Abstract
This paper reports on an innovative Early Years Productive Parenting Program, which is heavily drawn on the coping literature and incorporated learnings on proactive and productive coping for families with young children. The program focused on the delivery of a flexible parenting program offered to a group of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) parents attending a playgroup in an inner urban early childhood setting in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. Participants included parents from Sudan, Somalia, Vietnam, New-Zealand and Australia. The research adopted a mixed methods approach with findings indicating that CALD parents benefit from being introduced to universally accepted parenting skills that are sensitive to a range of cultural settings. The study uncovered the efficacy of practical resources, such as Early Years Coping Cards and Parenting Tip Sheets, to support communication between parents and children especially in relation to the establishment of a shared language of coping.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Australian Children’s Education and Care Authority (ACECQA). (2012). National Quality Framework. Retrieved October, 2016 from http://www.acecqa.gov.au/national-quality-framework.
Deans, J., Frydenberg, E., & Liang, R. (2012). Building a shared language of coping: Dynamics of communication between parents and preschool children. New Zealand Research into Early Childhood Research Journal, 15, 67–89.
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). (2009). Belonging, being and becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia. Canberra, ACT: DEEWR.
Frydenberg, E. (2015). Families coping. Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.
Frydenberg, E., & Deans, J. (2011). The early years coping cards. Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.
Frydenberg, E., Deans, J., & Liang, R. (2014). Families can do coping: Parenting skills in the early years. Children Australia, 39, 99–106.
Frydenberg, E., & Lewis, R. (1997). Coping scale for adults. Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.
Gulliford, H., Deans, J., Frydenberg, E., & Liang, R. (2015). Teaching coping skills in the context of positive parenting within a preschool setting. Australian Psychologist, 3, 219. doi:10.1111/ap.12121.
Jackson, K. M., & Trochim, W. M. K. (2002). Concept mapping as an alternative for the analysis of open-ended survey responses. Organizational Research Methods, 5, 307–336. doi:10.1177/109442802237114.
Parker, R. (2009). Helping families with complex needs: Integration of the strength to strength and resources for adolescents and parents programs. Family Relationships Quarterly, No. 14. www.aifs.gov.au/afrc/pubs/newsletter/n14pdf/n14f.pdf.
Priest, N., Baxter, J., & Hayes, L. (2012). Social and emotional outcomes of Australian children from indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 36(2), 183–190. doi:10.1111/j.1753-6405.2011.00803.x.
Seligman, M. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55(1), 5–14.
Shonkoff, J. P., & Phillips, D. A. (2000). From neurons to neighbourhoods: The science of early childhood development. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
van Manen, M. (1990). Researching lived experience. London: University of West Ontario.
Weller, S., & Romney, A. K. (1988). Systematic data collection. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Frydenberg, E., Deans, J. & Liang, R. Parents and Children’s Coping: Building Resilience and Wellbeing in the Early Years. Soc Indic Res 145, 629–640 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-017-1752-8
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-017-1752-8