Juniper and Rose: We Will Always Come Back

In these times of great change and “new normals,” the twins, like all children, must discover positive ways to cope with adjustments, losses, and uncomfortable feelings. During their week with Grandma and Grandpa, Juniper and Rose miss their parents, but find security in the love of their grandparents and see their parents return, just like they promised.

Juniper and Rose’s experience offers them an important life lesson in trust, which allows them to overcome separation anxiety. Although a normal and beautiful sign of meaningful attachment, separation anxiety can be unsettling; it affects approximately four to five percent of children in the U.S., ages seven to eleven.

The storyline of We Will Always Come Back also demonstrates the girls’ social-emotional development, or learning (SEL), which is the way children discover who they are, what they are feeling, and what to expect when interacting with others. SEL enables children to

• form and sustain positive relationships.
• experience, manage, and express emotions.
• explore and engage with the environment.
• set positive goals.
• feel empathy for others.
• solve problems effectively.

Parents and caregivers play the biggest role in SEL because they offer the most consistent relationships for their children. The story highlights these relationships, focusing on family bonding, and provides a simple and effective technique to help parents prepare children for big changes and time apart, such as the following situations:

• parents on vacations or business trips
• parents at work
• child’s first day of school
• new caregiver (someone other than the parents, e.g., grandparents, childcare provider, etc.)

The ultimate takeaway is that the most important people in a child’s life—like Juniper and Rose’s parents—will always come back, giving children freedom in that assurance to let go of worry and enjoy being kids!