Environmental Effects on a Child's Development

Recent studies conducted at Cornell University suggest negative environmental effects can and do have a marked influence on your child's cognitive and developmental growth.

On the flip-side, however, exposure to pleasant, natural settings, like the Garden Route of the Cape or the pristine South African bush have quite the opposite, and a rather therapeutic, effect on the overall well being of any child.

A leading environmental and developmental psychologist, Dr Gary Evans, has earmarked a handful of elements that have a significant effect on children's overall development and they include noise levels, overcrowding and housing and neighbourhood quality - most of which do not pertain to either golf course living or the coveted seaside lifestyle of our coastal regions.

Noise

Ongoing exposure to unacceptably high levels of noise, be they traffic noises or simply music, has been proven to affect a child's reading ability, concentration levels and even physiological indicators. Apart from long term memory problems, a child may also show signs of high blood pressure and even a rise in stress hormones.

Overcrowding

Overcrowding, whether in your dwelling place or the neighbourhood, is a no-no if you wish your child to reach his or her full potential. Interpersonal relationships will obviously be put under added pressure and the insecure child may well withdraw totally as a means of coping with the spatial constraints.

Quality of the neighbourhood

But it is the housing and quality of the neighbourhood that probably has the most profound effect on the growth of your child. Families who live in high rise buildings as opposed to a family resort or a single family home on a golf resort, for instance, will have fewer relationships with neighbours and consequently far less social support.

Even the quality of municipal services, recreational opportunities and the access to transport will affect your child either favourably or adversely. Can you imagine the heights any child will attain if they are brought up in a safe, secure environment like a golf property near George or Cape Town where there are literally dozens of exciting outdoor activities on tap?

Increase in the incidence of childhood diseases

What is more frightening, however, is that children are far more vulnerable to exposure to pesticides, heavy metals and other forms of chemical pollution as indicated by the increased incidence of diseases directly linked to environmental effects. These include asthma, autism, attention deficit activity disorder and even childhood cancer.

In fact, it has been suggested that over 80% of all developmental disorders in childhood are a direct result of exposure to negative environmental elements. Need any more persuading to pack the bags and family and move lock, stock and barrel to the safe and nurturing environment of the golf estates, small holdings or balmy beach towns?

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