SHORT ANSWER: Invest in and support children under age five, expecting families, mothers, AND VOTE!
LONG ANSWER:
Governmental agencies and systems need to create policies and programs to support mothers, young families, and children when our brain and nervous system are most vulnerable in utero and under age five. When primary caregivers are stressed out, it not only affects their health, they will naturally take it out on their children which in turn affects the development of the child, our society, and the potential of our future. Adverse Childhood Experiences study (ACEs) reveals that those who experience violence, abuse, or neglect, witnessing violence in the home or community, or loss of a parent are significantly at risk for addiction, mental and physical health issues, and disease (About Adverse Childhood Experiences | Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) | CDC).
“Toxic stress weakens the architecture of the developing brain, which can lead to lifelong problems in learning, behavior, and physical and mental health. Experiencing stress is an important part of healthy development. Activation of the stress response produces a wide range of physiological reactions that prepare the body to deal with threat. However, when these responses remain activated at high levels for significant periods of time, without supportive relationships to help calm them, toxic stress results. This can impair the development of neural connections, especially in the areas of the brain dedicated to higher-order skills.” Brain Architecture (harvard.edu)
90% of our brain is developed by age five. Our brain is the powerhouse for all we do and is the main part of our central nervous system which regulates our bodily functions. Homeostasis is the self-regulating process by which biological systems maintain stability while adjusting to optimal conditions for survival. Understanding how our nervous systems work serves EVERYONE. It helps in every relationship, environment, and system. Dysregulation happens when we are in an emotional, physical, or psychological state of stress beyond our window of tolerance which varies for each person and is dependent on many variables. Negative behavior stems from dysregulation. Chronic Illnesses and diseases often come from being stressed out and dysregulated over an extended period of time. Addictions are used as a way to soothe a dysregulated nervous system. We cannot learn new information when we are in a dysregulated state. This is why understanding and learning how to regulate ourselves is vital for our health and wellbeing not just for ourselves, but the WORLD. We affect every system we are in and every system we are in affects our development and wellbeing…
I promote and empower the use of innate resources to create sustainable and healthy systems. To promote healthy systems, optimal human development and self-regulation, we need co-regulation with safe, trusting adults. Investing in and relieving stress for expecting families and those with children under the age 5 is advantageous. Unfortunately, family-friendly policies are not in place in the US so schools end up having to deal with the consequences and are also over-taxed and burdened with more responsibilities. As much of our critical development happens under age five, and we need safety in our environments and closest relationships to develop optimally, it only makes sense to cultivate more family-friendly and developmentally informed policies and cooperatives.
And if you need more proof on why investing in early life interventions makes good sense, in 2000, James Heckman won the Nobel Prize in Economics for his analysis of individual/household behaviors and labor markets. His studies found that every $1 invested in early childhood interventions gets a $7-&18 return as we decrease costs in healthcare, criminal systems, addiction, and mental health treatment (see Early Childhood Education – The Heckman Equation). His research gives policymakers insights on where to focus resources. Now imagine the return we could get on taking care of pregnant women, we’d get a 2-for-1 deal!
“When a baby is in the womb it is the emotional state of the mother which decides how her baby’s brain will develop…he gets his dose of mother’s molecules-of-emotion through the placenta. If a baby is flooded with the hormones of stress he puts his growth effort into the part of the brain that is designed to deal with stress and threat – the flight or fight part of the brain. He cannot do differently…When the baby in the womb is marinated in hormones of peacefulness, then he is free to get into to developing his higher brain functions. These are the structures he will need for highest human qualities like love, trust, beauty, respect, empathy, and truth…the womb provides everything the baby needs…the mother-baby couple is the First Partnership. It is from this partnership that the baby learns to make relationships…Wise cultures are child-wise, and child-wise cultures do everything they can to ensure the mother and baby get off to the best start in the first 3 years of life. They understand the health of their culture depends on it…If the baby has a bonded relationship with mum, he grows heart-brain connections for the highest human qualities and so can make peaceful relationships with everyone in the group.”
~Pennie Brownlee, Dance with me in the Heart
Sadly, most don’t even know what or how their central nervous system works or the very basics of human development. This ignorance has catastrophic results. We are causing harm at astronomical levels, suffering in more ways than we even realize, and fighting one another for survival. Then we wonder why our world is in this sad state of affairs with wars, increasingly severe natural disasters, worldwide hunger, and rising crime while blaming someone else. Ironically, we misinterpreted Darwin’s conclusion that “survival of the fittest” was about physical fitness and strength when he actually found that the fittest were more cooperative.
Additionally, profit margins and being better than others are more important than our well-being and the quality of our relationships and livelihood. We end up sacrificing quality for quantity. How can we expect sustainable peace and well-being when consumerism is dangled before us 24/7? And since we haven’t gotten our vital emotional and relationship needs met, we are left insecure, insatiable, and impulsively jumping at whatever makes us feel or look good. It is a sad state of affairs indeed. Whoever you vote for this election, please research and fact-check! Vote for real policies that invest in supporting vulnerable children, mothers, and families. Our children, planet, and world need more than rhetoric, false claims, and dangling of meritless promises. If we want something different, then we have to do things differently. At the bare minimum, invest in your well-being; learn something new about human development or how to improve your relationships as it is a WIN – WIN.
“If you want to bring happiness to the whole world, go home and love your family.” ~Mother Theresa
Below are some resources to fact-check, get more informed, and be empowered to choose candidates and laws that meet vital needs and reduce toxic stress:
- Home | USAFacts
- Media Bias/Fact Check – Search and Learn the Bias of News Media (mediabiasfactcheck.com)
- Interactive Media Bias Chart | Ad Fontes Media
- The Developing Brain – From Neurons to Neighborhoods – NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)
- “Children get a better start in life and parents are better able to balance work and home commitments in countries that have family-friendly policies. These include paid parental leave, support for breastfeeding and affordable, high-quality childcare and preschool education.”
- Family-friendly policies research 2019.pdf (unicef.org)
- About – APPPAH (birthpsychology.com)
“This knowledge makes pregnancy one of the most important periods in a woman’s life and should elevate prenatal care and support of pregnant mothers to the highest priority of our society. Because the physical and emotional well-being of pregnant mothers directly impacts the physical and emotional well-being of their babies in the womb, protecting this special period for mothers is one of the most significant ways we can influence the well-being of our society.
Creating a healthy womb helps to create a healthy world. Raising several generations of securely attached children who can grow up with the motivation and the capacity to find peaceful solutions to our world’s problems may be the best (and perhaps only) hope for our world.
Birth is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and pregnancy is a unique opportunity to support the development of a caring and compassionate human being who will help to create a more caring and compassionate society. Having a positive and nurturing womb and birth experience is every baby’s birthright and sets the stage for each baby to reach their highest potential.”
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Disclaimer
Positive Reframe shares resources with the intent of the positive progression of informed decision-making related to issues associated with emotional, relational, physical, and spiritual wellness. While I share personal and professional perspectives, my writings reflect my personal opinion and are not intended to substitute professional advice, diagnosis, and treatment thus the content shared on this page is for informational purposes only. This online medium does not lend itself to the level of detail and rapport building required for thorough assessment and therapeutic intervention. To make well-informed decisions that best meet your family’s unique needs, I highly recommend exploring and researching available options, consulting primary healthcare providers, engaging in respectful dialogue with friends and family as well as seek referrals from a trusted source for professional counseling. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Illinois, USA.