What about Us? – Children's Perspectives on their Wellbeing Perspectivas de los niños y niñas sobre su bienestar Perspectiva das crianças sobre o proprio bem- estar

The understanding of childhood changes along with the development and changes of society and the social paradigm. Consequently, the child's understanding and acceptance of the role of participation in personal upbringing and education changes, while respecting the child's right to express and respect his/her opinion. This research is aimed at understanding the children’s perspective, their subjective experience of current and long-term wellbeing. It was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Teacher Education in Zagreb, and implemented in accordance with the Code of Ethics for Research with Children (2003), with the consent of children and their parents. The concept of wellbeing is considered in the dimensions of personal satisfaction, and social and educational achievement. The opinions of 63 children, age 5 to primary school enrollment was surveyed. A qualitative research paradigm was used, which included children’s expressions through drawings and narrative ethnographical research. The research findings indicate that children recognize subjective wellbeing through play and social interactions (friendships and family relationships). They recognize the importance of Psicología, Conocimiento y Sociedad 11(1), 57-78 (mayo-julio 2021) Trabajos originales ISSN: 1688-7026 58 learning as a personal present and long-term benefit. They perceive the ECE setting as a safe place that has appropriate conditions for their residence. Some children emphasize the importance of a sense of security. It is possible to assume that the perception of children in the sample is related to the current epidemiological situation.

role of participation in personal upbringing and education changes, while respecting the child's right to express and respect his/her opinion. This research is aimed at understanding the children's perspective, their subjective experience of current and long-term wellbeing. It was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Teacher Education in Zagreb, and implemented in accordance with the Code of Ethics for Research with Children (2003), with the consent of children and their parents. The concept of wellbeing is considered in the dimensions of personal satisfaction, and social and educational achievement. The opinions of 63 children, age 5 to primary school enrollment was surveyed. A qualitative research paradigm was used, which included children's expressions through drawings and narrative ethnographical research. The research findings indicate that children recognize subjective wellbeing through play and social interactions (friendships and family relationships). They recognize the importance of learning as a personal present and long-term benefit. They perceive the ECE setting as a safe place that has appropriate conditions for their residence. Some children emphasize the importance of a sense of security. It is possible to assume that the perception of children in the sample is related to the current epidemiological situation.
Keywords: Subjective wellbeing, play, research with children, friendship RESUMEN La consideraciones relativas a la niñez van cambiando conforme la sociedad va transformándose y el paradigma social en el que se apoya su conocimiento. En consecuencia, la valoración que se hace de la participación de los niños y las niñas en su crianza ha ido evolucionando hasta quedar definido como un derecho de ellos y ellas a poder expresar sus opiniones; así como, a ser oídas y respetadas. Esta investigación se centra en comprender la perspectiva infantil en relación con el bienestar subjetivo actual y a largo plazo. Fue aprobada por el Comité de Ética de la Facultad de Formación del Profesorado en Zagreb. Así, fue llevada a cabo de acuerdo con el Código de Ética para la Investigación con Niños (2003) y habiendo obtenido el consentimiento de los niños y niñas participantes y sus padres.
Palabras clave: Amistad, bienestar subjetivo, investigación con niños, juego.  (UN, 1989, hereafter UNCRC) emphasizes the best interests of the child as a principle by which political and legal decisions and documents concerning children are made. It is possible to problematize how the "best interest" is defined i.e., who defines it. Višnjić-Jevtić, Sadownik and Engdahl (2021) state that this is a concept that most often starts from the perspective of adults. Although this is an approach that should contribute to more respect of children's rights, the adults' perspective as a starting point for the best interests of the child is at odds with children's active participation as a basic idea of the UNCRC (UN, 1989). UNCRC (UN, 1989) sees the child as an equal social subject who has the right to express a personal perspective, to be listened to and respected in relation to decisions made concerning their own lives. The UNCRC signatory countries educational policies are based on the acceptance and integration of the ideas of UNCRC (UN, 1989) within relevant educational documents. Starting from the child's right to participation, it is possible to question the role of children and their perspectives in the creation of these documents. T Street (2020) states that documents which regulate work in early childhood education (ECE) settings mostly start from the discourse of children's rights emphasizing children's wellbeing as a desired outcome. This approach is visible in the curricula of early and preschool education of different countries, for example Aistear (NCCA, 2009), Te Whariki (Ministry of Education, 2017). In these documents, the wellbeing of children is ensured by the support of ECE settings and ECE professionals. The Croatian National Curriculum for Early and Preschool Education (MZOS, 2015, NKRPOO hereafter) is also aimed at ensuring the wellbeing of children by ensuring a quality environment and teacher competence.

