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Reframing Parenting in the context of COVID-19Annette Michaux & Nat Kendall Taylor

Context of reframing parenting

• Our work with the Frameworks Institute

• Communications shift: Changing the core story from ‘effective parenting to ‘child development’

• Working alongside many organisations and campaigns on implementing the research findings

• The shifting landscape brought about by COVID-19

• We have all been affected in some way – needing help is the new normal

• New windows to shape policy emerging

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Key messages about parenting

Common messages like “being a parent is hard” or “parenting is a struggle” can be counter productive

Parents & public more responsive to messages about what’s good for children

Use metaphors explaining child development instead of statistics and science (brain architecture; serve & return)

What the Australian public thinks

• Parenting as natural caring

• Individual responsibility

• Deterministic

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FROM TO

-8-6-4-202468

1012 Effective Parenting

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Perc

ent C

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Policy Support Publicly Funded Childcare

Mandated Family-Friendly Work Policies

Publicly Funded Parenting Centres

Support for Disadvantaged Families

Attitudes and policy support

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Coronavirus and change

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Now more than ever there are open policy windows

Schools as vital safe harbours of support….

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Government can be flexible and generous

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#inthistogether

So what now?

Think about what reframing you can do to in your own organisations and roles

Get in touch with us

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Thank you!

amichaux@parentingrc.org.au

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