13: Trauma and Resilience in the Early Years
⚠ Trigger Warning
In this lesson, we talk about difficult topics: childhood trauma and chronic, toxic stress.
As you go through this lesson, notice the emotions that you may be feeling, or the reactions to the material that you are having. As you work through this material, be patient and kind with yourself, and others in the class.
Even if you have not personally experienced trauma, thinking about and sitting with pain that others have gone through is challenging and emotionally taxing. Please feel free to take a break at any time.
In this lesson:
13-1 Toxic Stress
In this section, we cover how toxic stress is different from other types of stress and how adults can support children’s development and provide a buffer from the effects of toxic stress.
13-2 Adverse Childhood Experiences
In this section, we cover adverse childhood experiences, the long-term effects of these experiences, and what we as early childhood educators can do to help buffer their negative long-term effects.
13-3 Trauma-Informed Care
In this section, we address what trauma-informed care is and consider suggestions for implementing it in an early learning setting.
13-4 Resilience in the Early Years
In this section, we cover resilience in early childhood.