RESUMO
Although education policy emphasizes the wellbeing of children as a key feature of education, it rarely takes into account the children's perspective. The presented research can lead to a greater understanding and respect for children's perspectives on their own wellbeing, as a contribution to the re-construction of the early childhood education curriculum (ECE).

Wellbeing of young children
Wellbeing is most commonly described as a quality of life (Statham & Chase, 2010), so it is reasonable to assume that wellbeing varies depending on the age, personal perception, and experiences of the individual. Authors Tatalović Vorkapić and Lončarić (2014) also emphasize that wellbeing is a condition that primarily depends on the perspective of the individual. Ryan and Deci (2001) interpret wellbeing as optimal psychological functioning and experience. These attitudes suggest a connection between the perception of wellbeing and previous experience, and the psychophysical status of the individual. Consequently, there are differences in the wellbeing of children and adults.
The interpretation of child wellbeing has changed with respect to the child's position in society (Raghavan & Alexandrova, 2015). Wellbeing in the period of contemporary childhood can be determined starting from the concept of child-centredness, or wellbeing as an outcome of the process of development, upbringing and education in which the child participates and initiates his/her own progress. Croatian NKRPOO (MZOS, 2015) interprets the wellbeing of children as a construct of personal psychophysical wellbeing, optimal social interactions and long-term positive outcomes.
Wellbeing is considered through the categories of personal (emotional and physical), social and educational wellbeing of the child. In doing so, personal wellbeing is recognized as a subjective feeling of self-satisfaction (self-confidence and self-esteem), and a feeling of "being good" (being healthy, happy, safe). Social wellbeing is thus understood as the realization of appropriate social interactions, and educational wellbeing as successful, purposeful and socially acceptable development of personal potentials, active learning, creative and constructive action. This understanding can be problematized precisely from the aspect of wellbeing as a personal experience. If wellbeing is considered as a curriculum goal, it is questionable who and in what way assesses the achievement of the goal.
While children's wellbeing may be linked to UNCRC (UN, 1989), it would be wrong to find both concepts (chidren's wellbeing and children's rights) permanently interconnected. Tisdall (2015) distinguishes wellbeing and rights according to two categories: methodology (quantitative/qualitative), and the level of standardization (minimum/maximum). Wellbeing may be documented by drawing on several types of wellbeing indicators (i.e. Bradshaw & Richardson, 2009) while there are no quantitative indicators for children's rights (Tisdall, 2015). UNCRC (UN, 1989) sets a minimum standard of achieving children's rights, while wellbeing is supposed to have maximum standards. Children's wellbeing and children's rights as concepts seek to provide children with the best possible life, relying on adults to secure or protect them.
Unfortunately, this gives room for a paradoxical definition of the best interests of the child in relation to their rights and wellbeing. Child participation and decision-making are the basis of children's rights, but when it comes to concepts of wellbeing and children's rights, it is the adults who determine what these concepts should be, without taking into account the children's perspective. Statham and Chase (2010) state that there are differences in the way children and adults define child wellbeing. Consequently, it is possible for adults to assess how the implementation of the educational process has resulted in wellbeing for children and that the goal of the curriculum has been achieved, without children perceiving the same as wellbeing for them. Acceptance of children as active and competent persons who have the knowledge and ability to understand personal interests and opinions (Bogatić, 2021) indicates the need for more research and respect for their perspective.

Research with children
Respecting children's perspectives gives us an insight into what children consider important, which is nevertheless particularly important in the context of understanding the goals of the educational process. Unlike the childhood perspective in which the emphasis was on what children cannot yet achieve, or have yet to master, the postmodern image of childhood emphasizes children's abilities and competencies (Halpenny, 2021). This approach enables their active and egalitarian participation in personal development and can be a starting point in the construction of the educational curriculum (Moss, 2014). Laevers (2015) emphasizes the need for a high focus on a child-centred approach in order to understand children's personal preferences -needs, desires and possibilities.
Understanding children's preferences can be achieved through research in which children participate as equal stakeholders (research with children as opposed to research about children). Research with children contributes to understanding children's perspectives. Understanding children also affects the theoretical perspective of researchers, while the focus on understanding children's perspectives distances us from assumptions and interpretations of children's statements (Dockett, Einarsdóttir & Perry, 2019).
In order to truly express their opinion, children need to feel the security and trust that can only be provided by people they know well, primarily practitioners in direct contact.
Such an understanding points to a purposeful connection between practitioners as individuals who have built a relationship of trust with children, and scientists who have an objective, scientific approach (Lundy, 2007). The author Lundy (2007) recommends a model based on the UNCRC article (UN, 1989, Art. 12) for the implementation of research with children, which guarantees children the right to receive due attention from adults in all situations relevant to them. Lundy (2007) considers that: Children must be given the opportunity to express their personal opinions ("provide space") 1. Children must be given the opportunity to express their views (enable "voice" -expression through all forms of expression acceptable to children) 2. Children must be heard (provide "audience" or active adult listening) 3. Children have the right to be involved -to act according to their attitudes and needs ("influence" appropriate to the possibilities).
In order to enable children's freedom of expression, all forms of expression are encouraged (verbal, visual, musical, movement expression…), individually, in pairs or groups, and audio-visual recordings (Dockett, Einarsdóttir & Perry, 2019). Children's expressions of opinion and their works are accepted as exact statements that can contribute to a deep understanding of childhood and the educational process.
Research with children also raises ethical doubts about the inequality of power and authority, the possible invasion of the child's privacy and the denial of the child's right to free participation and withdrawal (Dockett, Einarsdóttir & Perry, 2019). Einarsdóttir (2011) warns that as important as it is to understand and appreciate a child's perspective, there is a trap of "idealizing" children's participation and respecting their perspective.
The specificity of research with children indicates the need to adhere to high ethical standards. The Republic of Croatia has developed a Code of Ethics for Research with Children (2003), which sets out general principles for the protection of the child's wellbeing, integrity and dignity, respect for privacy and anonymity, and general preconditions for conducting research. The child's rights to express opinions and selfdetermination are emphasized. The consent of the child and the parents, and the institution, are prerequisites for the research. Research must be tailored to the child's age, psychophysical status and contextual conditions. The circumstances of the research must guarantee the safety of children.

