Words: 812
My View of Childhood The Oxford dictionary states that Childhood is ‘The state or period of being a child’. Individual’s definition of childhood differs immensely depending on their social background, religion, culture and many other effecting influences. My view of childhood is that it provides an introduction to the society. I believe that, while Individuals are within their childhood state, they should be able to learn and develop without any worry. This can happen if a child is provided with equal opportunities, access to a learning environment, a loving, caring, encouraging and fear free upbringing.
I believe that full childhood is from birth to teenage years, where individuals then experience childhood and adolescence at the same time. The time between birth and teenage years is an opportunity for children to explore with their own personalities, image and behavior, such as immaturity and giddiness, without the fear of presentment. It is my belief that a child should be able to play freely, which enables learning and happiness, explore their surroundings and be given opportunities to build memories for their childhood to reach its full potential.
I am convinced that childhood is effected by economic and social standings as holding has changed greatly in the past century, from children working with no education and play, to children having a full education and a majority of play outside and now children and families rely heavily on electronic materials. I believe that a person’s childhood is now greatly effected by their parental income and therefore I have completed my summary in relation to the effects poverty has on childhood, as I believe this is a key aspect in a child’s life.
Reference Childhood Definition. [Online] Oxford Dictionaries. Available from: http:// www. Expectoration’s. Com/definition/English/childhood [Accessed 04/10/2014]. The Effects Of Poverty On Children Art By Steamship The Effects of Poverty on Children Stephanie Hammer Recent studies have been completed to establish how a child can have the best childhood and reach the best outcomes in life. One study by Jeanne brooks – Gun and Greg J. Duncan, researched the correlation between a child’s outcomes and a childhood in poverty.
This article studies the extent of effects on the different areas of childhood, such as their behavior, relationships, academic results and their health. Data from Names Ill (1988) shows us that the amount of lead found in children’s loot, increases, as their family income declines, therefore making children of a low income family more liable to lead poisoning. Lead poisoning is a side effect of being exposed to lead and it can cause a child’s health to deteriorate fast, causing an unhealthy childhood.
Stunted growth, hearing loss, Vitamin D metabolism damage, impaired blood production and toxic effects on the kidneys are all part of the side effects. It is believed that four to five million children in America are resident in a house that has unsafe lead levels, due to low valued paint on the walls, which is lead- eased. From examining the findings from the HOME scale we know that children’s home environments prove to have a better effect on childhood, when their family income is not low or in poverty.
In light of the evidence from the HOME scale, the effect that poverty has on childhood can be significantly reduced if a positive, safe and loving home environment is provided. Studies show us that people living in poverty are inclined to have poor household environments and therefore the underlying effects of a child’s outcome is the home environment and not the monetary status. Parental methods on a child can have a great influence on their childhood and the behavioral aspects that a child portrays.
Evidence shows that poverty is linked to lower-quality parent-child interaction and to the increased use of harsh punishment’. There is a proven link between children who have suffered physical abuse and mental health issues. Data shows that children experiencing their childhood in poverty are more likely to suffer from physical abuse. Studies show that there is a link between physical abuse and mental health problems in childhood. Given this information there is a connection between poverty and mental health issues in holding.
In more recent studies it has been evident that poverty only affects child outcomes slightly, as effective parenting is highly visible within low income families. There are many varied factors that can have an effect on children’s outcomes and these factors may be present when the studies have measured the effect of poverty on children. Therefore the study results may not be of true fact. Children develop in many different ways and from examining the findings of such studies we are shown that poverty influences learning outcomes more that a child’s emotional ability.