Molly Wright, a second-grader from Queensland, Australia is an aspiring wildlife warrior, performer, and budding social activist. At the age of seven, she uses the most unusual “weapon” to change the world “” the game of …

Molly and the leading scientists in the field of brain development advise parents and caregivers to serve and return. Like in tennis, but slightly modified: Molly dubs this a “grownup” phrase and prefers to translate it to “” connect, talk, and play with children! That’s all they want! How often should you serve and return? The answer is simple: early and often. The human brain develops faster in our early years than at any other time in our lives, creating up to one million neural connections every second. In order to reach our full potential, says Molly, our healthy development depends on these top five things:

• connecting,
• talking,
• playing,
• a healthy home,
• community.

“Copycat games build imagination and empathy. Naming games build vocabulary and attention. And games like peekabo “” yep, peekaboo “” actually build memory and trust.” 

Molly Wright, TED Talks Ideas Worth Spreading

Molly urges parents to serve and return early and often because “it not only builds and strengthens our relationships and mental health, it actually teaches us some of the most important life skills, from making friends to taking the test, to getting a job, to one day maybe even starting a family of our own.” 

Every moment together is an opportunity to connect, talk and play. Imagine the difference we could make if everyone everywhere did this. To us, the children, it’s so much more than just a game. It’s our future.

The mission of the Novak Djokovic Foundation is to provide every child in Serbia with access to quality early childhood education. Through our programs and projects, we are reshaping today’s system “” and, consequently “” the future of the entire society. Serve and return interaction is a part of our Support, NOT Perfection program that our Foundation is implementing with the aim to empower parents. Thank you for being with us on this mission and for seeing early years as an essential funding priority.

The post Serve and Return: How Every Child can Thrive by Five appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

The Adult’s Active Role

Parents and guardians play an active role in children’s education. How we talk with our kids now affects them later in life. With the incessant pressure current generations face, we need to enforce positive affirmations into our children’s lives and thoughts. We put a tremendous amount of faith into kids, but along with that we also unload a tremendous burden onto them. We believe they can fix the world, so we unload the world’s problems onto their tiny shoulders. In order for our children to succeed, we cannot only give them resources on how to grow and save the world; we must be an active resource and example. When these kids grow up, they are suddenly indoctrinated into how the world actually works: Opportunities and success are subjective and certain people/ideas are valued over others. This can cause the dreams of a better world to quickly come crashing down.

“Children are never too young to understand and we do not always need to protect them from inherent truths. To truly help them navigate realities, we must lead by example, by being their favorite teacher.”

Kids become who we are, even if it is not directly our fault

Children learn from us whether we are actively teaching them or not. They mimic our mannerisms and inherit our traumas, while our ideologies become their moral compasses. The things we feed our egos with and the emotional addictions we surrender to become the habits our kids feed off of. Personal morality and strong judgment can lead to children fearing disappointing their parents if they believe conflicting views. This is why we must focus on bettering ourselves, too. Our children cannot be all of the things that we failed to be. Although our intentions may come from a good place and we only wish to give our children the things we ourselves lacked, that does not mean that we are not hurting them in other ways. Even if it is not intentional, or even directly our fault, kids learn from us, both good and bad. It is important for us to be conscious of our behavior towards them, but more significantly, around them.

“Do not force your children to be something they are not. It is your job to live a life that inspires children to live theirs to their fullest potential.”

Stop imposing yourself on your children, let them be who they are

We need to let our children be themselves, no matter who they choose to be. It is their choice to decide who they want to be in this life. We can only help them along the way by doing the work to set a good example, ourselves – starting with accepting them for who they are. It is imperative that we learn to have children for unselfish reasons and be prepared to give them the resource of a present and mindful, level-headed adult. Progress means working towards unwrapping our own traumas and working on our poor habits today, not tomorrow. We have to realize that our children can’t be everything we couldn’t be for ourselves. Children should also not be brought into this world for the sake and pressure of other family members. Have children when you are ready to selflessly provide another human being with the means to live their own lives, not the life you want for them.

Ways we can hurt our children (even unintentionally)

The fact of the matter is that we can unintentionally hurt our children. We can pass down generational trauma and even our best intentions can be detrimental if we put too much pressure on our children to fit our ideals. Letting our own problems go unsolved, avoiding the work for self-improvement, and putting pressure on our children can lead to some common health struggles, both somatic and emotional.

Emotional/behavioral troubles include:

• Anxiety
• Mood disorders
• Eating disorders
• Depression
• Body / self image issues
• Guilt
• Fear
• Anger
• Confusion
• Attitude changes
• Social withdrawal / isolation

While physical problems can manifest as:

• Migraines
• Appetite loss
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Gastrointestinal issues
• Stomach / digestive issues

What can you do?

