Melissa:
Great questions. I'm going to tag a few others to chime in as well. @Karen Clemmer@Rene Howitt@Rebekah Couch @Emily Read Daniels @Louise Godbold @Dawn Daum @Joyelle Brandt have all done presentations about ACEs, as have I. I'm sure we all do them differently and have experiences and thoughts on what does/doesn't work.
My opinion is that sharing from the place of WE and US and OUR is most important. We are all impacted by the ACEs we do or do not carry. If we carry lots, that's a heavier load, meaning the Pair of ACEs. If we carry less or no ACEs, that's an advantage, a lighter load.
We want our kids to have the best, the most advantages, whether we had that or not. We can do lots to help provide that for our kids, whether we had it or not, and to heal and feel grounded, connected, empowered in our parenting (no matter what type of parenting we have had).
I think it's important to stress hope and healing but not to avoid or ignore how hard early trauma is, how challenging post-traumatic stress and parenting. It's a balance.
But talking with and to parents, most especially led or co-led by parents in similar circumstances (race, income, place in life) or at least speaking to issues and acknowledging how it can be different depending on present stressors, climate, resources (as opposed to just resilience like it's a shirt that can be put on or off) is helpful.
Also, realizing what some find hopeful is honesty and truth-telling not what is often referred to as "positive parenting" which might make some feel empowered or can come across as patronizing and minimizing.
I think sharing the classics: Nadine Burke Harris, Dr. Felitti, Dr. Anda and Donna Jackson Nakazawa - as well as others who have free stuff available on YouTube is great. If you can do that as well as bring in survivor-led advocacy, individuals or orgs, and share them together in a way that's a blend of here's the info and also here's why it matters, I think that is great.
LINK to LOTS of VIDEOS (free and online)
Links to resources on ACEs Science & Racism
Presentations online from the Attachment Trauma Network (ATN)
Parenting is my SuperPower (one of my own, online, for Federation for Children with Special Needs)
Here's the format I used in a 3-hr. presentation to parents/professionals at Riverside Trauma in MA.
*Share articles by other parents who are survivors and have ACEs and have people have discussions. Make it safe first by sharing, relating, opening the conversation.
I think having a world cafe or way/place for people to share, process, reflect, is also a good idea and lets people make connections to the material, themselves, and others.
And then, sharing from parents who have been in the same place about what does/doesn't help, (which of course is personal and varied and so options are a good idea) is also helpful.
I hope this helps and look forward to what others share. Please share back what you experience and learn so we can learn from you. WE ARE ALL STILL FIGURING this out, being sherpas, looking for sherpas, and making our ways up and down the mountains.
This is just a start.
Echo has great resources, Rise and RYSE do as well. Parenting with PTSD has a book and a great social media (Facebook) presence and has a workshop with Here This Now which is new and survivor led. Link here.
I hope that's a start.
cissy