This chapter contributes to the debate on what constitutes 'good childhood' and well-being by using the bottom-up approach and reporting the diverse opinions of Ethiopian children and their caregivers on what constitutes a good or bad life for children, elicited primarily through group interviews and activities. The chapter contrasts qualitative data from different exercises involving children, caregivers, and community informants who explore what constitutes well-being or a good life for children in their community. It provides a brief overview of findings from previous studies of understandings of well-being among adults and children in Ethiopia and of aspects of children?s lives identified as central to their well-being. It then describes the methods used and reports differences in expressed understandings of a good life and what is needed to achieve this, primarily by location, gender, and age.

Reference: Camfield, Laura (2012) ' 'Pen, Book, Soap, Good Food, and Encouragement': Understandings of a Good Life among Children and Parents in Three Ethiopian Communities', in Jo Boyden and Michael Bourdillon (eds) Childhood Poverty. Multidisciplinary Approaches (pp.200-217). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmilllan.