According to the Ohio Department of Education, there are around 1.6 million students in the Ohio k-12 school system. 1.6 million students in the state who were affected by Covid-19 and struggled to find a sense of normalcy again.
Creating a routine environment all starts with the people who children look up to the most, their parents, but they are trying to find their footing just as much as their kids. The Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) teaches caregivers skills to stay consistent and calm in parenting that both benefits them and their children.
“Making sure we are regulating and in control of our emotions so we can model that for our kids, but also so they can learn that skill and do it for themselves,” Susan McDonald, coordinator for Parent Support Initiative in Knox County said.
The Parent Support Initiative offers free Triple P courses for parents and caregivers in Knox County to choose from, varying from the age of a child to the difficulties parents are facing. From establishing a good bedtime routine to disrespect issues, the program provides a plethora of accessible resources for any parent in person or through a screen.
With a strategy pyramid and base practices that revolve around listening, understanding and connecting with a child, the program is a resource many parents rely on, especially in Knox County.
This success is not just seen in one county in Ohio, but rather all across the state.
“We have seen many positive outcomes of this program for families, including improved parenting and increased knowledge of child development, and parents reporting that they are yelling less, enjoying their children more and finding social support through the program,” Associate Professor at the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan, Kathryn Maguire-Jack said.
Maguire-Jack has been studying the effects of Triple P in Ohio for six years. When Covid-19 hit in 2020, she turned her research into an academic journal and included a study on how the program was still able to provide their services in a resourceful way to parents.
According to McDonald, caregivers find a lot of comfort in Triple P courses when realizing they are not alone in the issues they struggle with in parenting. Being surrounded by others who are feeling or going through similar situations also helps raise parents’ confidence that they can create a meaningful parenting plan for their family.
Along with learning different skills for specific caregiving circumstances, the program offers a variety of courses including Workplace Triple P classes where parents learn how to have a mind-focused work day and how to leave it at the door when they come home.
“Now is such an important time to be having these skills because we are all overwhelmed and it is hard to find that build up reserve to be a parent right now,” Christine Koterba, pediatric neuropsychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
McDonald has had the pleasure of meeting families when their children are in grade school and watching them move into their tween and teenage years, seeing how Triple P has positively impacted their lives.
The program techniques have been used to help a lot of families in a multitude of situations, proving to be successful across the board.
“We continue to see success of the Triple P programs during the Covid-19 pandemic. Families are showing improved relationships with their children, more effective and positive discipline strategies and increased enjoyment in their parenting role,” Maguire-Jack said.
Triple P online courses are free for all parents and caregivers in the state of Ohio. Additional classes are available in person and virtually to Knox County parents at no cost due to generous funding from the Ariel Foundation and United Way of Knox County. To learn more about offered programs online or near you, visit their website.
MORE STORIES IN THIS SERIES:
