Positive Childhood Experiences- How they Help!

Let’s dive into Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) and how they are helpful in combating Adverse Childhood Experiences.  lead researcher Dr. Christina Bethell studied how positive childhood experiences help to build resilience in kids who have experienced trauma, and those who may in the future. The study showed that the more PCEs a child had, the more likely they were to have good mental health as an adult, even kids who had experienced ACEs. 

The 7 Positive Childhood Experiences are:

1. The ability to talk with family about feelings.
2. The sense that family is supportive during difficult times.
3. The enjoyment of participation in community traditions.
4. Feeling a sense of belonging in high school.
5. Feeling supported by friends.
6. Having at least two non-parent adults who genuinely cared.
7. Feeling safe and protected by an adult in the home.

While there are numerous things you can do to provide children in your life with a PCE, creating a psychologically safe place to talk, express emotion, and belong is a great starting point. Whether you are a parent, care-giver, educator, or someone else that works with children, start by creating a sense of belonging. 

Children, even those who have experienced trauma will open up to the people in their life where they feel most supported and cared for. You can be the person that asks how they are feeling, include them in various celebrations throughout the year and in the community. Help them find a place of belonging among their peers, who can also help provide them with a positive experience. 

In the classroom specifically, creating a routine that includes a morning greeting at the door, a check-in throughout the day, and genuine individual connection can and will change the lives of your students who might struggle the most. I guarantee you will start to see changes, when your student starts to feel safe and loved. 

I’ve talked about students that I worked with that came from single parent homes, had an incarcerated parent, or had drug use in the home. Connecting with them personally on their level (typically on my knee), looking them in the eye to greet them, made all the difference in the world and helped them know they could tell me their basic needs (sleepy, hungry, etc) and those needs would be met alongside their academic needs. 

Cheers to creating more Positive Childhood Experiences for the kids in our lives and combating Adverse Childhood Experiences.