The Resilient Parenting for Bereaved Families (RPBF) Program is a 10 meeting group program designed to promote resilience of bereaved parents and their children following the death of a parent. The program does this by teaching practical tools for parents in the context of a warm and supportive group environment. Tools taught in the program help build what we call the Five Building Blocks of Resilient Parenting.
FIVE BUILDING BLOCKS OF RESILIENT PARENTING
- Self-care: Taking care of yourself is a critical part of taking care of your children.
- Strengthening Family Bonds: Positive activities that parents and children share help strengthen their family bonds during times of stress.
- Active Listening: Letting children know that you are listening and understanding is one way parent help them cope.
- Effective Rules: Effective strategies for establishing family rules help avoid conflict and make family life more predictable during times of change.
- Supporting children’s coping: Parents learn to create a family environment in which children can cope effectively with their grief.
RESEARCH BASE OF THE RESILIENT PARENTING FOR BEREAVED FAMILIES PROGRAM
The program is based on research that has repeatedly found that high quality parenting is one of the strongest factors associated with better adjustment of bereaved children. The program is based on the Family Bereavement Program, which was successful in promoting effective parenting by bereaved parents and caregivers up to six years following the program. The research also found that the program had significant benefits in terms of less distressing long-term grief and lower mental health problems for bereaved parents and their children.