The Ordinary Magic of Resilience
Taming the Trauma Dragon
We’ve learned over the years that the most ordinary of interactions can help each child develop the ability to cope with, and bounce back from adversity.
Resilience is Ordinary Magic.
Resilience improves positive outcomes for a person, no matter what kinds of challenges they encounter.
The resources below will help you to have a better understanding of what resilience is, why it’s important, AND: how to use play, storytelling, and many of your favorite early childhood activities and strategies to promote it in ALL young children!
Ordinary Magic of Resilience
What do we know?
While resilience has been called “ordinary magic,” it is really…wait for it: SCIENCE! The resources on this page are an introduction to what we know about resilience, and why it is such powerful magic when trying to tame the dragon of SUD and other forms of trauma.
Protective Factors
How can we nurture resilience?
The neuroscience wizards across the land have learned a lot about the kinds of experiences that give children that super-human strength to fight off adversity. They call these “protective factors.” Knowing about them will help every early childhood educator wield that magic wand that can transform both everyday challenges and long-term outcomes.
The Power of Protective Play
How does resilience play out?
We talk a lot about the power of play. But it sometimes requires a leap of faith to trust that the imaginings and whimsical actions we observe will transform into meaningful curriculum. The research is clear: children do learn from play, and make believe is a powerhouse for those protective factors of resilience, as well! Explore why!