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On my first day as an early childhood teacher, my co-teacher pointed out a rash forming on one of the toddlers in our class. She knew from decades of experience that the rash was a reaction to a particular diaper brand.
Later that day, my co-teacher had me translate in Spanish about the rash and the need to change diaper brands to the child’s mom. The mother sighed and looked down, replying in Spanish, “I need to wait until next Friday.”
Before the mom could look up, my co-teacher had already packed her a sleeve of different diapers from our reserves, giving the mom a reassuring pat on the shoulders. My co-teacher, who doesn’t speak Spanish, had at least understood “próximo Viernes” (next Friday) and knew what it meant — she had to wait until her next paycheck to buy new diapers. Decades of experience, indeed.
Parenting is hard — so much so that Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory in August warning that the pressure parents are facing has now become a public health problem. Murthy cited a 2023 American Psychological Association survey that showed 48% of parents say their stress is overwhelming, compared with 26% of other adults.
But what’s behind that stress can differ for families depending on circumstances. I teach toddlers at an Early Head Start center, part of a nationwide public program that provides comprehensive care and education to families with young children living below the federal poverty line. We see the acute stress parents feel every day as they raise young children while trying to pay the bills.
A cruel irony is that young families with the youngest children tend to have the least resources when they need them the most. Most brain development occurs before age 5, and the stress children experience in the early years can have lifelong effects.
Full text of the article can be found here.