It is important to remember that this work is something that doesn’t happen overnight. This is something that needs to be worked on every day, slowly, but consistently. Some may need more time than others, but the work to ground ourselves needs to be done. We should never feel the need to stop improving. We are always learning and changing. To better ourselves, we need to put in the work. Self-awareness is a journey, not a destination. The revolution of raising ourselves and new generations has to start with us, not with our children. It has to start today because kids inherit our behaviors and trauma. They don’t only learn from them, they inherit them. So, let’s learn to sit with our own discomfort and, together with our kids, we can improve every day.

About the Author: Diana Randjelovic is a writer, designer, and artist. With a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture, Diana’s designs and writing focus on memory work of people and place. She is behind the online community, mala mgzn which focuses on community care for Serbian women and daughters of immigrants.

The post Be Your Child’s Favorite Teacher appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

The Adult’s Active Role

Parents and guardians play an active role in children’s education. How we talk with our kids now affects them later in life. With the incessant pressure current generations face, we need to enforce positive affirmations into our children’s lives and thoughts. We put a tremendous amount of faith into kids, but along with that we also unload a tremendous burden onto them. We believe they can fix the world, so we unload the world’s problems onto their tiny shoulders. In order for our children to succeed, we cannot only give them resources on how to grow and save the world; we must be an active resource and example. When these kids grow up, they are suddenly indoctrinated into how the world actually works: Opportunities and success are subjective and certain people/ideas are valued over others. This can cause the dreams of a better world to quickly come crashing down.

“Children are never too young to understand and we do not always need to protect them from inherent truths. To truly help them navigate realities, we must lead by example, by being their favorite teacher.”

Kids become who we are, even if it is not directly our fault

Children learn from us whether we are actively teaching them or not. They mimic our mannerisms and inherit our traumas, while our ideologies become their moral compasses. The things we feed our egos with and the emotional addictions we surrender to become the habits our kids feed off of. Personal morality and strong judgment can lead to children fearing disappointing their parents if they believe conflicting views. This is why we must focus on bettering ourselves, too. Our children cannot be all of the things that we failed to be. Although our intentions may come from a good place and we only wish to give our children the things we ourselves lacked, that does not mean that we are not hurting them in other ways. Even if it is not intentional, or even directly our fault, kids learn from us, both good and bad. It is important for us to be conscious of our behavior towards them, but more significantly, around them.

“Do not force your children to be something they are not. It is your job to live a life that inspires children to live theirs to their fullest potential.”

Stop imposing yourself on your children, let them be who they are

We need to let our children be themselves, no matter who they choose to be. It is their choice to decide who they want to be in this life. We can only help them along the way by doing the work to set a good example, ourselves – starting with accepting them for who they are. It is imperative that we learn to have children for unselfish reasons and be prepared to give them the resource of a present and mindful, level-headed adult. Progress means working towards unwrapping our own traumas and working on our poor habits today, not tomorrow. We have to realize that our children can’t be everything we couldn’t be for ourselves. Children should also not be brought into this world for the sake and pressure of other family members. Have children when you are ready to selflessly provide another human being with the means to live their own lives, not the life you want for them.

Ways we can hurt our children (even unintentionally)

The fact of the matter is that we can unintentionally hurt our children. We can pass down generational trauma and even our best intentions can be detrimental if we put too much pressure on our children to fit our ideals. Letting our own problems go unsolved, avoiding the work for self-improvement, and putting pressure on our children can lead to some common health struggles, both somatic and emotional.

Emotional/behavioral troubles include:

• Anxiety
• Mood disorders
• Eating disorders
• Depression
• Body / self image issues
• Guilt
• Fear
• Anger
• Confusion
• Attitude changes
• Social withdrawal / isolation

While physical problems can manifest as:

• Migraines
• Appetite loss
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Gastrointestinal issues
• Stomach / digestive issues

What can you do?

It is important to remember that this work is something that doesn’t happen overnight. This is something that needs to be worked on every day, slowly, but consistently. Some may need more time than others, but the work to ground ourselves needs to be done. We should never feel the need to stop improving. We are always learning and changing. To better ourselves, we need to put in the work. Self-awareness is a journey, not a destination. The revolution of raising ourselves and new generations has to start with us, not with our children. It has to start today because kids inherit our behaviors and trauma. They don’t only learn from them, they inherit them. So, let’s learn to sit with our own discomfort and, together with our kids, we can improve every day.

About the Author: Diana Randjelovic is a writer, designer, and artist. With a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture, Diana’s designs and writing focus on memory work of people and place. She is behind the online community, mala mgzn which focuses on community care for Serbian women and daughters of immigrants.

The post Be Your Child’s Favorite Teacher appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

The picture that welcomed us at the opening ceremony of the 11th School of Life in the village of Deronje, the municipality of Odzaci, was quite contrary to the melancholic site we encountered during our first visit to “Carolija”. The kindergarten was now reconstructed and transformed into a dream place for 50 boys and girls 3-5 years old, within the preschool institution “Poletarac”.

