Michell Forster
A Queensland mum was recently honoured for her consistent and outstanding efforts as an Indigenous liaison co-ordinator and family support worker.
Michell Forster’s achievements contributing to the award included helping reunify children who have been removed and normalising parenting support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.
And what drives Michell? Uppermost is wanting to make a difference.
“I truly believe that the skills and strategies that Triple P has to offer can help contribute to closing the gap,” she says.
“We can help our children to grow up healthier physically, mentally, spiritually, socially. That’s got to be a positive thing.”
Four years ago Michell began her training with Triple P, and she began using the techniques on her own family with an immediate result.
“At the time I had a child who had behavioural issues and I went home and started practicing on him, and I could see the difference it was making,” Michell says.
There are five key elements of good parenting that she learnt from the Triple P program including managing behaviour in an acceptable way, making homes safer for children, having realistic expectations and learning to take some time out.
“We need to take some time out from the children, a lot of us don’t – it’s 24/7. We learn our day to day jobs, which are only about 7 hours a day, but parenting is 24/7. We need to take a break but have someone appropriate watching our children while we take that break,” she says.
“There’s always going to be hiccups, there is no perfect parent and there is no perfect child. We can use a lot of these skills and strategies to help support our parenting and help support our children.”
The Triple P – Positive Parenting Program is one of the most effective evidence-based parenting programs in the world, backed up by more than 30 years of ongoing research.
Triple P gives parents simple and practical strategies to help them confidently manage their children’s behaviour, prevent problems developing and build strong, healthy relationships.
Triple P is currently used in 25 countries and has been shown to work across cultures, socio-economic groups and in all kinds of family structures.
Triple P parenting is recommended and used by many family organisations across Australia including the University of Queensland Parenting and Support Centre, Kids Matter, Anglicare and government organisations.
For more information, parents and carers can click HERE.
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