Parent Resources for Service Providers

Looking for resources grounded in research and approved by parents? You’ve come to the right place.

When Bounce Back and Thrive! (BBT) resiliency skills training program for parents was being developed, we were fortunate to work directly with parents to create and pilot a variety of resources that professionals can now use in their work with families.

We’ve chosen six important inner strengths to highlight in our new tip sheets, posters and Resilience Activity Modules (RAMs) for parents and children. Each RAM offers simple and fun activities to help parents learn and share the concepts with their children. A brochure, "Helping your Child Travel the ‘Road of Life’ with Resilience" is available as a handout for parents. Our video, booklet and parent website are highlighted here as well -- see more information below.

For a quick look at the RAMS, tip sheets and posters, click on one of the following topics:

Professionals can use all of the resources featured below in a variety of ways, in different settings, and with individual parents, parent groups and families.

Resilience Activity Modules (RAMs)

Each Resilience Activity Module focuses on a strength area associated with resilience, offers information and simple, fun activities and takes about 20 minutes to complete with an individual parent or about 45 minutes in a group.

Click on RAM Instructions to find out more about how to use and access the modules or click on any topic above to access individual RAMs (including tip sheets and posters).

Professionals use the RAMs in a variety of ways – with parents alone, with parents and their children, during home or office visits or with parent groups.

Tip Sheets & Posters

In our new series of Tip Sheets and Posters, charming little bees remind parents that what "Children SEE – Children DO." Tip Sheets include ideas, suggestions and even words parents can use to help their children. Posters use simple pictures and words to communicate key resilience messages for both parents and children to remember. Designed to accompany each of the RAM topics, the Tip Sheets and Posters can also be used on their own, in any order. Click on the topics above to access posters and tip sheets.

Professionals tell us they print each tip sheet and poster as a single handout to place in waiting rooms or child care centres, or use on home and office visits, etc. Children and parents can colour the posters and hang them on the fridge. And that keeps the tip sheets handy for quick access to good ideas.

Video: Building Resilience in Young Children & Families

Parents’ stories inspire and teach us about the importance of building resilience in young children and families. Created by RIRO’s Jennifer Pearson, this 10-minute video offers a warm introduction to the topic of resilience, suitable for all audiences. Sharing hardships and successes, parents talk about their experiences and model how they help their children overcome challenges and learn new skills. Click here to view the video.

Share this video with parents and colleagues to encourage and inspire them to learn more about building resilience.

Booklet & Workshop on Resilience from Best Start

BOOKLET

“Building Resilience in Young Children” is intended for parents of children from birth to six years. Written by RIRO’s Jennifer Pearson and Darlene Hall for Ontario's Best Start Resource Centre, this booklet can be given to anyone who cares for children like grandparents, foster parents or other adults. Many of the ideas can help older children, too. Up-to-date information, helpful tips, parent stories and links to other resources will help boost a child’s ability to bounce back from life’s challenges and thrive. The booklet is available online in English or French at no cost or hard copies can be ordered from Best Start for a nominal charge.

Professionals can use the booklet: to introduce resilience with individual parents or parent groups, as a basis for discussing various topics and to help parents realize that they can turn everyday activities into “resilience-building” opportunities.

READY-TO-USE WORKSHOP

This workshop is designed to meet the needs of service providers. It provides practical tips for parents on simple messages about how to build resilience from infancy to age 6. The content of this parent workshop is taken from the BSRC resource "Building Resilience in Young Children." The booklet is available free of charge in pdf version in English (K-50E) or pdf in French (K-50F).

Parent Website

We’ve created a whole website dedicated to helping parents and their children travel the "Road of Life" with resilience. Parents learn how they can use inner strengths and outside supports to help themselves and their children.  

Featuring the voices and experiences of parents, the website includes videos, parent success stories, booklists and other ways to help build resilience.

While the site focuses on parents with younger children, many of the concepts and activities can be used by grandparents and other adults that care for children. As well, the activities can be modified for children of all ages.

Visit our Parent Website and most importantly, share it with the parents you know.

Parents tell us that the site is easy to use and that learning from other parents about their struggles and successes, helps them believe they can make changes in their lives, too. 

Let us know what you think about our resources and how you are using them. With your permission, we’ll share your stories in a future ResilienC e-newsbrief. Contact us

Help spread the word!  Share these resources with your colleagues. 

Interested in finding out more about becoming a Bounce Back & Thrive! Trainer so you can offer resiliency skills training to parent groups? Click here