New and colourful preschool classrooms were full of children, who were laughing, playing, and enjoying with their friends. Accompanied by our partners from the Center for Interactive Pedagogy we were glad to be reminded once again why the things we do for children in Serbia are so rewarding. One should see their happy faces when they are completely absorbed in play, trying to find the last, missing part of a giant puzzle. A smile may take just a moment, but the memory of that smile can last forever. And we secretly hope they will never lose their innocence and goodness, nor their charming curiosity. We are doing our best to ensure they have a proper start in life, help them reach their full potential and pursue their dreams. Because we know they can achieve them one day.

TEACHER TRAINING

Give me a child, and I’ll shape him into anything  –  B.F. Skinner

Unfortunately, people who play a key role in education and development of children during their early years are rarely acknowledged. Therefore, one of the goals of our projects is to change the way we see early educators and provide them with necessary support.

The “Schools of Life – Together for Childhood” project aims not just to refurbish old preschool facilities, but also to offer specialized training courses for professional development of teachers, as well as to organize various educational, interactive and interesting workshops for children and their parents.

In late November, our partners from CIP – Center for Interactive Pedagogy hosted the seminar “Neither black, nor white – a program for working with children / young people against prejudice, for tolerance and intercultural relations” for preschool staff at kindergarten “Carolija”.

The event encouraged the participants to exchange their previous teaching experience, share new ideas, and discuss about possibilities of incorporating some innovative teaching methods and techniques into day-to-day activities and work with children and their parents…

Together we learn, grow and become more successful in our mission.

LOCAL COMMUNITY

One of the important aspects of our projects is sustainability, reflected through empowering the local communities. In addition, it’s great to see that our efforts to do significant things for children are recognized and supported by the local citizens. Their positive initiatives often follow our project implementation.

These good examples included the visit of the Women’s Association members to kindergarten in Deronja. They held workshops and spend a lovely time with children, showing them how to make wool Christmas decorations. Our guests were amazed by their open-mindedness and readiness to master new skills.

Kids were so proud of their abilities and creations. The next thing they were introduced to was the art of making a tapestry. Some of the parents reported that children insisted on teaching them how to spin yarn using a spinning wheel, convinced that they understand the whole process better than adults. “It seems we have to start our own sheep farm”, parents wittily responded.

This and many other similar Schools of Life stories show that if we work together we can really make a big difference in children’s lives. They also encourage us and our partners from the Center for Interactive Pedagogy to keep on doing the right things for the right reasons.

We truly believe in children and their dreams. Join us and let’s make great things together. For children. For our future.

The post A Touch of Children’s Magic in the School of Life in Deronje appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Even though our 5th Friendship Games have come to end, we hope that our little guests had the time of their lives playing games, enjoying outdoor activities, learning and discovering new things, visiting local sites and forging new friendships over the six days they spent together with their teachers and NDF staff and volunteers in Kopaonik. This year, the Friendship Games, traditionally hosted by our Foundation every fall, gathered more than 150 boys and girls, first to fourth graders from primary schools in Sokobanja, Pozega, Cuprija, Vranje, Paracin and Uzice. We did our best to ensure them a pleasant stay and give them the types of experiences that will remain in their memories forever: laughter at sunset. Flying kites in the midst of a breathtaking scenery. Looking up at a starry, night sky.

One of the goal of the friendship camp is to promote right values among children, like team spirit and team work. Thus, we couldn’t be more proud of them seeing how they support one another to overcome challenges in the adventure park or cheer for their friends during the sports competition.“You can do it, Marta! We believe in you.” These words of encouragement made every one of them a true winner.

In the evening it was time for a theatre performance. We’re glad the kids liked it so much. After the show, we spent a lovely time chatting with actors. Unsurprisingly, children asked them a lot of interesting and tricky questions. “Is it hard for you to be an actor?”, “Do actors and actresses really kiss on-screen?”, Which one of you is the princess and who are the trolls?”…

Red Cross workshop was designed for the Friendship Games participants learned essential first aid skills and practiced helping people in a first aid emergency. The workshop also proved successful in an unexpected way, revealing that some of the kids had a natural talent for acting. The “wounded” and “injured” did their part perfectly. They undoubtedly picked up a thing or two from the actors on and off the stage.

Swimming pool was our next stop. The idea was to teach kids water safety and enable them to improve their swimming skills beside having fun in the pool. “Now I can swim better than my mom and dad” they frequently shouted. On the other hand, not all children shared equal passion for swimming and sports in general. Some of them started to dream of becoming a scientist thanks to the amazing science experiments we had prepared just for them.

