Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

October of 2012 is a month I will never forget; my cousin was going through a horrid divorce with her son’s father and was in the process of moving from that home. Her two children, ages 5 and 3, were bouncing between homes until my cousin was able to find something more permanent. They found this beautiful little cape and the kids were so thrilled to have a place to call home. As a family, we all helped them move in and get them adjusted and just to be there for my cousin in any way we could.

Then October 29, 2012, came, and we were all back to square one. My cousin just lost her brand new home, all of their belongings and her children only had the clothes on their backs. Hurricane Sandy flooded their home, put a tree through the roof, and EVERYTHING was destroyed! This hurricane not only left behind significant physical destruction but also emotional damage for this family. Her five-year-old son would burst into tears for no reason, became extremely clingy to his mom and had night terrors for weeks. Children tend to act out when their lives are disrupted, and throughout this month he was no different. He became aggressive in school, at home, and even with family members. My cousin sought help in any way, shape, or form and found a family therapist to help. After a few weeks, my cousin finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel, the less stress she carried, carried over to her son. They were rebuilding their lives, and he finally had that youthful glow back. Now being almost ten-years-old, Hurricane Sandy does get brought up sometimes, and he is much more understanding and always says, “Well good things always come back.”

This year we also saw the devastating affects that occurred in Haiti from Hurricane Matthew. These natives, who essentially don’t have much lost everything and many, had paid the ultimate sacrifice. Children lost their lives, children lost their parents, and adults lost relatives and friends. The food supply was scarce, fruit trees were destroyed and crops were washed away, mixing with sewage also tainted the water. They had nothing to help them survive. These young children were malnourished, did not have homes, and were also no longer going to school. Over that weekend I got a phone call from my cousins son saying how it reminded him of Sandy and he wanted to get the family together to help in any way we could. Coming from an almost ten-year-old I was completely and utterly shocked, the boy who too lost everything wanted to help other children. He ran around his house grabbing clothes, old stuffed animals he didn’t play with, and asked to go to the store to pay for water from his allowance. I was so thrilled to take part in helping and got into contact with UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Funds) to see how we could help. I understood money could help but I also wanted to give more, along with my younger cousin. These children’s lives were rattled and while money could help rebuild homes and allow for immunizations, clothes, toys, and food could also put a smile on these youngsters’ faces. The stress that these young children have endured was sickening and I am just glad I was able to do my civic duty to help repair in any way I could.