Summary Of How Instability Affects Kids

The article “How Instability Affects Kids” talks about aspects of instability in households and the negative effect it has on children's mental and physical health and behavior. This coincides with one of the main themes of the novel, Hillbilly Elegy, being that an abusive, unstable home environment can cause hardships in not only one's childhood but also their adulthood. J.D Vance, the author, describes throughout the story of the several house he lived in, each with the newest boyfriend of his mother, who fell under the cycle of drugs, alcohol and abuse. Vance explains the reasoning behind his mother's unstable lifestyle, stating that, “Whatever might be said about my mom’s parents’ roles in my life, their constant fighting and alcoholism
must have taken its toll on her. Even when they were children, the fighting seemed to affect my aunt and mother differently... Mom would hide, run away or collapse on the floor with her hands over her ears. She didn’t handle it as well as her brother and sister…”(Vance 232). Similarly, the article explains that any unstable environment affects children in adulthood by making the child feel like there is no control in their life. The author of the article, “How Instability Affects Kids,”Anna Sutherland, writes, “children tend to do best in stable households, where they know what to expect and feel (perhaps unconsciously) that their relationships, health, and safety are basically secure. Undergoing repeated transitions can cause stress by threatening this feeling and undermining kids' and their parents' sense of control over their lives, which then tends to worsen parenting and to lower children's academic achievement and mental health.” In conclusion, Hillbilly Elegy supports the article “How Instability Affects Kids” by providing real life examples of the outcomes the article emphasizes.