It’s no fun being an adult, isn’t it? The magic of childhood disappears as we get older. Farewell to making and smashing piñata and dressing up for a masquerade party. We no longer fly a kite, make a colorful drawing  or pretend  to be superheroes or characters from our favorite fairy tales. That’s why we are eagerly looking forward to our Friendship Games. After so many years, we can experience and enjoy all these things again with our little friends. They help us rediscover that it doesn’t matter WHAT, but HOW.  They see the world differently from us – through the lens of imagination and every friendship camp reminds us of what we have forgotten on our journey towards the adult future. Therefore, we like to say that the Friendship Games are a valuable opportunity to learn from each other. We might have helped kids understand the process of making video games, teach them how to manipulate the robots, get them interested in astronomy and engage them in various forms of art… However, their lesson is far more priceless. They teach us what life is all about.

I was passing down the hall, tired and sleepy, yet aware that a lot of work still had to be done. Suddenly,  I noticed the boy I met just a day ago running to greet me. His small hands gave me the warmest hug. Another boy came shortly after . “I want to hug you, too”.  Is volunteering hard?,  people frequently ask me. No, it isn’t hard at all.

The post A Look Back: Our 5th Friendship Games appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

A strong body of research has highlighted parenting interventions as a key strategy for improving early childhood development (ECD) outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Particularly over the past decade, parenting intervention studies have expanded across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, and growing investments have been made by national governments to integrate and scale up early parenting programs across various sectors.

Despite this encouraging prioritization and emphasis on the importance of parenting, programs in LMICs have largely remained focused on mothers exclusively. And perhaps unintended, the terms “parents” and “caregivers” in the early childhood literature, especially in LMICs, have become used interchangeably to just reflect “mothers”.

However, it is well-documented that fathers positively influence children’s early development, above and beyond maternal contributions. For example, many studies from the U.S., U.K., and other high-income countries using large longitudinal datasets have consistently underscored the unique importance of paternal stimulation and paternal warmth and responsiveness for children’s early cognitive, language, and socioemotional development. A small but growing body of evidence from LMICs has similarly shown positive effects of fathers on ECD outcomes. So in light of this global evidence, why are fathers still sidelined and overlooked in parenting research?

While this is certainly not exhaustive or mutually exclusive, three factors might contribute to the imbalanced focus (more on mothers than fathers) in parenting research and programming in LMICs.

1. Availability and accessibility of mothers  – Mothers in many of these contexts (from the Caribbean to sub-Saharan Africa to South Asia) are the primary caregivers of the child. They objectively spend more time together with the child (whereas fathers are more likely out of the home longer, even residing away for work for multiple days at a time) and undertake the majority of the caregiving roles and responsibilities that it “makes sense” to target mothers for their accessibility and direct involvement with the child.
2. Social and cultural norms – In many LMICs, particularly in contexts where gender inequalities are quite stark and persistent, the portrayal of men as nurturing caretakers who engage in play and stimulation may be less common and not even something that is expected or encouraged by family members and society. Perhaps unintentionally but typically not based on formative research or data collected, it has become assumed that fathers are not interested or additionally impactful for promoting child development.
3. Operational and resource limitations – The primary cadre of personnel who have delivered early childhood intervention programs in LMICs has been local women volunteers or female health professionals/paraprofessionals. This raises challenges in contexts where it is less common and acceptable for men and women to engage one-on-one or in group settings with each other (in the way that female health workers have traditionally coached and engaged with mothers in home visits or community group meetings). Additionally, a major component to the success of ECD programs has been well-established curricula – which have allowed for easy adaptation across contexts. However, the overwhelming majority of these curricula and manuals have been designed exclusively for mother-child dyads. Currently we don’t yet know which content “ingredients” are necessary and effective for mother and father, holistic family focused programs.

Despite such barriers that may marginalize fathers from parenting programs, there are two notable exceptions of innovative programs in LMICs that have focused on engaging fathers and supporting co-parenting to improve ECD. In Turkey, the Mother-Child Education Foundation (ACEV) established the Father Support Program, or a 15-week course to encourage fathers to take a more positive and active role in their children’s early development. In this program, fathers meet in male groups to build parenting skills and freely discuss the challenges of fatherhood. The program is currently being implemented across Turkey and is expected to reach almost 4,000 fathers by 2018. In Uganda, researchers at McGill University and Plan International designed and evaluated a parenting intervention that engaged both mothers and fathers to promote ECD. The program consisted of 12 bi-weekly sessions (e.g., psychosocial stimulation; “love and respect” for yourself, your child, and your spouse; among other topics that were sensitive to both genders) and incorporated both fathers only group sessions as well as both mothers and fathers group sessions. This program is continuing to be implemented by Plan International in Uganda as well as other countries across sub-Saharan Africa.  

