Definition1:
1: existing in possibility : capable of development into actuality;
2: expressing possibility
A child’s first years of life hold precious opportunities for mediating challenges carrying over from the prenatal period as well as for establishing firm foundations for future developmental trajectories. While factors such as temperament3, 2 and regulation4, 5 appear to play a role in ongoing social-emotional development, young children continue to be strongly influenced by ecological factors that surround them. Within the first months of an infant’s life, factors such as maternal reports of ‘baby blues’ symptoms6, maternal ill health and lack of social support and help7, and family SES8, 9 have been correlated to the development of severe internalizing and externalizing behaviors in preschool-age children. Parental reports of environmental factors such as stress and a sense of lack of support during a child’s second year of life continue to act as correlates to the development of problem behaviors in the preschool period10, 11. Food-insecurity has been found to correlate with severe internalizing and externalizing behaviors in preschool-age children12, and to later academic difficulties13.
Sources:
1: Merriam Webster online dictionary. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/potential
2: Campbell, S. B., & Ewing, L. J. (1990). Follow-up of hard-to-manage preschoolers: adjustment at age 9 and predictors of continuing symptoms. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 31(6), 871-889.
3: Gartstein, M. A., Putnam, S., & Rothbart, M. K. (2012). Etiology of behavior problems: Contributions of temperament attributes in early childhood. Infant Mental Health Journal, 33(2), 197-211.
4: Degangi, G. A., Porges, S. W., Sickel, R. Z., & Greenspan, S. I. (1993). Four-year follow-up of a sample of regulatory disordered infants. Infant Mental Health Journal, 14(4), 330-343.
5: Dale, L. P., O’Hara, E. A., Schein, R., Inserra, L., Keen, J., Flores, M., & Porges, S. W. (2011). Measures of infant behavioral and physiological state regulation predict 54-month behavior problems. Infant Mental Health Journal, 32(4), 473-486.
6: Robinson, M., Oddy, W. H., Li, J., Kendall, G. E., de Klerk, N. H., Silburn, S. R… Mattes, E. (2008). Pre- and postnatal influences on preschool mental health: A large-scale cohort study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49(10), 118-1128.
7, 8, 10: Larson, C. P., Pless, I. B., & Miettinen, O. (1988). Preschool behavior disorders: Their prevalence in relation to determinants. The Journal of Pediatrics, 113(2), 278-285.
9: Robinson, M., Oddy, W. H., Li, J., Kendall, G. E., de Klerk, N. H., Silburn, S. R… Mattes, E. (2008). Pre- and postnatal influences on preschool mental health: A large-scale cohort study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49(10), 118-1128.
11: Mathiesen, K. S., Sanson, A., Stoolmiller, M., & Karevold, E. (2009). The nature and predictors of under-controlled and internalizing problem trajectories across early childhood. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 37, 209-222.
12: Whitaker, R. C., Phillips, S. M., & Orzol, S. M. (2006). Food insecurity and the risks of depression and anxiety in mothers and behavior problems in their preschool-aged children. Pediatrics, 118(3), e859-e868.
13: Jyoti, D. F., Frongillo, E. A., & Jones, S. J. (2005). Food insecurity affects school children’s academic performance, weight gain, and social skills. The Journal of Nutrition, 135(12), 2831-2839.
In what ways might you help young children and their families to start out on the best trajectories possible? How might you envision yourself and/or your community helping new parents have access to the necessities for children’s healthy growth and development (e.g., healthcare, enough food, a sense of support)?
***feel free to do your own post and/or build off of others' posts to create a discussion forum***
1: existing in possibility : capable of development into actuality;
2: expressing possibility
A child’s first years of life hold precious opportunities for mediating challenges carrying over from the prenatal period as well as for establishing firm foundations for future developmental trajectories. While factors such as temperament3, 2 and regulation4, 5 appear to play a role in ongoing social-emotional development, young children continue to be strongly influenced by ecological factors that surround them. Within the first months of an infant’s life, factors such as maternal reports of ‘baby blues’ symptoms6, maternal ill health and lack of social support and help7, and family SES8, 9 have been correlated to the development of severe internalizing and externalizing behaviors in preschool-age children. Parental reports of environmental factors such as stress and a sense of lack of support during a child’s second year of life continue to act as correlates to the development of problem behaviors in the preschool period10, 11. Food-insecurity has been found to correlate with severe internalizing and externalizing behaviors in preschool-age children12, and to later academic difficulties13.
Sources:
1: Merriam Webster online dictionary. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/potential
2: Campbell, S. B., & Ewing, L. J. (1990). Follow-up of hard-to-manage preschoolers: adjustment at age 9 and predictors of continuing symptoms. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 31(6), 871-889.
3: Gartstein, M. A., Putnam, S., & Rothbart, M. K. (2012). Etiology of behavior problems: Contributions of temperament attributes in early childhood. Infant Mental Health Journal, 33(2), 197-211.
4: Degangi, G. A., Porges, S. W., Sickel, R. Z., & Greenspan, S. I. (1993). Four-year follow-up of a sample of regulatory disordered infants. Infant Mental Health Journal, 14(4), 330-343.
5: Dale, L. P., O’Hara, E. A., Schein, R., Inserra, L., Keen, J., Flores, M., & Porges, S. W. (2011). Measures of infant behavioral and physiological state regulation predict 54-month behavior problems. Infant Mental Health Journal, 32(4), 473-486.
6: Robinson, M., Oddy, W. H., Li, J., Kendall, G. E., de Klerk, N. H., Silburn, S. R… Mattes, E. (2008). Pre- and postnatal influences on preschool mental health: A large-scale cohort study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49(10), 118-1128.
7, 8, 10: Larson, C. P., Pless, I. B., & Miettinen, O. (1988). Preschool behavior disorders: Their prevalence in relation to determinants. The Journal of Pediatrics, 113(2), 278-285.
9: Robinson, M., Oddy, W. H., Li, J., Kendall, G. E., de Klerk, N. H., Silburn, S. R… Mattes, E. (2008). Pre- and postnatal influences on preschool mental health: A large-scale cohort study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49(10), 118-1128.
11: Mathiesen, K. S., Sanson, A., Stoolmiller, M., & Karevold, E. (2009). The nature and predictors of under-controlled and internalizing problem trajectories across early childhood. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 37, 209-222.
12: Whitaker, R. C., Phillips, S. M., & Orzol, S. M. (2006). Food insecurity and the risks of depression and anxiety in mothers and behavior problems in their preschool-aged children. Pediatrics, 118(3), e859-e868.
13: Jyoti, D. F., Frongillo, E. A., & Jones, S. J. (2005). Food insecurity affects school children’s academic performance, weight gain, and social skills. The Journal of Nutrition, 135(12), 2831-2839.
In what ways might you help young children and their families to start out on the best trajectories possible? How might you envision yourself and/or your community helping new parents have access to the necessities for children’s healthy growth and development (e.g., healthcare, enough food, a sense of support)?
***feel free to do your own post and/or build off of others' posts to create a discussion forum***