Approximately 45% of U.S. children have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE), or a potentially traumatic event in childhood, and nearly 10% have three or more ACEs.1 When children face adversity and don’t have protective factors or caregiver support to intervene, toxic stress can build up in the body and negatively impact their physical and cognitive development. To help caregivers protect their children from ACEs and toxic stress, First 5 California worked with Rescue Agency to create a media campaign providing caregivers with realistic steps they can take.
An important protective factor against ACEs and toxic stress is teaching families how to remain calm in difficult moments. In our research with California caregivers, we found they were most open to learning strategies for helping kids manage their emotions. We developed the award-winning ad “Dragon Song” to give families child-friendly language for teaching them how to use their breath to calm down when they’re feeling big emotions. The ad also encourages caregivers to use this technique and is available in English and Spanish.
The ad directs the audience to an interactive website, where they can practice their dragon breathing alongside a guided module. It also provides more information about the benefits of helping children manage their emotions to build resiliency, an important protective factor against ACEs and toxic stress.
If you’d like to learn how you can work with us on your next early childhood development campaign, please reach out to our team.