One church is helping families stay strong after severe floods devastated parts of the Columbia area. Neil White, who tells the stories of Children’s Trust, attended a Positive Parenting Program seminar at St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church. Children’s Trust, the statewide organization focused on the prevention of child abuse, neglect and injury, recently added Triple P to its roster of proven programs.
Two months after the devastating floods that roared through the Midlands, roads and dams aren’t the only things that need rebuilding.
The destruction that swept over many homes and businesses has left families feeling stressed and overwhelmed in the aftermath as they seek a return to normalcy in their lives. For those with children affected by the flooding, the emotional upheaval has taken a toll as well.
One Sunday in late November, St. Martins-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church reached out to families in the nearby Forest Acres and Arcadia Lakes communities – two hard-hit areas — with a seminar from the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) called, “After the Floods: How you Can help your children.”
The session sought to give parents ways to help their children cope with the frightening and distressing experience of the 1,000-year event, which has disrupted life for many of them in ways big and small. Triple P, an effective parenting program backed by more than 30 years of ongoing research, is currently used in 25 countries to give parents practical strategies to assist them in managing their children’s behavior.
Sally Peek, a Forest Acres resident and St. Martin’s member, attended the session with her husband Scotty. They are the parents of two daughters, ages nine and five, who were somewhat afraid of the storm but also fascinated by it. Peek stated that she was in a better frame of mind to embrace the learning tips this far out from the disaster.
“The information here was definitely helpful, especially at this time. We came because we were impacted by the flood although our damage was electrical in nature,” Peek said. “It was still a traumatic experience for us, and we were really interested to hear how other parents were dealing with stress with their kids. We’re trying to pick up and move forward.”
Terri Williams, Triple P’s deputy head of training in the United States, guided the session at St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields. She noted this particular disaster seminar is designed to assist struggling communities. An especially effective way to reach parents and their children is through their churches and schools.
“The main goal of Triple P is to touch families, and from the way it’s developed, it is a community-based model from a public health perspective,” Williams said. “Triple P trains all those people who touch a community.”
Williams discussed how it’s common for children to feel a range of emotions while exhibiting behavior different from their pre-disaster personality. Often they look to their parents for cues on how to react. Reestablishing a normal routine as quickly as possible is one key, but it’s most important for parents to listen to their children’s feelings, remain supportive at all times, and remind them that they are safe.
Parents should also address feelings of uncertainty and fear among their children by finding a way to openly discuss concerns without harping on them too much, which can create more anxiety. Children coping with trauma need to understand their reactions are normal.
Duane Dunn, who’s also a Forest Acres resident and a member of St. Martin’s, attended the seminar as well. He noted that his sons, ages 13 and 11, were intrigued by the flooding as they pitched in to help friends recover. He admitted there was some guilt, however, over them not experiencing any damage after seeing what others went through.
A social worker by trade, Dunn liked what he heard from Williams’ presentation.
“I was interested in the topic,” he said. “I always look at things I can learn, and this was something that related to our family close to home.”
Abby Wilson, the new Triple P coordinator for Children’s Trust, looks forward to helping implement the program in more communities in South Carolina.
“Over the next few years, we really hope to increase the footprint of Triple P within the state of South Carolina,” Wilson said. “By engaging a variety of cross-sector partners, we can better impact the entire community and provide a service that can benefit every family.”
Lee Porter, the chief program officer at Children’s Trust, believes Triple P can be a valuable component as the organization looks to expand what it can do to help make Palmetto State families stronger, happier and healthier.
“Triple P is a highly respected education and support program for parents and caregivers. It uses a flexible approach that can be tailored to the unique needs of families and communities in South Carolina,” Porter said. “It is also effective for a broad range of families, whether they are experiencing the usual everyday challenges of parenting or more complicated behavioral struggles.”