It is quite clear that fathers are influential caregivers for ECD across the world. Two programs from Turkey and Uganda serve as great examples to learn from and build upon in the context of LMICs. However, many questions remain unknown regarding how to engage and integrate fathers in programs with other caregivers; and considering some of these barriers regarding availability and accessibility of fathers, social and cultural norms, and operational and resource constraints in specifically LMICs. Qualitative studies, in particular, are a great next step in terms of research needed and can unpack some of these potential challenges and elucidate strategies for engaging fathers in ECD programs moving forward. Much remains untapped regarding the opportunities that can be achieved for young children, mothers, fathers, families, and their communities by adopting more family-integrated ECD programs and services in LMICs.

The post Engaging Fathers in Parenting Interventions in Low- and Middle-Income Countries appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

 The debate over primary and secondary school education has been raging for some time – the best methods of teaching, the pros and cons of standardized testing, etc. Many of those involved in the education system, be it teachers, students, parents, or someone else entirely, have expressed, and at times quite stridently, their frustration and discontent towards the current system. These complaints tend to focus primarily upon the absence of emphasis placed on exploration and intellectual curiosity, on the massive amounts of emphasis placed instead on rote memorization and the frequently stifling educational environments.

As controversial and incredibly important these conversations are, they have mostly focused on primary and secondary schools. Early childhood education was normally left out of the discussion. However, it now seems as though the same debate has trickled down to the education of our youngest learners. With preschools and kindergarten classes become increasingly similar to primary and secondary schools’ classrooms (they’re even assigning homework!), a number of vocal and persistent opponents are protesting.

Copyright: Monkey Business Images

What Is Happening to Early Childhood Education?

According to researchers at the University of Virginia, kindergarten is the new first grade. In a study conducted over a 12 year period that compared kindergarten and first grade classrooms between 1980 and 2010, the researchers found that kindergarten teachers have much higher expectations of their students, with as much as 80% of them expecting their students to be literate by the end of the school year.

Pre-K, too, has changed. One article written by Erika Christakis in The Atlantic, called “The New Preschool is Crushing Kids”, describes a popular preschool curriculum that included “key concepts” (sound familiar?) that children were supposed to master. Among these were vocabulary words and units (another primary and secondary school concept) that covered topics like the ocean; students were asked to learn terms like “exoskeleton”, “tube feet”, and “scallop shell” – words that are covered in high school biology and would likely induce a confused look on many adults’ faces.

A preschool curriculum like this is highly disconcerting, and not just because three and four year olds are learning the same things I covered as a freshman in high school. Pre-K is becoming more and more about structured curriculum, rote memorization, and preparation for standardized tests (that the children won’t even take until three or four years later). There is an absence of exploration and passion that echoes that of high school education systems. And as concerning as this is in regards to our primary and secondary classrooms, it is even more distressing in regards to our early education systems: the early years of childhood, before age five, children are interpreting the world around them. They learn through active exploration; they learn by doing, not by age-inappropriate worksheets and “seat work”.

Copyright: Nadezhda1906

The complaints we have about high school now apply to preschool. It seems that we’ve taken to a “one size fits all” education system that’s based in information, rather than ideas.

The  “One Size Fits All”  Education System

The cause of this shift towards information-based learning is likely rooted in our concern over losing our competitive edge in the world and the ever-increasing gap between the poor and the rich. With reports streaming that the United States is losing its place, that our students are losing ground in the contest between nations, it’s no wonder that we’re trying to up our game. Additionally, with the disparity between the wealthy and impoverished constantly widening, the relentless pursuit of closing the gap through determined cramming of information in public pre-K seems even prudent. We want our kids to succeed, and as such we’re pushing them to be smarter, learn faster, and understand more.

However, as much as we want it to succeed, and as much as we want to help our youngest learners, it seems that the current approach is actually backfiring. A study conducted on Tennessee’s public pre-K has revealed that inappropriate forms of early education (like those that concentrate on school readiness rather than age-appropriate learning) in fact undermines intellectual engagement, curiosity, and achievement. The researchers found that, though preschool students entered kindergarten with a slight edge over their peers, by the end of first grade that edge had disappeared entirely. In fact, many of those preschool students complete first grade less engaged and inquisitive than their peers and were beginning to fall behind.

Copyright: Kekyalyaynen

This study was only one of many with similar findings. In the face of so many negative reports, shouldn’t we rethink our approach?

Alternative Approaches We Might Need to Consider

If we want to catch up to other nations or close the gap between the rich and poor, we might do well to learn from the best, both at home and abroad. Lisa Miller, in New York Magazine‘s “Is Pre-K Broken?“, writes:

The best programs don’t resemble remedial education designed to bring impoverished 3-year-olds up to speed.

