Hugs, kisses, consistency — great ways to show love to your child

In this article, you’ll find answers to questions like:

1. What does Triple P offer?
2. How can I bond with my child?
3. How to get more support?

Parenting can be overwhelming. You juggle work, home life, finances and your child’s extracurricular activities. And yet at the end of the day, you still don’t feel you have gotten enough done.

You can get lost in a cycle of chores, responsibilities and deadlines. That’s when it’s time to hit the pause button and consider the powerful force that is motivating you to work so hard for your child.

Love.

1. WHAT DOES TRIPLE P OFFER?

So how do you show love day in, day out to your child? How can you strengthen your parent-child bond amid the frenzy of daily life?

Those answers are at the core of the Positive Parenting Program offered by Community Partners of South Florida, Center for Family Services of Palm Beach County and BRIDGES. It's a free program known as Triple P designed to help cement your connection with your child. Triple P, funded locally by Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, offers common-sense parenting strategies to create a more peaceful home.

2. HOW CAN I BOND WITH MY CHILD?

Here are some quick tips to build on your loving relationship with your child, from Dorothy Llamosas, a Triple P senior therapist for Community Partners:

• Be consistent. Sounds easy, but this can be one of the toughest things to do. Be consistent with discipline so your child knows what you expect. Give your child clear, logical consequences ahead of time for actions you don’t condone.
• Keep a routine. A household at night can be chaotic with homework, dinner and getting ready for bed. That’s why it’s important to maintain a schedule. Does your child hate bath time? Then insist the bath comes before a favorite television show.
• Emphasize the positive. When your child behaves or does something right, provide positive reinforcement. It doesn’t even have to be verbal — maybe a quick hug, a warm smile or even a wink.
• Let them contribute. Simple chores can help children feel like they’re an important part of the household. Ask your child to pick what they want for dinner and involve them in preparing the food, such as kneading dough or pouring ingredients.
• Be a role model. Do you want your child to be more polite? Then make sure to use words like “please” and “thank you” when you’re at home and in public with them. Do you want your child to put down the smartphone? Then consider whether you’re spending too much time on your phone. Your child learns a lot from watching your behavior.
• Ask for help. No parents are perfect. So reach out for help from friends, family or local organizations if you find yourself struggling.

“Parenting is the most difficult job any of us will ever do in our lives, but it’s also the one we’re least prepared for,” says professor Matt Sanders, who developed Triple P with his colleagues at The University of Queensland in Australia.

3. HOW TO GET MORE SUPPORT?

“Some parents may just need a light touch of Triple P, a few ideas to help them set up a better bedtime routine or manage occasional disobedience,” Sanders says. “But others may be in crisis and need greater support. So Triple P is based on the idea that we give parents just the right amount of help they need — enough, but not too much.”

To learn more about Triple P, call Community Partners at 561-841-3500, ext. 1087, or Center for Family Services at 561-616-1222.

SOURCES:

• Dorothy Llamosas, Triple P senior therapist, Community Partners of South Florida
• Matt Sanders, Triple P founder, The University of Queensland in Australia