A Story of Poverty & Development

My father was born in Mechanic Falls, Maine in the 50's. He was born into what we would now call a "broken home". His mother had two other children from two previous relationships and his father was an alcoholic. My father's mother, Ellen, raised him and his three brothers on a meager wage. She worked at a nearby shoe factory. Standing all day attaching leather heals with a large, hot, smelly, machine. Ellen would come home to her tiny three bedroom trailer to her three boys. They were often taken care of by the neighbor, Ada, who was also poor and a mother. She would watch the boys until the were old enough to go to school. Ellen often tired and sore from manual labor would come home and do the wash, cook, and clean. Leaving the boys to play outside and develop on their own. From what I know of my grammie's education she was not the most studious person. She can read and write, but she never read to my dad. Not that he can remember. She is a very warm, person now. However, when she was a young single mother times were harder, and so was she. Because my grammie was unavailbale to her young sons they turned to each other. They developed a very strong bond, fighting in school to protect each other. This picture of strong family bond leads me to think that my father compensated his father figure with his older brothers, developing his psychosocial development.

My dad, developed a strong sense of touch. He was often outside, around different textures. I have a picture of him in a washtub filled with water outside playing in the mud. He didn't have many toys, but did have what was around him in nature to play with. When he was old enough he got into sports and played basketball and softball. His gross and fine motor skills were very strong. Because my dad was an outdoorsman he developed strong math and science skills. His left brain cogitive development was fully formed. Dad is a very strong problem solver, wonderful at budgeting, and can build something from nothing. He does not enjoy reading or writing. Leaving me to think that his right brain cognitive development was less developed. My father is a very smart, successful business owner. I believe that every family, every individual, has less than ideal developmental domains. Nobody is perfect and nobody can live up to the perfect developmental model. Each family does the best they can to develop well educated, well rounded, adults.