The Science of “Good Enough” Relationships: Trusting and Developing Our Capacity for Simple and Authentic Human Interactions

What makes any of us “enough”? Whether we teach children directly, or support families and educators, we invest ourselves in building authentic relationships with human beings. This presentation is intended as a reflection and a reminder that the simple, ordinary things we do with other human beings matter in ways that can be seen and felt in moments when we really show up for others, and in ways that can be measured over the long run.

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Junlei Li is the Faculty Co-Chair of the Human Development and Education Program and Saul Zaentz Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education. His research and practice focuses on understanding and supporting the work of helpers—those who serve children and families on the frontlines of education and social services. He developed the “Simple Interactions” approach to help identify what ordinary people do extraordinarily well with children in everyday moments and made that the basis for promoting positive system change.