Building children’s resilience to bad weather

The University of Queensland invites parents and professionals who work with children and families to have their say in the development of a resource that promotes children’s resilience to natural disasters.

The Child and Adolescent Disaster Response Deputy Chair, Dr Vanessa Cobham, and Chair, Associate Professor Brett McDermott, have collaborated with Triple P founder Professor Matthew Sanders at The University of Queensland to develop a bad weather family survival guide.

“Floods, cyclones and other dangerous weather can be distressing for children. An important job for parents is to help their child feel prepared, not scared,” Dr Cobham said.

Dr Cobham explained that one of the best things parents can do is help their child recognise, understand and articulate their feelings about dangerous weather.

“This survival guide features a number of practical tips that parents might find useful in building their child’s resilience to extreme weather,” she said.

Dr Cobham and colleagues are working with Professor Kevin Ronan at Central Queensland University to obtain feedback on this new resource as a means to shape its ongoing development.

“We’re seeking feedback from parents, teachers, principals, guidance officers, school counsellors, mental health practitioners, GPs, childcare workers, paediatricians, social workers, and any other professional whose work involves liaising with youth and their families,” Professor Sanders said.

“Parents’ and professionals’ input will be vital in ensuring that we deliver a program of support that is relevant, appropriate and effective,” he said.

Parents and professionals are invited to have their say on this new resource by completing an anonymous, online survey.

Media contact: Ingrid Rubie (UQ Communications, 07 3365 2619 or i.rubie@uq.edu.au) or Dr Vanessa Cobham (0403455067)