Flourishing

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Dyadic Neuroscience Social-Emotional Development Flourishing Disruption and Continuity in ERH and Flourishing ERH in Practice Longitudinal Study of ERH

The concept of “child flourishing” is about positive development and is particularly relevant to early childhood as a time in life focused on learning and growth. Early Relational Health is foundational to flourishing because young children develop in an environment of relationships. Research shows Early Relational Health and child flourishing are connected to a wide range of health outcomes, including mental, emotional, behavioral, social, cognitive, and physical well-being across the lifespan.

What Research Tells Us:

  1. Early Relational Health, grounded in strong, positive, and nurturing relationships, is foundational to young children’s flourishing. 
  2. Flourishing in childhood is predictive of child health and developmental outcomes as well as school readiness.
  3. Parent and child connection as well as family-professional connection is part of Early Relational Health and associated with child flourishing.
  4. A strong parent and child connection supports child flourishing even among children who have experienced significant adversity or hardship.

What Health Outcomes Are Associated With Early Relational Health?

Early Relational Health has significant and far-reaching impacts on physical and behavioral health as well as social and emotional well-being of  both young children and their caregivers.

 

Young Children

Social & Emotional Well-Being: Easier emotional regulation, more positive emotion displays, decreased anxiety, more likely to identify complex emotions, more able to emphasize with others

Physical & Behavioral Health: Strengthened immune system, decreased risk for asthma, respiratory infections, and cardiovascular disease, consistent physical exercise, healthier eating and sleeping habits.

 

Caregivers

Social & Emotional Well-Being: Easier regulation of positive feelings, increased social understanding, decreased symptoms of maternal anxiety and depression.

Physical & Behavioral Health: Increased cardiac health and stress resilience, more responsive to infant cues, heightened levels of hormones associated with positive mood, behavior, social bonding.

(Adapted from Li, J., & Ramirez, T. (2023). Early Relational Health: A Review of Research, Principles, and Perspectives. The Burke Foundation. Figure 1)

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