Like a lot of toddlers, Shayna Longmire's son threw tantrums. But Shayna began to feel overwhelmed when two year-old Gabriel wasn't responding to the discipline methods she had learned from her mother.
She could see that Gabriel's behavior wasn't changing—in fact, things seemed to be getting worse.
Shayna is in school full-time in order to become a qualified medical stenographer. So she relies a lot on her mom to help care for her son when she's studying.
Gabriel had been challenging Shayna with actions she felt were dangerous. He was hitting his head against the floor, throwing food, climbing on the furniture, and not treating his toys with respect.
Shayna didn't like what she saw, but felt she needed help to find her own way to parent.
So when Shayna's nurse at Nurse Family Partnership suggested Shayna attend Group Triple P, she was immediately interested. She knew in her heart there had to be a better way to get through to Gabriel. By doing the group sessions, she discovered her intuition was right.
"Triple P helped me realize a different perspective on how to discipline," Shayna says. "Every parent has their own way of disciplining and even though I live with my mom, my way is way different."
Shayna liked how Triple P taught her to use time-outs properly and to keep Gabriel on more of a schedule. And she learned other strategies, too:
"I learned to tell him what I do want him to do, not what I don't want him to do," Shayna says. "It teaches good methods," she shares. "It is a way to guide a child without violence."
Now, she communicates with Gabriel's other caregivers so they can be consistent.
By putting the emphasis on building a positive parenting environment, Shayna started to see a big difference in little Gabriel's behavior.
Shayna understands that parenting is a long journey, and she looks forward to learning more as she continues along. Through doing Triple P, she has also seen the rewards of patiently teaching her son skills by doing the same thing over and over.
"Don't give up," Shayna encourages other parents. "[Triple P] teaches you a lot of stuff you never knew!"
Triple P has helped thousands of families in NC, and now there's the Triple P Online program, ideal for busy parents, with 24/7 access and self-paced, interactive learning, anytime, anywhere. Doing Triple P Online can help you handle any parenting situation, including bedtime dramas, so that everyone feels better and enjoys life more!
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.
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