Maria Ramos
Professor Munoz
English 1301-MW100
April 20, 2015
Children Facing a Life with Less Material Children growing and developing themselves benefit from their environment, and it is said to have a big effect on one’s inner self and who they become. In this world not all children grow up in good suitable living conditions. Some children grow most of their life in horrible environments, due to having little money, goods, and support. This is what is referred to as poverty and children are affected by it in many ways such as being unhealthy, lacking two types of intelligence, and also and be greatly influenced by their community in crime. This is why children who live in poverty will face many difficulties growing up.
First of all, children who lack needs growing up in poverty will be unhealthy. In 2013 Pike a reporter from think progress informed that “Even those students whose mental health survives growing up in poor face higher risks of high blood pressure and other physical health problems”(Pyke, 2013,p.1).Parents are forced to buy children affordable meals. These low costing meals are full of unhealthy chemicals or fat which are being consumed to children. Children have no other option but to eat unhealthy cheap meals full of chemicals to preserve them from going bad. Such as microwavable things or cheap fast food which leads to McDonalds being the most common. Although not all children eat like this, some children aren’t even fed and suffer from starvation. Children may even suffer diseases or die due to malnutrition. Since children aren’t feed properly, this leads to having a low immune system. Children are more likely to get sick and it will also be hard for them to recover. Although, children also struggle in recovering due to filth. Children growing up in a dirty environment are more likely to get asthma which means they must receive medical attention and must parents cannot afford. If children are treated for asthma or anything else they still tend to get sick. Due to the fact that they cannot afford to shower in hot water or may have no running water. If they don’t have water it is likely that most children do not own necessities used for basic cleaning. Children in poverty are less likely to own paper, soap, shampoo, trash bags, dish soap, and tooth paste which means Children will also lack a perfect healthy white smile and have head lice due to poor hygiene. Poor hygiene can then lead to being bullied at school. Children are made fun off and bullies can then go on and pick on them for being poor. The child will also hate school and not want to attend which would decrease their intelligence. Not only can this lead a child to major depression but sometimes even suicide.
Second of all, children growing up in poverty will have issues with academic education. Children who lack intelligence and help from home more than likely have Parents who are working a minimum wage job maybe earning 7.25 the hour if lucky. Leading to children lacking or limiting their academic intelligence. Children will set themselves for failure and live with that mentality simplify because in their environment there was no other individual who could help and guide them. These children are less likely to achieve in school or try their best in school or any other circumstance. “A child’s brain, not surprisingly, is especially vulnerable to such effects—and this research has shown that growing up in difficult circumstances dictated by poverty can wreak damage to a child’s cognitive skills that last a lifetime” (Stromberg, 2013, p.2). Cognitive skills refers to the ability to think, which is important for learning. Children who lack cognitive skills are more than likely to lack in these academic skills math, reading, history, and English. Children won’t be able to think and process information as they should. These children will also be less motivated depending on how they see their struggle some may also see it as a motive.
