Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) and TCKs

Fact: Introducing six or more Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) can prevent or mitigate the risks from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and protect children from negative effects to their physical and mental health in adulthood.

As TCKs are at higher risk than average of experiencing ACEs, it’s all the more important for parents to intentionally build PCEs into their family life. Here’s a list of the most important PCEs:

1.      Feeling able to share feelings at home and be heard and validated.

2.      Believing that the family stands together and prioritises one another during difficult times.

3.      Feeling safe and protected in the home.

4.      Feeling supported by a peer group.

5.      Feeling a sense of belonging in a larger multi-generational group.

6.      Having family or community traditions to look forward to.

7.      Feeling a sense of belonging in high school (teen years).

8.      Having two non-parent adults who take a genuine interest in the child.

Together, these PCEs will show your children that you prioritise their well-being, and enable them to form social relationships, cultivate a positive identity and sense of belonging, and cope with stress in healthy ways, all of which help them develop emotional resilience. PCEs may not prevent ACEs, but if your children have more PCEs in their lives, they will be better protected from the negative effects.

Understanding ACEs and PCEs is so important that I devote a whole chapter of my book Rooted, Resilient & Ready: Preparing Singaporean Third Culture Kids for Home to this topic!

* A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is someone who has spent a significant part of their childhood living outside their passport country.