role models—concerned about every- severe childhood stress can disrupt the far earlier than many assume.
thing from terrorism to pandemics development of fragile brain circuitry, “It starts to kick in around their
and the economy—are more stressed resulting in a “low threshold for stress,” first or second birthday,” says psycholo-
than ever. throughout life. Excess stress hormones, gist Charles Fay, Ph.D., president of the
“We have stumbled into a unique like cortisol, can also damage the brain Golden, Colorado-based parenting or-
moment in the history of childhood, a region responsible for learning and ganization, the Love and Logic Institute.
cocktail of cultural and historical trends memory and impair the immune sys- Fay says toddlerhood (12 to 30
that have intersected to create a perfect tem, leaving kids vulnerable to asthma, months) is particularly stressful, as kids
storm,” says Carl Honoré, a 41-year-old allergies and other illness. go through potty training and learning
father of two and author of Under Pres- The good news: Parents who take to walk. For older preschoolers, chang-
sure: Rescuing our Children from the care to shield their children from excess ing schools, older siblings moving away
Culture of Hyper-Parenting. stress and help them deal with inevi- or parents divorcing can all be stressful.
He notes how anxious parents are table stressors in a healthy way, can set While some stress can be benefi-
feeling the need to prepare their kids for them up for better long-term mental cial, adults need to be vigilant about
a tough job market. They have money and physical health. looking for signs that a child is experi-
to afford extracurricular activities, and “In a very real way, Mother Nature encing too much stress, particularly if
because they are becoming parents expects parents to be good parents,” the child is too young to verbalize his
later in life and raising fewer children, says psychology professor Chris Coe, or her feelings. Common signs include
they have a tendency to dote on them Ph.D., an immunology researcher at regression, temper tantrums, withdraw-
and expect great things. “Children are University of Wisconsin-Madison. “It al and tummy, head or muscle aches.
the target of more adult anxiety and helps to guide a child’s biology in the
intervention today than at any time in right direction.”
Hyperactivity Can signal
history,” says Honore.
stress
Most troubling is the realization
what Parents Can do
that too much childhood stress can “We see a lot of kids and families
have lifelong health consequences. The first key step, experts say, is for who are in a perpetual state of fight or
According to a 2008 report by the parents to learn to recognize when their flight and sadly, the kids get wrongly
Centers for Disease Control, chronic or kids are stressed out, and it can happen diagnosed with learning and behavior
NEW @
Ready for some real excitement? Try new Wild Veggie
™
,
the Souper Drink
™
, the perfect choice for getting the
fresh and flavorful nutrition that every body needs to
stay young and beautiful. And to keep you on the go,
Wild Veggie is available in NEW grab-and-go chilled
soups in the prepared foods
section at your
Whole Foods
Market
®
. Wild
GOOD FOR
Veggie. It’s good
for every body,
especially young
EVERY BODY.
babes like you.
Try Wild Veggie FREE! Visit
www.souperdrink.com
August 2009 33
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64