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 . I 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.

When 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.

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. My 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 and circumstances, based on evidence.

High quality research has not produced any findings 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, or other things outside their control, like being neurodivergent.

When it comes to deciding which strategies feel appropriate for your family and when, I invite you to come back to your child’s needs 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, is a core part of healthy emotional development. Time-out is one of several evidence-based strategies that loving, attuned 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 you and your child’s needs - always with relational wellbeing at the centre.