Cultivating Resilience in Early Childhood: A Practical Guide to Support the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Young Children

Written to support the use of the Thought Bubbles picture books, this guidebook has been created to help teachers and practitioners initiate ‘nurturing conversations’ and cultivate resilience in young children.

Early identification of mental health and wellbeing needs by those who spend the most time with the children is key to offering the support vulnerable children need. This series takes a proactive approach to mental health support, creating a culture of trust and resilience long before crisis point is reached. Based on the author’s extensive research and wealth of experience, this guidebook will help start the conversation, showing the reader what to do and say early on in a child’s life, to help influence the way that they experience the world in the future.

This book:

• Offers practical, low-cost actions that can be easily adapted to suit different environments and contexts.
• Explores key topics such as effective listening, communication, relationships and environments.
• Is designed to facilitate the effective use of the four Thought Bubbles picture books, supporting the practitioner to elicit nurturing conversations.

Designed to be used in a range of childcare settings, this book is an essential resource for all those who care for and educate young children.

Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction: A Child in Mind

1. Changing the ‘At Risk’ Trajectory
2. A New Measure of Risk and Competency
3. The Provision of Physical and Mental Space
4. A Participatory Pedagogy
5. A Listening Pedagogy
6. Nurturing Environments
7. Nurturing Relationships
8. Nurturing Conversations
9. A Change in the Balance of Power
10. Practical Actions

Glossary

Bibliography