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  Children who have strong community connections are more successful as adults.

• It is clear that with positive adult-child interactions, young people do well.

• Through discussions and by doing exercises, social connection can be encouraged.

Those with links to supportive people and good community connections tend to cope better in life. Data indicates that we are shaped by our social environment.

We suffer when our social bonds are broken. If this happens in childhood it can create problems. Health and education can be challenged.

We are social creatures. This is a topic we should discuss with our children. What is the role of our social nature in our happiness and success in life?

It can be enlightening to discuss how the social world works and how our brain makes that possible. This knowledge can guide intuitive decision making.

 A technique we can use is to encourage peer learning. We can encourage the older children to teach the younger ones.

Those teaching benefit as well as the student. Teaching others relies on the social networks of the brain.

The quality of children’s relationships with the adults in their life has a lifelong impact.

• good communicators;

• cooperative members of a team;

• effective leaders, and

• caring members of their communities.

It teaches them how to set and achieve goals and how to persist in the face of challenges.

Strong social connections can also boost their confidence and lead to friendships.

Rita F. Pierson was a professional educator for over 40 years. She taught elementary school, junior high and special education. In her widely viewed TED Talk ‘Every kid needs a champion’ she stated:

“How powerful would our world be if we had kids who were not afraid to take risks, who were not afraid to think, and who had a champion?”