Protective Factors Maui Style

Paddling is like Parenting: Who’s in Your Canoe?

Like the ocean voyages of the ancient Hawaiians, parenting requires preparation and a team. Our parenting team includes the people who love, care for, teach and protect our children: aunty, uncle, grandparents, neighbors, business owners, doctors, coaches, teachers, faith leaders, and others. Unlike the ancient ocean voyagers who were often at the mercy of nature, parents and communities can create conditions that will increase the well-being of families.

The protective factors help children feel nurtured and help adults paddle more smoothly through the waters of parenthood:

• • • Mālama ʻOhana
      – Nurturing and Attachment
    • Parenting Can Be Hard, But Can
      – Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
    • Show Keiki Aloha
      – Social and Emotional Competence in Children
    • How You Stay
      – Social Connections
    • First, Make Yourself Pono
      – Parental Resilience
    • No Shame
      – Concrete Support in Times of Need

​Each person in your waʻa (canoe) brings strengths to help your family be strong and successful.  Whether you are a neighbor, business owner, or a tutu, you are in someone’s parenting canoe.

Often, we are in a position to do something when a family or child is at risk but we don’t know what to do or don’t want to get involved. With this information, our hope is that you will be empowered to make that next step, perhaps making the difference in one child’ life by simply getting involved in an effective and safe way.

Journey with us to learn more about creating the conditions that allow us to do right by our children.

Nurturing and Attachment
Mālama ʻOhana

When parents and children have strong, warm feelings toward one another, children
develop trust that their parents will provide what they need to thrive including love,
acceptance, positive guidance, and protection.

Nurturing and attachment with caring adults in early life is associated with better
grades, healthier behaviors, stronger friendships, and an increased ability to cope
with stress later in life.

• • • Read, sing and talk to keiki
    • Snuggle, cuddle and hug
    • Eye contact, eye gazing
    • Promote skin to skin contact with infants
    • Spend time together
    • Eat meals together

Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
Parenting Can Be Hard, But Can

Parenting does not come with a manual. As children grow from babies to toddlers to children to teens, they change. Their behaviors are as different as their needs. Parenting evolves with the child.

• • • Parenting is challenging.
    • Your feelings are normal.
    • Reach out to another caregiver or parent for support.
    • Be open to receiving support from friends, family and your community.
    • Share experiences.
    • Just say: “Call me.”
    • Acknowledge: “I can’t do it alone because it is hard to do alone.”
      

Social and Emotional Competence in Children
Show Keiki Aloha

Parents and caregivers demonstrate love to children through acts of kindness, protection and caring.

• • • Tell your child “Wow, what a great job!”
    • “I love you no matter what.” “I’m proud of you for doing well in school/helping out.”
    • Tell other parents how you show love: “My kids love it when we all go surfing together. It brings our family closer together.”
    • Create and celebrate opportunities to do things together as a family.
    • Try to commit to some quality, media-free family time every day.

Social Connections
How You Stay?

Take the time before the journey begins or in the midst of it to acknowledge and connect with the people who will support you in it.When parents and caregivers have a social network and emotionally supportive friends, family and neighbors, they find it easier to care for their children and themselves.

• • • • Talk story with grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren.
      • Ask: “How you doing?”
      • Reach out to another and don’t give up until you connect.
      • Invite a parent to join you at a meeting or social gathering.
      • Attend your children’s events and get to know the other parents.

Parental Resilience
First, Make Yourself Pono

Parents who can cope with the stresses of everyday life and the occasional crisis have resilience. There is no shame in offering help as a member of the community or in receiving help when we need it.

• • • Every family has strengths; find your family’s strengths.
    • First make yourself pono.
    • Ask: “How can I help you with what’s needed around the house?”
    • Step in and offer help to a stressed out or overwhelmed parent, even as a stranger. Ask: “Are you ok?” “Do you need some help?” “Can I give you a break?”
    • We all make mistakes. We can try again tomorrow.
    • Ask: “Is this working for you?”

Concrete Supports for Families
No Shame

Families who can meet their own basic needs for food, clothing, housing and transportation, as well as services for child care and health needs, are better equipped to ensure their children’s safety and well-being.

• • • Offer to drive a parent to the doctor/school/service provider/store.
    • Barter and trade for goods and services.
    • Invest the time to earn trust so that a friend/client can come to you when help is needed.
    • We can’t do it all ourselves; there is no shame in asking for and offering help.
    • When you offer help and receive resistance, be persistent; don’t give up too easily.