A child's enviroment & stability! Abuse

I feel that a child’s stability and environment can impact how a child develops. The first years of my life I moved a lot, and would sometimes find myself in hostile environments. Of course poverty was evident but not too the point where I can say I didn’t have any food or clothes. I was more introverted and behind in school. At the age of 6 my mother passed away. I was placed in several different foster homes in such a short period of time. By the age of 7 I then moved to New York to live with my Aunt and Uncle. My environment definitely effected my cognitive development. My Aunt and Uncle provided a safe, and stable environment for me. I wasn’t switching schools every couple of months like I had done in the past. Going to school and doing well were stressed in my Aunt and Uncle’s house. When I first moved up to New York the administration and teachers tried to put me in classes for children with special learning needs. My aunt and uncle fought and insisted that I didn’t have any learning disability I was just extremely behind. So at this time they made me repeat the second grade considering that I didn’t have enough attended days of school in the previous year to pass me anyways. By the end of the second grade I broke out of my shell. It didn’t take me long but I spoke more in school then I ever had before. I still didn’t feel comfortable enough to read out loud or answer too many questions scholastically. My parents got me some extra help outside of regular school and by the 4th grade I was right on track academically. I don’t remember much else about my childhood except that my mother was in an abusive relationship that lead to the guy killing her. I’m sure at the time these factors impacted my psychosocial development somewhat. I would be taken out of class once a week to go primary projects. To me it was play time. We would play games and talk. As I got older realized that it was some kind of therapy. I always wondered why the lady asked me so many question. I thought she was just nosey. My aunt and uncle provided an atmosphere that I felt safe in, as well as providing me with the things that I needed and wanted. I think that all of a sudden having an older sister and brother helped me tremendously in my development. They inadvertently showed me what was expected of me, how to act socially, and just simply how to have fun. As many as 100,000 children were displaced by the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan's north-west coast, (McCurry, 2011). The tsunami changed so many children life’s. With a natural disaster like this it causes a lot of chaos, and puts children and their families into poverty, and in some cases to go without food. Many children were separated from their families, as well as losing their parents, and other family members. Save the Children foundation is still raising money to continue to help children. They raise money to feed, cloth, and shelter the misplaced children. Reference: McCurry, J. (2011, March 15). Japan earthquake: 100,000 children displaced, says charity. The Guardian, Retrieved: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/15/japan-earthquake-children-displaced-charity.com