Rather, they allow the students to learn through communication, conversation, action, and exploration. Students learn through social interaction how to listen and talk to others, and they use their imaginations and critical thinking skills to understand the world around them. Discipline, physical and mental concentration, and the ability to follow directions seem to be less significant, and emphasis on these could in fact smother children. In Finland, which consistently ranks among the world’s best education systems, children don’t begin their formal reading instruction until age seven. The Finns, when asked about this, state:

The basis for the beginnings of literacy is that children have heard and listened”¦ They have spoken and been spoken to, people have discussed [things] with them”¦ They have asked questions and received answers.

Perhaps it is time that we approach education with a similar mindset.

Copyright: Oksana Kuzmina

To return to the idea of homework for preschoolers, it seems like the problem lies not in the existence of homework, but in the nature of the homework; it lies not in how high or low expectations of students are, but how we go about fulfilling those expectations, and maybe even in the mere existence of those expectations. Children should be allowed to learn and play and grow at their own pace, in accordance with their own interests. We’ve become so focused on closing the gap, on just getting to our goal, that we forgot that the process is the most important aspect, especially concerning young children. The consequences of a lousy education system are immense: whole generations to come that can’t think creatively and communicate effectively, unable to meet challenges yet unimaginable. While we want to prepare our children, it’s important that we find balance in the way we educate our children.

How can we best prepare our kids? Parents and teachers, please let us know your thoughts!

The post Homework for Preschoolers appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

We all know that our childhood and adolescent experiences can shape our adult personalities and characters. Adults frequently exhibit mannerisms and patterns that are remnants of their past: if a woman has fond memories of childhood camping trips, she will likely continue to find comfort and peace in nature; if a man grew up on the music of his parent’s generation, he’ll probably listen to the same genre and style of music throughout adulthood.

But just how early do we start being affected by our experiences and circumstances? How early do we begin exhibiting the consequences of unstable environments? How do these types of situations manifest themselves later in life? And what are the implications of this data?

Mental health in early childhood

Mental health problems and their symptoms as they pertain to adults and even teenagers are often discussed and heard. However, far less visible is the significance of mental health in early childhood. Serious behavioral issues are often chalked up to a simply undesirable personality, rather than symptoms of a larger problem. In fact, significant mental health problems do exist in young children – attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder”¦ But due to the unpredictable and uncertain nature of all children, it is difficult for even professionals to diagnose, let alone for the average parent or caretaker to perceive. Still, mental health problems in young children must be addressed, as they pose greater risks as the child matures.

Copyright: ISchmidt

So what is the cause of mental health problems in children?  

Certainly, genetics play an important role in determining whether a child will exhibit issues. However, genes are not the only cause. Contrary to popular belief, genes are only blueprints. They contain instructions, but those instructions can be affected by the experiences and circumstances that children endure.

In the first few years of a child’s life, the brain develops at an incredibly rapid pace. Between 700 and 1000 connections are formed every second in the brain during this time. However, these connections are reinforced by experience and repeated use, and weaker bonds are soon broken once pruning begins, which is when the brain discards connections that seem irrelevant to increase efficiency. As such, experience and genetics play equal roles in determining the mental health of children.

Early childhood plays a critical role in building the foundation for lifelong good mental health

The experiences of a child’s first few years shape the architecture of the brain. A child’s relationships with parents, caregivers, teachers and peers are especially significant in providing a strong basis for later behavior, be it good or bad. If the child’s environment is strong, these relationships will provide a buffering effect when he or she is forced into a stressful situation. However, if he or she is surrounded by significant adversity, such as domestic violence or parental substance abuse, the child’s biological response to stress will become overactive, and he or she will be especially susceptible to mental health problems.

Copyright: CandyBox Images

When a child is in a persistently traumatic environment, a form of stress that is especially destructive, called toxic stress, begins to damage the architecture of the brain. This is due to the damage caused by long periods of high stress levels when biological stress response systems are activated for extended amounts of time. These adverse experiences predict the emergence of both physical and mental health problems later in life, such as heart disease and diabetes, as well as depression and anxiety. Furthermore, toxic stress also damages the child’s cognitive, emotional, and social development, impairing his or her ability to learn and relate to others. If left untreated, this will continue to develop, leading to abnormal hormone levels that can affect school readiness and later academic achievement, as well as elevating the risk of the emergence of physical and mental problems in adult life.

It is incredibly important to diagnose and treat mental health problems early

Fortunately, the certain actions when taken early can mitigate the damaging consequences of early childhood toxic stress. It is incredibly important to diagnose and treat mental health problems early, as it is both easier and more cost-effective to alleviate these issues when spotted early. Symptoms of potential mental health problems do not always become disorders, and these disorders can be prevented by providing access to the right combination of appropriate, high-quality care. Though the children who are most at risk of developing mental disorders – ones that grow up in poverty or are plagued by domestic strife – are often those that have the greatest difficulty accessing the services they need, it is possible to protect the children living in such threatening environments. Indeed, it is frequently necessary to focus on the needs of a child’s caregiver when trying to meet the needs of the child. By coordinating services that focus on the entire scope of the child’s environment, we can mitigate the dangers of destructive environments to ensure the long term mental health of the child.

