Kids Need Caring Training Program Shows Teachers What Makes Children Thrive
Some kids succeed in life and some fail. And most people, says consultant Carol Burgoa, know in their guts what makes the difference.
Hundreds of studies done around the world have confirmed those instincts, documenting the traits that make people bounce back from abuse, poverty, prejudice, a rotten home life.
“The No. 1 protective factor always is caring,” Burgoa told a group of school counselors on Thursday. “Over and over and over again, the research shows that one person makes a difference. And that person can come along anytime in life.”
Burgoa is co-owner of Resiliency Associates, a San Francisco consulting firm. She’ll be among speakers today at a training program for teachers from throughout North Idaho.
Her job isn’t to tell schools and communities how to solve the problems of alcohol abuse, drugs and violence, she said.
“It only works if local people and families and communities decide on their own what to do, and do it - as long as what they do is based on research.”
The idea of studying what makes kids thrive came from the observation that 25 percent of children with alcoholic parents don’t become alcoholics themselves, Burgoa said.
In fact, Burgoa said, studies of children from risky environments all show that at least half of the youngsters do well in life. Among the factors that protected them:
Culture. “You also have to be able to operate in the dominant culture … You can’t succeed if you don’t speak English, but you can’t be made to feel ashamed of your native language.”
Child care. Having a constant caregiver in the first year of life, especially, makes it easier to bond with people later on, Burgoa said.
Self confidence. Those who feel like victims are more likely to fail.
Optimism, and the ability to separate themselves from bad circumstances. “They can envision themselves as sober, healthy adults.”
Educational goals. “If kids have some kind of idea of what they’re going to do after high school, it’s a better predictor of graduation than grades are.”
, DataTimes