Brain Development During COVID

It’s times like these that encourage me to advocate more for children. I mean, they’re only our future leaders after all. Positive, tolerable and toxic stress all have great impacts on the developing brain. As children grow their “neuron gardens” in their brains, it is up to us to provide a safe, healthy and stable environment for their development.

Positive stresses in life such as starting at a new school, meeting new friends, nerves from public speaking, etc., can prepare children for natural life stresses that occur in adulthood. Unfortunately, children may experience tragic events such as a death of a loved one or a pandemic (COVID-19), but with a healthy support system and proper guidance, these events won’t have long-lasting impacts on their brain development.

On the other hand, negative stress can lead to long-lasting impacts on children’s brains. When a child is surrounded by harmful events such as abuse, addiction, or neglect, children may experience Adverse Child Experiences (ACE’s). Children subjected to negative surroundings during the brain’s development can lead to them having serious health problems later in life due to atypical hormone and adrenaline levels running through their bodies as children.

Schools have been shut for a while now, leaving children to learn through online resources from home. Children who live in toxic home environments and are experiencing abuse, neglect or other forms of trauma are dealing with a profound amount of stress that WILL DAMAGE THEIR BRAIN ARCHITECTURE.

If you are a student in the human services field or even have an urge to help rewrite our narrative for the future, please start with the Brain Story Certification. I received my certification three years ago and constantly implement the course materials I have learned into my work.

#albertafamilywellnessinitiative #palixfoundation #AFWI

Where science meets real life.

- Sarah