By Beverley Barnett-Jones, Photo: Janine Wiedel Photolibrary/Alamy/Guardian Design, The Guardian, April 3, 2023
During pregnancy and then from birth to five years old, the critical foundations for our adult lives are built. Early childhood is the period when we are learning to understand that we have our own thoughts and feelings, and that others do too. This stage in life helps us to build the scaffolding for our future adult wellbeing.
To grow well and to be able to cope with the inevitable challenges life throws at us, we are reliant on this capacity being maximised during those early years. It is of benefit not just on an individual level, but also for our roles within our family, our community and indeed our whole society.
In adolescence, there is another period of significant development and rapid growth – and it is then that the emotional and social scaffolding already in place is really tested. I know from my work with vulnerable young people and adults that in adolescence a tremendous amount of positive change can happen, as the brain is, as the experts say, “plastic”, with the potential to reshape and change through the experience of relational connections.
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