Children live in their imaginations every chance they get. Watch a child with a simple toy, and you'll witness magic – they've built entire worlds of adventure and joy with just a few props. Sometimes, with no toys at all, they move their hands and bodies, interacting with whole imaginary realms invisible to us. Yet children remain remarkably attuned to reality in ways we adults often miss. When something in the real world jolts them back from their imaginative sanctuary – parents arguing, physical hurt, social rejection – they feel it in their very core, internalizing every layer of emotional pain.
For children facing mental health challenges, particularly those living in poverty, this sensitivity becomes both vulnerability and strength. Research reveals the profound costs of poverty-related adversity on children's brain development and cognitive ability, while studies show that children in poor, inner-city neighborhoods face high risks for experiencing multiple traumas. Yet the same emotional depth that makes them vulnerable can, with proper support, become their pathway to resilience.
Evidence-based practices demonstrate that emotional support works miracles for underprivileged children. Child First, an innovative evidence-based model, effectively decreases emotional and behavioral problems among very vulnerable young children and families. Focused psychosocial interventions prove effective in reducing trauma symptoms while increasing hope, coping, and social support. The key lies in understanding that building young children's capacity for resilience is essential to their lifelong health and well-being.
When we provide the right emotional scaffolding – through trauma-informed care, consistent relationships, and evidence-based interventions – something beautiful happens. Children don't just survive their circumstances; they transcend them. They find their way back to that magical space where, in seconds, they're above the clouds again.
We never understood why the phrase "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" endured. It's precisely backward. The wrong words will break a child, while the right words allow them to rise up, ready to be contributing members of their community and world. Words don't just matter – they're everything.
That's what our postcard "In a Few Seconds We Were Above the Clouds" reminds us. When we choose our words carefully, when we offer consistent emotional support, when we create safe spaces for children to process their experiences, we give them wings. We help them access that natural childhood resilience that allows joy to surface suddenly, powerfully, lifting them above whatever storms rage below.
At Say Still, we believe your words mean to me the most we mean to be. For children facing poverty and child mental health challenges, those words can be the difference between staying grounded by trauma or soaring above the clouds where childhood resilience and hope live.