Prevention science means to anticipate and intervene early, following precautions. It is about focusing on good practices with our children and avoiding potential problems from occurring in the first place. Taking an active role in the development of our children is essential and as parents, we can make lot of difference by stepping in early and getting involved in understanding the effects of potentially traumatic experiences in childhood. These experiences are called Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), like violence, abuse, or neglect and are a public health problem linked to diseases and harmful behaviors like smoking and drug use.

Prevention Science helps us come up with ways to minimize the negative impact of ACEs while supporting Positive Childhood Experiences. There are many things we can do to create Positive Childhood Experiences, such as:

• Start a routine: Kids feel safe when things are organized. Whenever possible, explain to them in advance about what’s going to happen each day and time.
• Encourage your child when they do something good: Sharing our feelings and recognizing their achievements helps them repeat the positive behavior.
• Pay attention when your child talks to you: Showing that we care about what they say builds a healthy and safer parent-child relationship.
• Spend time talking and playing with our child every day: This special time makes our child feel important and builds our connection. Play can be often our child’s love language.
• Set clear rules and expectations for behavior: Guiding them with our values and boundaries helps prevent misunderstandings and conflicts, creating an environment where our child feels comfortable expressing themselves.

Prevention Science reminds us of the lifelong effects of the first years of life, considering it as a window of opportunity for all of us to share the healthiest and happiest experiences possible with our children. Let's move towards a more conscious and preventive parenting world, embracing the idea that each day is a chance to start anew for the better.