Week 4 - The Great Depression - Japan's Children

My parents were children during The Great Depression.  They were raised in extreme poverty.

As a child, my mother would help her father grow vegetables in a large garden.  Her mother sewed all the clothes for the family.  Meals were eaten at home.  For a cool treat on a hot summer day, my mother would follow the horse drawn ice wagon as it delivered ice to families, for their ice boxes (no refrigerators).  She would ask for chips of ice.  At lunch, she would carry baked potatoes to her father and older brother, who worked at a nearby hospital.  For Christmas, her uncle would give her an orange, and Santa always dressed her doll in a new outfit!  Medical coverage was not affordable.  My uncle, born a preemie, was kept warm in a basket on the back of the coal stove. 

As a child, my father, one of 17 children, worked in the vegetable garden.  He shelled peas, dug potatoes, and helped with canning.  His mother baked every morning, loaded a wagon full of baked goods, and my father pulled the wagon around town, selling the treats!  My father climbed an apple tree, or raided the garden if he was hungry.  At mealtime, siblings would jab for food quickly, or go hungry.  Often, a sibling would reach with a bare hand, and receive a fork wound!  For a bedtime snack, the children would be allowed canned fruit, stored in the basement.  My grandfather was a plumber by trade.  The boys all learned the plumbing trade.  The family was very religious.  My father was not allowed to accept a college scholarship which he had earned, because the college was not affiliated with the acceptable religion.

Today, my parents are hard working, a trait they learned from childhood.  They are family oriented.  Their parents spent quality time with them.  They did not have money, but they had time to interact.  My parents are also very religious, and feel that nothing is impossible, if you just have faith!  These are all coping skills they learned from their families, as they survived The Great Depression.  My parents also feel that you take care of yourself first, and worry about others only after your own personal needs are met.  They are intolerant of laziness, intolerant of different races and religions, and demand perfection in all they accomplish.  To survive the poverty, they had to put themselves first.  They feel that they were the lucky ones.  Others were starving, some parents sent young children out on their own, because they could not feed them.  My parents are also very community oriented.  They are proud of their town, and their home.  They lived, laughed, loved, and suffered in their town, and they will never leave it. 

Japan has been on the news, due to the severe earthquake and tsunami in the recent past.  I wonder about the children.  The earthquake and tsunami struck in the middle of the afternoon, when many of the children were in school!  According to reports, there are approximately 100,000 children that have been displaced.  Many of these children have lost their homes, their pets, their schools, their toys, and often family members! 


The immediate needs for these children are fresh, clean water and adequate food.  Shelters are available, but in deplorable shape. The conditions are very crowded, cardboard mats are being used for beds.  Many shelters are without electric or heat, and the outside temperatures are cold enough to produce snow.  Without power, sanitation must be a concern.  The lack of clothing, medications, and other personal items is devastating!   


Psychological stressors are associated with the earthquake and frequent aftershocks.  The children are living in fear, worrying about a reoccurance of the tramatic events.  They are worrying about family members that are missing, wondering if they are alive somewhere.  They are worrying about their bikes, dolls, pets, clothes, blankets, and snugglies.  In addition, there is nothing for these children to do, schools are closed, parks are ruined, and the children are bored.  This boredom turns into frustration and stress.  How will this tramatic event effect the children?

Japan’s children that have been affected by the recent tramatic events are highly susceptible to developing a condition named PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), according to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.  This disorder includes mentally reliving the experience over, and over.  It also includes sleep disturbances and a numbness of emotions.  Difficulty concentrating and outbursts of anger are also common symptoms.  Japan’s children need immediate counseling, in order to lessen the effects of this disorder.  Even with counseling, Japan’s children may suffer from PTSD for the remainder of their lives.

References:

 McCurry, J. (3/2011). Japan earthquake: 100,000 children displaced, says charity. Retrieved 3/22/2011 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/15/japan-earthquake-children-displaced-charity.

 

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (2010, October 1). After traumatic event, early intervention reduces odds of PTSD in children by 73 percent. Science Daily. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100929123632.htm