Copyright: Iakov Filimonov

The implications of this information are incredibly significant. By reducing the onset of mental health problems in early childhood, not only will we be increasing the quality of life for a number of children, but we will also be targeting the roots of substance abuse and other problems that pervade society. Early childhood mental health is an immensely important issue, and preventing its manifestation could make a huge positive impact on our society.

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As the race to develop early childhood education gets fast underway all around the world, many children in low-income communities are falling behind, and struggling to find resources to provide them with the education and support they need. China, in particular, is finding itself lagging behind, because its low-income communities are finding it hard to fund their education system and provide educational support to their children.

Editorial Credit: Hung Chung Chih / Shutterstock.com

Why is China Falling Behind?

China, one of the most rapidly developing economies and societies in the world, is also one of the biggest sufferers of massive income inequality.  Although urban cities in China boast some incredible educational institutes, there is estimated to be more than 40 million rural toddlers who do not receive adequate care and education, and are, as a result, left behind in the workforce.

Due to the incredibly rapid development of China’s economy, much of the rural generation was either pushed into working in factories or taking on other manual labour jobs. Although at the time, these workers have a relatively steady income, questions are being raised about what the state of these workers will be in 10 or 20 years, when educated workers will be much more in demand.

Nurturing the Future

So what has been done to target this problem?

Editorial Credit: Hung Chung Chih / Shutterstock.com

The national health commission and the Rural Education Action Plan (REAP), has introduced a new early childhood development program, called “Nurturing the Future”, in an attempt to target children growing up in low-income and rural communities in China, and encourage parents and guardians of children to provide better educational resources to their children at an earlier age.

In communities in which the average family can barely afford daily necessities, childhood education and support are not always of the top priority. This program works to teach parents and grandparents of children being brought up in these communities the necessity and importance of early childhood education, all the whilst finding affordable and viable methods to do so.

The Importance of Early Childhood Education

The program also involved a study into the importance of early childhood education on the cognitive development of children, and found that most educational growth occurs in the first three years of a child’s life.

Furthermore, the study found that “despite geographical differences, all young children’s development level is the same until they are six months old,” according to Luo Renfu the person who oversees the tutoring material for the “Nurturing the Future” program. This shows that regardless of whether a child is born into a high-end urban community in the heart of Beijing, or whether they’re born into a low-income family who makes a living off farming and manual labour, all children develop mentally in the same way, and thereof require the same education and development programs to aid in the growth.

Editorial Credit: LEE SNIDER PHOTO IMAGES / Shutterstock.com

“One-third of rural children drop out of high school” because they can’t catch up after their bad start. The problem also stems from the fact that many of these children’s’ parents do not appreciate the importance of communicating with their children, even at an early age.

Furthermore, many of these children are left in the care of their grandparents, who are often illiterate and not capable, physically or mentally, to provide the support young children need, and as most parents have to leave their homes to pursue factory jobs in cities, this is the only possible course of action.

Economic Benefit of Early Childhood Education

Currently, China spends 0.2 percent of its GOP on early childhood education, even though its education budget was 4.3 percent of the GOP in 2013. Based on studies such as those done by the “Nurturing the Future” program, investing in children’s education at a younger age will pay off as they get older. As with building a house or setting up any other successful structure, the foundation is the most important aspect of a child’s education.

Copyright: wavebreakmedia

“The job market in the future will be quite different”, says Zhang Linxiu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and as the world market progresses, a different type of worker will soon be in demand in China. Although manual workers will always find their place in the workforce, demand for educated and skilled workers has steadily been growing as the pursuit for innovation continues. Ensuring that the future generation of workers is educated and skilled will not only best contribute to the economy, but to the social wellbeing of the community in general.

Providing early childhood education will be of economic benefit as it will cost less to provide an education at an early age rather than attempting to make up for the lost years of education and prepare them for a new educated workforce.

Even if we use just a small fraction of the energy we use to control China’s population in raising the demographic quality, China will see a brighter future, concludes Shi Yaojiang.

And hopefully seeing the positive results yielded by early childhood education programs will encourage other countries to implement such programs as well.

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What are you thoughts on China’s decision to invest in Early Childhood Education? Do you like their approach? Please share your thoughts and comments in the comment section below.  

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I knew each and every details about those “Heroes in the Half Shell”. He-Man and Masters of the Universe were another important part of my childhood. Not only did I watch cartoons, but I also passionately collected all He-Man action figures of heroes. After the episode on TV (or VHS) was over, I used to play with these toys imagining how Man-at-Arms fights against Skeleton and destroys his army, or how villain Hordak attacks Castle Grayskull on the planet Eternia.

