one that I remember most is that of my youngest sister.  There is ten years difference in our ages.  It is of memorable essence to me because it was a time of stress and great joy.  This baby was another “meant to be” as I was, which is my mother’s reference to not being a planned pregnancy.  For some reason I recall it as a time of great excitement.  There were already six girls and we were hoping for boy.  However, my mother would tell us that it didn’t matter if it was a girl or a boy, only that it had ten toes, ten fingers, and was healthy.  Because my parents were happy about the upcoming event, we were also.  The stress was fear for my mother.  As I look back, I did not really understand everything that was happening, I only knew that mom had to spend a long time in the hospital and that my father and older sisters took care to make sure my needs were met.  Because of that unselfish care, I did not really understand the ramifications of someone having toxemia (now it is called preeclampsia).  This condition can prevent the placenta from getting enough blood. If the placenta doesn't get enough blood, the baby gets less oxygen and food. This can result in low birth weight. When my sister, Shawna, finally arrived it was thrilling news that both mom and baby were fine.  Shawna was born at four pounds and six ounces.  There would be another long wait before we could meet our new baby sister as the doctor would not release her to come home until she weighed at least five pounds.  I remember seeing her for the first time.  It seemed surreal as she was so small.  I was amazed as we could hardly fold a diaper small enough for her and the baby apparel we had was too big.  My mom had to make special clothes that would fit her.  Needless to say, she was special to us and we doted on her.  I now understand why she was the “apple in my father’s eye”. 

Childbirth in the Netherlands:

Pregnant mothers do not see an obstetrician, but are referred to a midwife by the family doctor.  Physicians only intervene when the pregnancy is deemed “high risk” or if there are delivery complications.  They have the choice of having their baby at home or in a hospital.  If the choice is home birth, then it is the expectant mother’s responsibility to supply their own “kraampakket” (necessary medical supplies).  Natural birth is the choice of the majority of Dutch women.  Epidurals are only given if it is “convenient for the anesthesiologist”.  If the birth transpires early in the day without complications, the mother and new baby may go home within two hours.  Once home, there is kraamhulp (maternity home care for seven days) which is paid by insurance.  At this time a nurse comes to the home and provides medical services as well as cooking and cleaning the home.  For more information about childbirth in the Netherlands and other countries, visit the following site:  http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/vaginal/birth-customs-around-the-world/?page=2

As I read about the current birthing methods in the Netherlands I recognized that my mother and my sister would probably not have a good chance at survival there.  The similarities are, there are Americans who have home birth and a midwife to assist with the birthing. Also a hospital is available if there are any complications in the US and in the Netherlands. The differences are they can only have an epidural during certain hours in the Netherlands, while here in the US an epidural is available at any time. Another difference is that insurance in the Netherlands pays for a nurse to provide medical, cleaning, cooking, and other services for the mother and the family for seven days, while here in the US this service is not provided. In the Netherlands a mother can be sent home two hours after the birth if there are no complications, while in the US they are sent home after two to three days if there are no complications.