S1 E2: Connection Seeking and Child Development

In this season's final episode, we reflect on what resilience is, how we can foster it in children, and how we can do the same for ourselves as caregivers. The missing piece is understanding how community plays a role in building resilience. Join us as we wrap up our discussion on resilience with key takeaways from this season and actionable steps you can take today.

Watching your child experience stress can be hard. It is easy for a caregiver to take on their child's stress when, instead, we could use those opportunities to help them build the “muscle” of resilience. Listen to a candid conversation featuring Dr. Nancy Weaver that unpacks the burden parents take on and how we can utilize vulnerability and hope to create a more nurturing ecosystem for resilience in our families.

We expect children to learn quickly and become resilient as they face life’s hardships. As caregivers, we play a significant role in fostering resilience in our children by recognizing patterns and helping them adapt to stressors in their lives. Hear several parenting anecdotes that may help you feel seen in your journey of parenthood and connect the dots on building resilience in your child.

There are several common misconceptions about resiliency that have greatly shaped our understanding of how we are expected to adapt to adversity. To be resilient, we often think we must remain strong and independent, overlooking the strength found in expressing vulnerability and asking for help. In this episode, we debunk these myths to help you apply a more dynamic definition of resilience to your life as you support yourself and others.

Out Front with FamilyForward brings forward candid conversations to help bridge the gap between research and real-world parenting. Join our host Sharon Skidmore Stern as we explore topics through a trauma-informed lens to provide you with tangible tips to navigating family life one episode at a time.

Connection building is a matter of building up small gestures and moments over time to create a strong relational foundation. By exploring three different ways to reconnect—imitation and mirroring, co-regulation, and shared focus and collaboration—we bring together ideas from earlier in the series to provide you with simple ways you can connect with your loved ones.

Seeking connection as a caregiver can prove to be complex, as there are so many demands we are asked to meet before our own needs. Use this episode as your guide to establishing connections with your child and other caregivers by prioritizing your needs and making them heard.

Children and their development are impacted by the connection they receive starting from a young age. That's why, in this episode, we are emphasizing the need for positive connections in families and how they are beneficial for children with complex trauma histories.

Connection looks, sounds, and feels different for each individual. Delve deeper into building connections with your children, family, and community as we acknowledge the individuality, vulnerability, and grace that come with it.