In my opinion, being a parent is the hardest job that there is. As a mother to two toddlers, I constantly find myself on an emotional rollercoaster with no manual and no plan, as each child is unique in their temperament and development. But nurturing our children and fostering healthy development is essential as a parent, as these children will be leaders in our society one day. Parents in poverty, I understand that you have a major disadvantage. In 2019, 91.3% of families with children in the U.S. had at least one employed parent, meaning that you are out there in the workforce doing what you can to support your family, yet poverty remains a societal issue (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020). Children’s cognitive and socioemotional development can take a hard hit from poverty, as parents who are stressed to make ends meet may partake in more conflict which, in turn, can hinder a child’s development (National Academies Press, 2019). The odds are against you, parents, but with your effort to advocate for social mobility, together we can pave a new road for our children that have no say in the intergenerational cycles that they may succumb to.
Parents living in poverty, you play a vital role in this effort to stimulate social mobility. You are your child’s first educator. You have the ability to help your children reach their full potential by first understanding that your situation may not be entirely in your control and when you see that, you can begin to implement small changes to reverse this intergenerational cycle. Small actions that you take now can have a large impact on how your child will grow and learn. Children in poverty who are exposed to resources and quality education can move towards upward mobility in their adulthood, but they need your guidance in their life now to get there.
Parents, right now in your life you have many needs. You may need food, water, maybe even shelter. You may need to figure out how you’re going to pay a bill or get to work. All of these factors are stressful and they are probably not how you pictured your life. Your inability to move upward in socio-economics classes is usually a product of your own childhood. With this self-realization, we can work together to shift our thinking, focus, and efforts to your children so that they do not have to deal with the same stressors that you’ve had to.
Parents, I am asking you to be a stakeholder in our children’s ability to move upward in society and to help close the achievement gap. To do this, I ask that you connect you and your family with every resource available to you. This may mean putting your children in Head Start programs or have your children actively engaging with The Boys and Girls Clubs in your area. In my next post, I will ask these organizations to come to you as well. I am also asking that you reach out to your child’s school and ensure that the teachers are of high quality and that they are giving your child the education they deserve. If this is not the case, please write to your local and state politicians and ask them why your child’s classroom looks different than the “nice” school in a different area. Lastly, I am asking you to take time to reduce your stress. Your stressors may not go away, but taking the time to understand how you feel and why you react a certain way can shift the entire dynamic of your home and it can allow your child to grow positively both cognitively and emotionally. Please, stand by me and be the voice for our children. Your situation is one that we want to change and while we work on that, we must ensure that we are doing everything we can to break the cycle of poverty for your children and their future.
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2020, April 21). EMPLOYMENT CHARACTERISTICS OF
FAMILIES — 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/famee.pdf
National Academies Press (US). (2019, February 28). A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty.
Washington (DC). Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547361/
Media Sources
Brookings. (2018). Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings [Digital Image]. Retrieved from:
https://www.brookings.edu/research/working-parents-are-key-to-covid-19-recovery/
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