Had they done the wrong thing by moving?

Laura Pierce and her husband, Cory, knew it was the right decision to move their family miles away from their home state of Ohio for better jobs in North Carolina.

"When we moved, we uprooted our entire family," Laura says. "It was a hard choice, but we knew it would be best for our kids and our jobs in the long run."

Laura's 8-year-old daughter, Emma, has always been an outgoing child and seemed to adjust to the move quickly. But 6-year-old Owen was different.

He became quiet and withdrawn, and they started to worry. "His behavior was out of the ordinary," Laura says, explaining that he would "shut down" when he was upset.

Owen wasn't the only one feeling overwhelmed. Laura and Cory were adjusting to the move, missing their friends, and now missing their little boy the way he'd been back in Ohio. And Laura really missed the family support she left behind. Between work, the move, and parenting, she was tired and pushed to the edge. She found herself yelling a lot, even though she knew the kids just wanted her attention after being apart from her all day.

Finding the help they needed

Laura sought help and discovered the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, and also found out she wasn't alone.

"You start to think you are the only person with this problem," Laura says. "But we were able to meet other parents who were in our situation; our challenges are the same."

Laura also realized that Owen was not only feeling his own sadness but was reacting to his parents' emotions.

"I realized I was creating a problem," Laura remembers. "Owen's behavior is very tied to mine, and I was getting frustrated. With the stress of moving, I was yelling a lot."

Because Owen was so young, he couldn't explain what he needed. Laura and Cory realized Owen was in mourning after the move, and he needed time to grieve.

Looking after yourself is important, too

Triple P taught Laura she could be more positive if she took time for herself. Laura says this was "eye opening."

"My husband and I learned, through Triple P, that 'me time' and 'us time' are actually quite important...this time creates a reset from the day-to-day activities, stresses and frustration."

Now, since Laura uses moments away to reset, she can communicate better with Owen and talk to him in creative ways. She began to use his favorite books and their characters (dinosaurs) to talk about feelings and behavior.

A positive ending

Today, Laura and her husband feel like Owen is back to the way he was before they moved to North Carolina. He has come out of his shell and his parents couldn't be happier to have him back.

Laura knows she and Cory couldn't have helped Owen without Triple P. And she says meeting other parents in her situation gave her strength to make positive changes.

"Parenting is a learned skill, and you always have to adjust. Triple P helped us adjust where we needed to."

Bring out the best in your child – and make your own life a little easier, too!

A lot of parents feel like they have to figure out all the answers on their own. Triple P has helped thousands of families in NC, and now there's the Triple P Online program, ideal for busy parents! Doing Triple P Online can help you handle any parenting situation, so that everyone feels better and enjoys life more. And you can work through the modules at your own pace, in your own home.

Everyone's got theories. The differences is the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program® is evidence-based and all the tips and strategies have been tested over decades of research.