To be poor is to be stressed—a condition that all children experience, to some degree. A young girl might dread getting a shot at the doctor’s office. She sees the needle, and her stress response system is activated: Her heart beats faster, her adrenaline surges, and her body is energized for “fight or flight.” Once the threat passes, she returns to her physiological baseline, ideally with the help of a nurturing adult. But what if the threat continues, day after day? Poor children tend to live with chronic stress. They have greater exposure to violence, hunger, sleep deprivation, and illness.
