May 3, 2010
The third installment of an Alberta Health Services book series will soon help children ages 5 to 9 “bounce back” from setbacks and cope well with life’s ups and downs.
The Bounce Back Book: Building Resiliency Skills in the Early School Years is scheduled for release during Mental Health Week, May 3 to 9, 2010.
The colourful, 52-page illustrated publication is designed to be a resource for parents, caregivers and teachers. It focuses on the period in a child’s life when he or she will spend more time away from home and family, and will need to develop relationships with other adults and children.
“Resilience starts in infancy and is developed during childhood,” says Dr. Joanne Baxter, early childhood development expert and Chair of the Department of Child and Youth Studies at Calgary’s Mount Royal University.
“The Bounce Back books provide advice on how to prepare children to feel competent in dealing with life’s challenges, disappointments and setbacks.”
Resiliency skills will benefit these young Albertans throughout their lifetimes, adds Beth Evans, manager of Mental Health Promotion for Alberta Health Services.
“Research shows that resilient people are healthier, live longer, are more successful in school and work, are happier in relationships and are less prone to depression,” Evans says.
Previous Bounce Back books, Birth to 2 Years: Laying the Foundation for Resiliency in Your Infant and Toddler and Building Resiliency Skills in Your Preschooler, focus on how parents can start building resilience during their children’s early years.
All three books contain information about childhood development and activities that can be used at home or in the classroom. They have been reviewed by experts in early childhood development and children’s mental health and wellness.
Print copies of the books in the series are available in communities across the province from Alberta Health Services and ParentLink Centres. ParentLink Centre locations can be found online at www.parentlinkalberta.ca.
