In her work with whānau, Triple P practitioner Arthette (Ardie) Kairua has seen firsthand how the program changes lives.

Ardie has spent over ten years supporting families using positive parenting. As a facilitator of group programs, Ardie feels fortunate to be able to walk alongside families.

“Triple P is really worthwhile – it helps parents make changes for their children, which is great,” said Ardie.

“The strategies, interventions, they just marry so well for change.”

She said Triple P supports families by building parents' confidence in raising their children.

“Along the way, they've lost parental confidence. I reassure them by saying, ‘You know this. You’ve always known it.’

“This reminds them that many Triple P strategies are common sense, and parents just need the right tools and support to use them.”

Breaking the cycle

A significant focus on how Ardie delivers Triple P is guiding parents to understand the effects of intergenerational trauma on their parenting.

As Ardie explained, parents often gain peace knowing their struggles stem from the patterns set by previous generations.

"We talk a lot about intergenerational trauma and how it impacted how their parents parented them,” she said.

"It gives them some peace knowing that it isn’t just about them – it’s something that’s been passed down through generations.”

But what’s most empowering, she said, is the moment parents realise they have the tools to break that cycle and create positive change in their family.

How a young man changed his future

Ardie worked with one young tāne who came from what he described as a very abusive family and already had three of his children removed.

“There was sexual harm, family harm, alcoholism, all the works,” she said. “So, he was raised in that.

“He's finally got a newborn and wanted to make changes. So, he came to the Triple P group and was blown away.

“He didn't realise parenting can be like this because he's only known one way, and it was the negative way. So, bless him for being able to make those changes.

“The next generation is going to be so much better than when he was a young boy,” said Ardie.

Importance of accessibility

Ardie believes that many families experiencing disadvantage wouldn’t be able to participate if there were costs involved in doing Triple P.

"Triple P is free for the families we work with. If it wasn’t, many of our families wouldn’t be able to turn up," she said.

In her practice, Ardie acknowledges the courage it takes parents to seek help.

“Every session, I start by validating and thanking them for attending,” she said. “They then realise that it is not necessarily about changing their tamariki, but about shifting their mindsets.”

Together the future is bright, Ardie said, “We need to be raising the next generation knowing and feeling that they're worthwhile. Triple P endorses that. Our children are valuable. Let's look after them. Our Tamariki are our taonga.”

Ardie is just one of the 3,000 family support practitioners using Triple P to help transform their community. Find a course or contact us to see how Triple P can make a difference to your iwi and in Aotearoa/New Zealand.