Method
Starting from the postmodern image of the child as a (co) creator of their own upbringing and education, it was justified to explore their perspective on wellbeing. The aim of the research was to determine children's perspective on wellbeing, their role and the (possible) role of adults in achieving it. The children's perspective was explored through children's visual and verbal expression. Verbal expression was recorded through narrative ethnographical research, which was stimulated by artistic expression.
Data was collected (children's statements and works) during the educational process in collaboration with teachers in the group that children attend. Consent for the research was given by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb.

Participants
To explore children's perspectives, research was conducted with children attending ECE settings. Following the specific methodology of research with children, the sample included only those children who were willing to participate in the research and whose parents/guardians consented to participate in the research.

Children as Researchers
A research protocol was compiled that included a customized vocabulary for communicating abstract concepts (wellbeing). Following the aim of the research, teachers talk to children about their perception of wellbeing and ask them to draw concepts highlighted through conversation. Children's drawings were used as a  (Table 1). In total 67 art works were collected, which the children supported with verbal interpretations.  (Figure 1.). This is supported by the statements: "I like it best when we all laugh together" and "I am happiest when mom and dad do not have so much work so we can be happy together". Some children differentiate activities with their parents, so 6 boys state that they like to spend time with their father (they do something together), and 4 girls want to be with their mother. A child, whose parents are divorced, emphasizes playing with both parents individually ("I play football with my dad; I mostly build Lego with my mom"). Three children emphasize the importance of family support, of which one boy singles out family cheering (at a sporting event), when he helps his brother and when they help him. Only one child states that "without mom and dad, I am sometimes a little sad ". One child (one-child family) concludes that "it is better for me in ECE settings than at home because there is someone to play with in ECE settings" (i.e. Figure 2.). Two children list members of the extended family as one of the predictors of wellbeing ("I like to hug, and my grandmother's house is close", "If mom and dad do not come -then grandma comes to pick me up in ECE settings").
It is evident that children emphasize the social environment as a precondition for their wellbeing, while valuing peer and family support equally. Earlier research (e.g., Sabolova, Birdsey, Stuart-Hamilton & Cousins, 2020) also highlights the importance of supportive family relationships and peers for creating a subjective sense of wellbeing. Thoilliez (2011) states that children from Western cultures primarily interpret wellbeing through family relationships. Although the research was conducted in the context of an educational institution that could influence the emphasis on the importance of ECE settings and peers as prerequisites for wellbeing, children equally emphasized the importance of family relationships for their sense of satisfaction and happiness. Given that humans are social beings, it is possible to conclude that overall social capital is important for a sense of wellbeing from an early age. It is precisely the (satisfied) need to connect with others that is one of the characteristics of subjective wellbeing (Ryan & Deci, 2001). Contrary to the importance afforded to children's rights, UNCRC does not mention love or friendship (Tisdall 2015) as things that matter to children. Although almost half of the participants from rural areas participated in the Kurniawati and Hong (2015) study, the research findings did not confirm that children from rural areas experience wellbeing primarily through material resources.
As a predictor of personal wellbeing, children cite "safety" -they are safe in ECE settings and in the family. Feelings of security are contributed by parents (N = 7), friends who "defend you" (N = 5) and "having a home" ("It is very important to have a house"). In the context of the recent earthquake in Croatia, one child states that the most important thing is "to have a family and a house and not to have an earthquake".
In ECE settings, they feel safe ("In ECE settings, I'm sure no one will steal me") to which teachers also contribute. They recognize the role of the teacher both as a teammate and as a teacher. Unfortunately, the current epidemiological situation has not spared the children either "I feel the worst when it's Corona virus, so I can't go to ECE settings ... because I really like being in ECE settings." and "maybe I'll be a teacher in ECE settings when I grow up". One girl (6.5 years old) draws her wish, "I want this Corona to stop.... If I could change something, I would make Corona disappear". The research was conducted during a partial lockdown, so it is possible that the children's experience of safety is conditioned by the absence of social contacts in a normal environment. Research on the subjective wellbeing of children (Ajduković, Rajhvajn Bulat, Sušac & Vejmelka, 2020) shows that primary school children feel most secure at home, and much less at school or in the neighborhood. As the age of the children who participated in this study is younger, it is possible that family safety and ECE settings arise from trust in adults. UNCRC (UN, 1989) seeks to ensure the safety of children through protection rights, especially in the family environment. However, the family isn't always a secure and caring place for children. Sometimes, families nurture the culture of society which can be toxic for children (i.e. child brides). So, it is hard to imagine that children live in a family (their best interest), while families (and even societies) have their own "translation" of the best interest of child.
