In looking at this subject and the list of any number of stressors children can have in their life, from poverty to war.
I can say that I have personally had a better life than many. I can not personally say that or anyone I know have experienced of these as children. Living in the United States we are fortunate for the most part. There are still cases of racism that touch the lives of many but in that there is a reminder that have work still to be done. The following is a recounting of a soldier's thoughts of war. I am touched that he has chosen to share them with me although I will not share his name, so with that here is it...
"War is a scary thought for any person. The unknown of what may happen at any given moment. Not sure if you will be triumphant or go home in a body bag. One thing I know is that war never ends. I have been deployed five times and currently serving on my fifth deployment and even with us being a resilient country, we are not making any progress with an enemy that has the capability to hide and accomplish the things they want to accomplish. Still losing American lives but we are absolutely sure we are making a difference. If we are making such a great difference, please show us how instead of constantly being told you are and we are not seeing it. While being deployed in the Middle East you have the tendency to be involved with a natural disaster at any given moment. In both Iraq and Afghanistan, sand storms occur out of nowhere and destroy hundreds of houses and military equipment. There have been witnesses to hail storms that drop hail the size of baseballs that can kill a person in certain parts of Afghanistan."
War happens it is a reality in many children's lives around the world, their childhood is not made up of cartoons, and Saturday mornings. They have to learn to live in a world where guns, ammunition , and vehicles of war are not a part of the latest video game but a part of everyday life. For a child in a war torn country, are more prone to emotional and behavioral disorders, due to the severe violence that they have been witness to. Trauma such as war can have effects on the information processing of a child as well as deteriorates concentration and memory functioning as well.
Whether we agree with war politcally or not; it is a factor in the lives of millions of children around the world. On any given day of the week you can turn on the television and see an act of war in some area of the world.
I can say that I have personally had a better life than many. I can not personally say that or anyone I know have experienced of these as children. Living in the United States we are fortunate for the most part. There are still cases of racism that touch the lives of many but in that there is a reminder that have work still to be done. The following is a recounting of a soldier's thoughts of war. I am touched that he has chosen to share them with me although I will not share his name, so with that here is it...
"War is a scary thought for any person. The unknown of what may happen at any given moment. Not sure if you will be triumphant or go home in a body bag. One thing I know is that war never ends. I have been deployed five times and currently serving on my fifth deployment and even with us being a resilient country, we are not making any progress with an enemy that has the capability to hide and accomplish the things they want to accomplish. Still losing American lives but we are absolutely sure we are making a difference. If we are making such a great difference, please show us how instead of constantly being told you are and we are not seeing it. While being deployed in the Middle East you have the tendency to be involved with a natural disaster at any given moment. In both Iraq and Afghanistan, sand storms occur out of nowhere and destroy hundreds of houses and military equipment. There have been witnesses to hail storms that drop hail the size of baseballs that can kill a person in certain parts of Afghanistan."
War happens it is a reality in many children's lives around the world, their childhood is not made up of cartoons, and Saturday mornings. They have to learn to live in a world where guns, ammunition , and vehicles of war are not a part of the latest video game but a part of everyday life. For a child in a war torn country, are more prone to emotional and behavioral disorders, due to the severe violence that they have been witness to. Trauma such as war can have effects on the information processing of a child as well as deteriorates concentration and memory functioning as well.
Whether we agree with war politcally or not; it is a factor in the lives of millions of children around the world. On any given day of the week you can turn on the television and see an act of war in some area of the world.
I am in despair at how the war rages on. I have become keenly aware of how America has been affected by the war in the Middle East. Yes, we may not have war in our streets, but children are losing their parents every day, and are separated from their parents over long periods. I know that in future early childhood books there will be research done on how this affected so many American children.
ReplyDeleteI like your statement "Whether we agree with war politically or not; it is a factor in the lives of millions of children around the world" I sometimes get aggravated when people protest war and other things. I understand there is freedom of speech, but some of that energy could be used to help the casualties of war...the children. Although I know children are resilient, I also know that the emotional damage can be debilitating. If half the people that protest war would but that energy to assisting children it would be so very helpful.
Jocelyn, I am in full agreement with you if the energy we place in our disaggreements could be used for a positive cause then more could be done to help those in need. I am a wife of an active duty militrary member, and to know how close to home this can come it often frightens me beyond words. I continue on because I know there are others on both sides of the coin , women who have lost their husbands, mothers their son's, fathers their daughters, husbands their wives and children who have lost their parents. These lives cannot be replaced. For some child this is their reality.
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