Mending the Broken Telephone: Moving Forward from Theory to Practice in Supporting the Well-being of Sensitive Children

Abstract

This project examines current and historical research in developmental psychology and neuroscience to support the idea that nurturing familial and school relationships will create empathic, compassionate and creative future adult citizens and leaders, and thereby a healthy society. I argue that, however helpful they might be, changes to the public school elementary curriculum alone cannot bring about the desired objective. Many years of experimentation with “character training” curricula have amply demonstrated this. This paper culminates in recommendations for the ideal approaches to ensuring the necessary healthy relationships premised on the mentorship of parents, teachers, and other caregivers by child development professionals to support the unfolding of healthy individuals of all temperaments.