I was teaching in primary school.Teaching kids of 5-8 years is lot of fun. I had a student Asha very cute one.But some how she looked stressed out. I tried to inquire from Asha why it is so. From our interactive healthy conversation I came to know Asha has abusive father.My student Asha was growing up in an environment of constant threat, constant burdens, heavy burdens that influence Ashas everyday function.I started reading about same and found that under constant fear the stress system is activated excessively. It produces what we call toxic stress, and that disrupts the development of brain circuits during their critical periods. It disrupts the cardiovascular system. It disrupts the immune system and creates the foundation for a greater risk for a whole host of physical and mental health problems and difficulties and learning.That really made me great concern toward dear Asha.
I talked to our principal madam.Principal madam fixed zoom meeting with Asha’s mother and requested mother to help the child.Principal told mother that early experiences of childhood literally shape child’s biology, create either a strong or a weak foundation for all the health, learning, and behavior that follow for a lifetime. I as class teacher was trying my best to make Asha happy and playful in school.
 Children Credit-Counter Currents.Org
There were students like Suman, Rekha, Rakesh whose parents were responsive, warm, sensitive, that is why these children were doing well in every activity of school.Their language development was good and they had secure attachment to their parents.
 The expression of warmth could differ across cultures, but I found there were parents who smile a lot and would demonstrate positive affect towards their babies. Their children had positive social developmental outcomes.There were students in my class who got negative experiences, because of exposure to family violence, chronic and harsh parenting, maltreatment, this threatens secure attachment of children and consequently  later social development of children were limited.
Unfortunately in India our health sector will always look at child survival, they will look at immunization rates but they will not look at holistic development in sense that is their language, social-emotional development.
Moral of story is parents should give happy and secure childhood to their children.If parents are not able to do so, they are neither helping children nor society in development.
Sukarma Thareja
Alumnus IITK
India
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