She says talking to a therapist about how she was feeling changed how she thinks about loneliness. "It's a connection, and when you find a connection like that it's great because you're not lonely." The idea is that kids who are feeling lonely or upset sit on it, and that act alone is an invitation for someone else to sit down beside them and strike up a conversation. Cariati adds that now he can follow up to make sure Pandher is "going home feeling safe and coming back to school feeling safe." Cariati is well aware of the impact of children feeling lonely at school, including how it leads to low self esteem and children taking fewer risks.

Source: CBC News January 19, 2019 09:00 UTC