No association was observed between family structure and individual assessments of children except for caring habits. Children in families with more children express satisfaction with playing with siblings. Older children state that they "help the little ones", and younger children recognize the help of the older ones. However, some children estimate that the older brother or sister "does not always have time to play". These findings may be partly related to the current situation. It is possible that due to the pandemic, the children were absent from the ECE settings for some time, so they spent time playing with siblings.
The long-term wellbeing of the children in the sample is recognized as social and educational wellbeing. The seven children explicitly emphasize that they do not want to lose friends in the future. They understand that they will (perhaps) attend different schools, but they do not perceive (possible) social distance as an obstacle: "I know that we will go to different schools, but we will somehow manage", "I would not survive without friends". Mashford-Scott, Church and Taylor (2012) state that the perception of wellbeing is most often associated with behaviours that contribute (e.g. social skills) or promote wellbeing. Given the importance of the social relationships that emerge from this research, social skills can contribute to making an individual feel satisfaction or feel wellbeing. However, social skills alone will not result in benefits if there is no opportunity for them to manifest. The sample also included 1 child (boy) placed in a foster family who sees his mother once a week. The child draws a rainbow repeatedly.
He emphasizes that he is "happiest when he is with a real mother". He states that he will surely change his friends because "when he grows up, he will live with his real mother, so he will no longer see the children from ECE settings".
The children in the sample recognize the importance of formal education, so 6 children emphasize that in ECE settings they are "preparing for school", while sixteen of them (25.4%) state future occupations. They plan to be teachers (2), car mechanics (2), builders (2), hairdressers (2), firefighters, preschool teachers (2)

Conclusion
The findings of this research represent a child's subjective experience of personal wellbeing. Wellbeing is a highly conditioned subjective experience that is difficult to quantify. Research has shown that children assess social wellbeing most significantly.
They associate personal and educational wellbeing with playing, which most often takes place in a social environment. It is therefore possible to conclude that they link both personal and educational wellbeing to social wellbeing. Children were the least likely to highlight situations and activities that could be related to personal wellbeing.
With their statements, they showed how they connect wellbeing with events that make them happy (for example, celebrating a birthday or Christmas) and with security.
The possible limitation of this research is in the sample size and the conditions in which it was conducted. It is reasonable to assume that children came into contact with other children during the research and influenced each other's statements. Research with children is an important segment of insights into children's perspectives, but it is questionable how many researchers are willing to hear and record children's reflections without trying to add their own interpretation to them. The period in which the study was conducted (epidemiological measures due to the pandemic, partial lockdown) may have influenced the children's experiences described in this research. The presented research provides insight into children's own perception of wellbeing. A comparison of children's statements with the wellbeing described in the NKRPOO (MZOS, 2015) points to the need for its revision, with a clearer emphasis on play and the social environment as the primary features of child's wellbeing.
UNCRC (UN, 1989) should be considered as a foundation for achieving children's wellbeing, by respecting four general principles (best interest of the child, protection, non-discrimination, and participation) stated in the UNCRC (UN, 1989). Adults should constantly work on maximizing the potential for children's wellbeing. Even though children's best interest is one of the UNCRC (UN, 1989) pillars, the world is still witnessing a lack of health care, education and even play for many children. State parties should ensure continuity of monitoring the realization of those interests.
Otherwise, UNCRC (UN, 1989) remains a recommendation without legal consequences for non-compliance of children's rights.