National Stress Week took place earlier this month, and Daisy thought that it was important, now more than ever, for us to talk about how stress can impact our lives and where we can seek help. Read her blog, below!
There are many different types of stress that children can face. Some stress is temporary whereas other stressors are on your mind every day. A few of the most common types of stress kids deal with are social stress, family stress, school and test stress, and financial stress. In this blog post, we’ll focus on financial stress and how to help your friends who have to deal with that.
How does stress affect education?
In “Poverty, Stress, and Brain Development: New Directions for Prevention and Intervention,” a study by Dr. Clancy Blair, it was found that “effects of poverty on the stress response in part underlie the effects of poverty on the development of executive function and the regulation of emotion and attention.” Other research “has focused on reduced stimulation and reduced opportunity for learning relative to children in higher-income homes.” And, biologically speaking, “cortisol and other stress markers are elevated in children in poverty.” Parental stress that stems from financial struggles can affect a child, which then increases their stress. Overall, financial stress can cause neurological issues that affect a student’s emotional state and academic performance. The chart below shows statistics of how many stressors (things that cause stress) children from poor vs non-poor backgrounds experience.
How does financial-related stress affect kids?
In particular, financial-related stress can lead to challenges with schoolwork. Sometimes older siblings have to take on the responsibility of caring for their younger siblings, which leads to stress and less time for school work. Many kids who come from low income communities have to deal with financial stress about paying for field trips or school supplies. Additionally, students who don’t have access to a computer or the internet face the challenge of doing homework.
How can you help?
Students who are living in poverty deal with a lot of stressors that make it difficult to keep up in school. There are many different ways you can help, like donating or getting involved, whether in Including You or in one of the organizations below.
Donate:
Find more places to donate here!
Be a good friend:
- Show compassion and ask if you can help
- Be a good listener if your friend needs to vent
- Stand up for your classmates if they are being bullied
Resources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5765853/
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdredge/pdr_edge_featd_article_020915.html
