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Objective Coping skills contribute to positive parenting and children's healthy adaptation to everyday experiences. This study evaluated the utility of a new group-based universal social emotional parenting programme, Families Coping (previously named Parents Can Do Coping). This programme has the twin aims of teaching communication and coping skills to parents within a positive parenting framework. Method The participant group comprised 14 parents of preschoolers in an early learning centre located in the inner-metropolitan Melbourne area. Parents were provided with effective communication skills, developed an understanding of their own coping and that of their children, and learnt how to actively engage their child in shared conversations about coping. To assess change, a mixed-methods design was employed, where parents completed pre- and-post-programme paper and pencil surveys and open-ended responses. Results Results showed a number of statistically significant changes in parents' coping skills. Specifically, parents reported greater use of productive coping and a concurrent reduction in non-productive coping strategies. Despite there being no statistically significant change in child coping or parent and child well-being, written responses indicated that most parents perceived a trend towards the development of more positive parenting practices and use of productive coping by their child, as well as some aspect of improvement in both parent and child well-being. Conclusions There is benefit in incorporating parent and child coping skills into a universal positive parenting programme for preschool-aged children. Findings are considered in view of methodological strengths and shortcomings, as well as the value of Families Coping as an addition to the pool of programmes currently available to parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimation, based on effect sizes ( ESs) and confidence intervals ( CIs), is much better than null hypothesis significance testing ( NHST). I refer to estimation and meta-analysis-which is the extension of estimation to multiple studies-as the new statistics. The techniques themselves are not new, but using them would for many psychologists be new, and a highly beneficial advance. I describe a six-step strategy for estimation, which starts with the statement of research questions in terms of 'how large?' questions, rather than the dichotomous hypotheses of NHST. I outline how to use estimation to analyse the two-independent-groups and paired designs, and randomised control trials. I discuss the ES measures Cohen's d and correlation, r, in relation to estimation. I describe how to interpret results published using NHST by visualising the corresponding CIs, and give guidance for adopting the new statistics, even in a world that often still expects NHST. I emphasise the value of figures that display CIs, and describe freely available software running under Microsoft Excel that assists calculation of CIs and preparation of figures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]