On the evening of November 21,2013 I was walking home and as I turned the corner I saw a group of people 3 ladies on one side of the street and 3 men and 1 woman on the other side of the street. They were all looking in one direction and talking. As I looked in the direction they were looking I saw a man running into the street (at the same time one of the 3 women shouted the baby the baby. I thought the baby ran into the street) as I looked the grown man was beating on a child who was around 7 or 9 years old (he was beating on him as if he were fighting a grown man). The mother looked on and took her son leaned him against the car and told him to calm down and turned to the man and told him to take the baby (who was in a stroller). As the man walked away with the baby in the stroller he looked back and said, "you sound like a B#$%).
I share this incident not to scare you but to remind you (and share with your friends and family) that words and actions are very powerful and play a major role in shaping the mind and behavior of infants and toddlers.
I am not saying you or your friends will beat on a child as if they are grown. However, words are powerful. There are times we may get upset and want to shout but remember your little one is absorbing everything.
That infant in the stroller just experienced toxic stress. In the news and within the pediatric world that is a major topic of discussion. The question is what does "toxic stress" look like. The scene I just described is an example of that stress. The 7 year old experienced toxic stress and violence-- that child now believes that is the way a person should be treated and may treat other people that way.
The primary care giver is the first teacher and an infant/toddler's mirror of the world.
We have to some how return to a time when the "village" raised the child. One of the 3 men wanted to go over and say something and another man said, don't get involved. I was about to pull out my phone to call 911 but he stopped. It appears this was going on before I turned the corner.
This is the reality or norm for some of our babies. It is because of things like this we host events to discuss the importance of brain development and became the First 2000 Days New York campaign. People talk about the issues but few are implementing solutions... Join us by supporting and spreading the word about the campaign.
To learn more go to our website click here
I share this incident not to scare you but to remind you (and share with your friends and family) that words and actions are very powerful and play a major role in shaping the mind and behavior of infants and toddlers.
I am not saying you or your friends will beat on a child as if they are grown. However, words are powerful. There are times we may get upset and want to shout but remember your little one is absorbing everything.
That infant in the stroller just experienced toxic stress. In the news and within the pediatric world that is a major topic of discussion. The question is what does "toxic stress" look like. The scene I just described is an example of that stress. The 7 year old experienced toxic stress and violence-- that child now believes that is the way a person should be treated and may treat other people that way.
The primary care giver is the first teacher and an infant/toddler's mirror of the world.
We have to some how return to a time when the "village" raised the child. One of the 3 men wanted to go over and say something and another man said, don't get involved. I was about to pull out my phone to call 911 but he stopped. It appears this was going on before I turned the corner.
This is the reality or norm for some of our babies. It is because of things like this we host events to discuss the importance of brain development and became the First 2000 Days New York campaign. People talk about the issues but few are implementing solutions... Join us by supporting and spreading the word about the campaign.
To learn more go to our website click here
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