Many Saturday and Sunday mornings I also spent watching Disney animated feature films, like Beauty and the Beast (a monster winning heart of a beauty after so many troubles), The Sword in the Stone (battle of wizards), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (I have always feared this ugly evil witch and her poisonous apple might go after me while sleeping).

I like and enjoy in certain things. We all do. However, this does not mean that they are always good for us. We often realize that later on, as grown-ups. The same stands for cartoons. Beside the positive aspects of cartoons that you had the opportunity to read about in our blog last Friday, there are also some negative effects of such shows on children that parents should be aware of before letting their children watch them. Therefore, it might be useful to check out the “dark side” of this illustrated visual art, as some define cartoons.

1. Violence

Leonardo, one of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the blue one), viciously beats up and destroys the army of evil Krang. The result: broken arms and legs everywhere, smacked faces, ruined buildings, total destruction…Remember Tom and Jerry? Well, they fight and chase each other all the time, seeking some sort of revenge. The same situation is with Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner. Someone always gets beaten. Pretty hard beaten, I must add. Throwing a grand piano on someone’s head, gunshots, explosives in someone’s hand or mouth, and the loud explosion that follows, all of these are subliminal or quite direct messages depicting violence that flow into children’s minds. Kids absorb these scenes like a sponge and accept violence as something quite normal and common. Children who view shows in which violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or unpunished, are more likely to imitate what they see. Experts from the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) say that kids who watch cartoons full of violence tend to be nervous, aggressive and disobedient. Moreover, these children are impatient. There are three main effects of cartoons that concern violence on children:

• they become insensitive to others’ pains and sorrow
• children do not feel discomfort from any elements of violence around them in real life
• children are prone to aggressive reactions and violent behaviour.

On the internet you can find many other studies regarding this issue. One of them is the study of scientist from Iowa State University. They found that animated shows aimed at youngsters often have more brutality than programmes broadcast for general audiences.

2. Health problems

Cartoon Pokémon, created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1995, belongs to anime, the Japanese name for animated film. Anime have a distinctive appearance (e.g. big eyes). The original name of the cartoon was Pocket Monsters. A year later, the name was shortened into Pokémon. Each episode of the cartoon is a special adventure of the main hero Ash Ketchum who fights against other trainers. Despite hard blows they receive all the time, Pokémon never die as they have the ability to recover energy.

In 1997 in Japan, 653 children were admitted to hospital for epileptic seizures. After detailed research it was found the seizures were caused by flashing red and blue lights which appeared in 38th episode of Pokémon, which children watched that night. The episode was never commercially released or re-broadcast anywhere in the world, as it was banned by the Japanese government.

There are other, less radical, health issues. For example, it is obvious that there is nothing good in sitting all day in front of the TV, watching cartoons. This can only weaken kids’ eye sight, or may lead to spine curvature disorders. Lack of physical activity also creates problems with obesity. Furthermore, many experts stress negative impact of cartoons on speech development of children by the age of three. Psychologists claim that watching cartoons is a passive activity in which there is no interaction required for proper speech development.

3. Role models

While watching cartoons, children often identify themselves with the characters. However, the problem is that these characters are usually inappropriate for any identification, since they are too aggressive, or have supernatural powers: they can fly, shoot spider web from the wrist, jump from the top of a skyscraper on the buildings nearby, throw a lightning bolt, run faster than the wind, fall from the 10th floor and stay unharmed, beat 15 criminals single-handedly, and similar.

These aggressive characters may easily turn into role models. Without the supervision of the parents, who will explain the difference between reality and fiction (which is not always the case since they are usually busy and prefer to leave the kids in front of the TV), children can use cartoons as a substitute for real life. This might be a threat for the child’s psychological development. Unfortunately, there are cases where children take cartoons to an extreme.

What can we do to reduce negative impacts and make cartoons a healthy entertainment for kids?

• Children must have a balanced lifestyle in everything they do, including watching cartoons.
• Parents should control and limit the time children spend watching TV or using a computer to maximum one hour a day.
• Parents must explain that the cartoon character in a certain scene has not been harmed, but would actually be seriously injured or die in real life. Parents should also tell their children that violent behaviour is not the best course of action to resolve a conflict.
• Some cartoons should have an age limit.
• Broadcasters should have professional teams (experts for children’s programme, editor and psychologist) that evaluate what should and what should not be shown on TV, as part of this programme and decide when is the appropriate time they can be broadcasted.
• Children should not be allowed to watch certain cartoons whose content they cannot understand.
• Parents should provide cartoons to their children which could have a positive impact on them.
• It would be better if parents also watch and discuss the characters of cartoons with children.

All the images in this post are screenshots of the relevant cartoons mentioned in the text, and do not belong to NDF.

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