Triple P Standard (For everyday parenting challenges)
The Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) is a structured, evidence-based parenting program designed for families who want to feel more confident in their everyday caregiving.The program is optimised for parents of preschool and primay school aged children, and provides practical, research-informed strategies to help parents meet their children's needs for connection, guidance and healthy boundaries.The focus is not simply on managing misbehaviour, but on building a calm, confident parenting approach that supports your child’s emotional development, whilst helping you to take some of the stress out of day-to-day parenting and really enjoy being present with your children.
In this structured, 8-10 session program, parents can expect to:
Develop a clear, practical understanding of what supports children’s behaviour and emotional development
Strengthen connection and encourage cooperation through positive attention and engagement
Learn how to communicate expectations clearly and follow through with calm, consistent boundaries
Build routines and skills that support independence and day-to-day ease
Respond to challenging behaviour in ways that are thoughtful, predictable, and effective
Develop a personalised plan for the situations that feel most difficult at home
Receive ongoing support to practise, adjust, and embed these strategies over time
FAQ
Isn’t this program free online?
Yes! If you are a parent of a child under 12 and living in Australia, a self-paced, online version of the Standard Triple P program can be accessed via Triple P Online for free for up to a year . We encourage you to try the free resource first, and decide for yourself whether the program feels like a good fit for your family and your parenting goals.
Some parents find the online format provides everything they need. Others prefer more personalised guidance and support as they put the strategies into practice, particularly when parenting challenges feel more difficult, emotionally charged, or specific to their child’s temperament or developmental needs.
What is the benefit of doing Triple P with a Psychologist?
When Standard Triple P is delivered in a one-to-one format with a trained psychologist, the program becomes a collaborative and tailored process guided by a professional mental health practitioner rather than a self-directed course.
This means:
The strategies are adapted to your child’s age, temperament, and specific behavioural or emotional profile
We focus on the real situations that are happening in your home right now
You receive compassionate, non-judgemental support from a real person as you practise new skills
We troubleshoot obstacles together so you’re not left feeling stuck or unsure
The pace is adjusted to suit your family
We integrate the program with your broader parenting values and goals
You are supported to stay consistent, reflective and confident when things don’t go to plan
For many families, this personalised support is what turns helpful ideas into meaningful, sustainable change, and can reduce the likelihood of more significant emotional or social difficulties developing over time.
I heard this program uses time out - is that harmful?
Standard Triple P includes a module on responding to misbehaviour, and time-out is one of several strategies discussed.
There are strong opinions about time-out online. Our role is not to tell you what to think, but to carefully evaluate the research and support you to make informed decisions for your family, based on evidence.
High quality research has not substantiated any finding to date that time-out is harmful when used appropriately. In fact, a growing body of research literature suggests the opposite: Proper use of time out is associated with enhancements in child wellbeing and improved parent-child attachment security.
Perhaps the most valuable conclusion we can draw from the research literature in regard to time out, is not so much about the strategy itself, but the importance of being discerning about how and when it is used.
Within Triple P, time-out is brief, calm, and predictable (never shaming or isolating) and is used sparingly as part of a broader, positive parenting framework. It acts as a circuit breaker in high-stress moments, and the child remains safe, valued and loved throughout. Crucially, time out is always followed by reconnection. It does not punish children for experiencing big emotions.
When it comes to deciding which strategies feel appropriate for your family and when, I invite you to come back to your child’s need underneath their behaviour. Could the need for connection and comfort, and the need for fair, compassionate boundaries coexist?
Learning to tolerate reasonable limits, and to manage the frustration that comes with them, when experienced in relationship with a consistent, attuned caregiver is a core part of healthy emotional development. Time-out is one of several evidence-based strategies caregivers may choose to support this.
At Home Base, we respect that parenting choices are personal. If time-out doesn’t feel right for your family, we can explore alternative ways to support your child’s need both for connection and healthy limits - always with relational wellbeing at the centre.
