As parents, we try to ensure that our children grow up in affluent circumstances and receive a proper education. Let me pose a provocative question here: Does poverty make people stupid? There is a reason for this question. Studies conducted in OECD countries indicate that, when children grow up in relatively deprived circumstance, they are less talented, they tend not to go the best schools and their educational opportunities are restricted. This is not only for financial reasons but because children in this sort of environment suffer greater stress.
They receive less affection, and for a child that means the formation of cortisol, the stress hormone which severely impairs working memory. As a result, such children are severely restricted by their environment in their ability to learn. And this is of course once again genetically influenced. So if we as adults had difficulty in learning things when we were young, it will certainly also be the case that our children have a similar gene. Which makes it all the more important to ensure that they are given plenty of affection!
