The vast majority of us humans have no doubt that a mother’s love can have a very powerful impact on a child. After all, think where you would be without your mother’s encouragement, nurturing, and love. Would you be who you are today? Would you be a good person? Would you be smart, courteous, or able to wash a load of laundry? While we humans believe in the power of a mother’s love, there is also science to back up this impact.
An article on Medical Daily entitled “Chilling Brain Scans Show the Impact of a Mother’s Love on a Child’s Brain Size” reveals scientific evidence of just how much of an impact a mother’s love can truly have. The research compared brain scans from two three-year-old children; the child who received a “normal”, loving upbringing by a mother showed healthy brain development while the child who was neglected and abused by his mother had a smaller brain with darkened fuzzy areas (Hsu, 2012). It’s quite a frightening thought that the lack of motherly support and love can negatively shape an individual’s brain development. The article goes on to say that the child with the smaller brain who suffered neglect and abuse will “be more likely to become addicted to drugs, be involved in violent crime, be unemployed and dependent on government benefits” (Hsu, 2012).
The impact of a mother’s love does not end with brain development – it can also affect a child’s risk of contracting certain ailments. A Time article, “How a Mother’s Love May Counter the Negative Health Effects of Poverty”, gives the details of a study performed upon 1,215 middle-aged Americans (Szalavitz, 2011). Children who grew up in poverty were found to be 40% more likely to have health ailments including high blood pressure, glucose intolerance, and extra fat around the middle in adulthood versus “privileged” children; however, this added risk completely disappeared in the case of poor children who were raised by nurturing mothers (Szalavitz, 2011).
There you have it; a mother’s love is very powerful indeed. A mother gives the gift of life and her continued support encourages healthy mental and physical development. Doesn’t your mom deserve to know just how much you appreciate her presence in your life? Mother’s day is just around the corner and it is the perfect opportunity to thank her.
This Mother’s Day, don’t just go with the same old flowers or hastily purchased card. Think of all your mother has given you and thank her properly. Your mother put a great deal of thought into raising you in order to instill you with the morals and beliefs she thought were correct. Put just a fraction of that time into celebrating her accomplishments and commitments. Write her a sentimental note … more than a sentence! Give her something personalized. A site like personalcreations.com can help you find just the right gift. Spend time with your mother without checking your cell phone every 2 minutes!
A mother’s love is a powerful catalyst. It shapes our lives in ways science has yet to comprehend. Without it our lives would be very different. This Mother’s Day, be sure to thank your mother for her love and for all of the gifts she has given you.
Photo Credits
Images are from The Microsoft Office Clipart Collection
Guest Author Bio
Geoff Beers
Geoff Beers is a freelancer writer and father of three wonderful children. His favorite topics to write about include human relationships, bargain hunting and event planning. When Geoff isn’t writing you can find him out fishing with his kids, or coaching their sports teams. You can read more articles from him at the Event Planning Channel on About.com at http://eventplanning.about.com
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