Various socioeconomic conditions, family structures, cultures and relationships, family strengths, needs, stressors, and home languages have an impact on children and families. Many of the effects of socioeconomic conditions are correlated with poverty. Poverty can alter a child's brain development due to the chronic stress that it can cause. "Studies have shown that, as early as infancy, babies experience physiological stress in response to their mothers' own stress response (UNICEF, 2024)." Chronic stress can heighten activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for processing emotional reactions, causing a child to overreact to stressors. Stress also produces cortisol, which can hinder children's learning by interfering with the development of the hippocampus, a brain structure responsible for memory and cognitive processing (UNICEF, 2024). Aside from the stress that poverty can cause, families with less financial resources may also struggle with accessing quality education, educational opportunities, health care, and nutrition.
Differences in family composition can create their own unique complexities. Families provide children with emotional, financial, socialization, protection, and security, as well as help them form their sense of identity. Changes or transitions in family composition, such as divorce or remarriage, can affect a child's emotional stability. "Children in single-parent households may face challenges due to limited financial resources, time constraints on the single caregiver, and potential lack of male/female role models (Sharma, 2024)." Additionally, a child's self-esteem and sense of identity can be affected by society's attitude toward their individual family structure (Sharma, 2024).
How society views different cultures and languages is also important. A family's culture and language are two of the major ways in which families bond and communicate. They are also critical components of a child's sense of identity. If children cannot view these aspects of their identity as positive and respected, their self-esteem and sense of identity can be negatively impacted.
Strong relationships between families, children, educators, and the community, as well as family strengths, are all protective factors that can help lessen or protect against the negative impacts of poverty, stressors, or other adverse experiences. It is critical that educators strive to understand the stressors that impact the families in their classrooms. Educators play a crucial role in supporting children and families by providing them with information on community resources that can help them overcome difficult situations and thrive. Educators can also help families by supporting their individuality, being respectful and accepting of their unique situations and needs, and by building positive and trusting relationships with them. Educators should ensure that every child and their family are seen, heard, valued, and represented in the classroom. This can be accomplished through sensitivity when creating forms to be sent to families, communication procedures, and materials used in the classroom (Curenton & Iruka, 2024). When sending forms to families, the forms should not exhibit assumptions of family composition. For example, the forms should not ask for a father's and a mother's information or provide only one space for an address. These practices can be upsetting or uncomfortable for single mothers, divorced parents, or same-sex couples. Family situations and schedules should always be taken into account when communicating with families, and their preferred methods of communication should be used. Educators must understand that although some families' situations do not allow them to participate in the classroom, their impact and efforts to support their child's education at home are equally significant and impactful. Materials, books, and toys in the classroom should represent each child, their family, their language, and their culture.
References:
Curenton, S. M., & Iruka, I.U. (2024). Cultural competence in early childhood education (updated ed.). Bridgepoint Education.
Sharma, A. (2024). The Role of Family Structure in Child Development: A Sociological Viewpoint. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 5(6), 6611 - 6614. https://ijrpr.com/uploads/V5ISSUE6/IJRPR30611.pdf
UNICEF. (2024, October 17). How Does Poverty Affect Children Differently? UNICEF Europe & Central Asia. https://www.unicef.org/eca/stories/how-does-poverty-affect-children-differently