The continual theme in early childhood is that early experiences are key to development. Sometimes those experiences harm children’s development and sometimes they support children’s development. As a teacher I know that I will play a part in contributing to children’s mental health. I also know that I will have little control over a child’s home life and I will have no control over the condition in which they start my program. However, reading this article reminded me that I have influence over their experiences in my classroom and children can “over come these burdens” with “exceptional efforts on the part of supportive adults” (CDC, n.d, p.2, para.5). It seems to me that it’s both a daunting task and humbling task to be one of those adults
