Triple P parenting releases free online course for parents to stop screen time arguments turning into scream time
A free online course promises to help desperate parents tackle children's screen-time meltdowns on the eve of the social media ban for under-16s.
Managing screen time has always been challenging for 39-year-old mother of three Kristen Mihan.
With three kids under six, meltdowns and tantrums are a common response to limiting devices in her Brisbane household.
But now a new free online course from an internationally acclaimed Australian parenting program is shifting the dial and helping parents like Ms Mihan take back control of their children’s screen time.
On Tuesday, Triple P parenting program released its free one-hour online screen time management course, Children and Screens.
The course equips parents and carers of children under 12 to build healthy device habits through a range of strategies as Australian families welcome a social-media-free summer.
“I learned a lot of information about modelling positive screen time as a parent,” Ms Mihan said.
“We often think we are using our devices for necessities like banking or paying bills, but for our children, they just see us using screens.
“The program also taught me very practical skills like scheduling and simply turning the Wi-Fi off at the modem if the children are not co-operating.
“It helped me to have better conversations with my children about how and why they use devices, so I as a parent can encourage the activities they like to do and are beneficial and educational.
“It was great to see many other like-minded families going through the same challenges as me. It reminded me no one is alone.”
The Australian-based Triple P parenting program has been translated into 23 different languages with 112,000 practitioners in over 70 countries, earning accreditation from the United Nations for its research-backed approach.
Triple P country director Carol Markie-Dadds said their latest program responded to parents’ number one concern.
“Families are desperately seeking practical solutions to protect their kids from cyber-bullying, online predators, and the negative impact on mental health linked to excessive screen use,” Ms Markie-Dadds said.
“Childhood is precious, yet the average Australian child now spends over six hours daily on screens at home.
“That’s over one-third of their waking hours staring at a device.
“The solution lies in empowering parents and carers with the evidence-based tools to confidently guide children to safely explore the digital world in a way that suits their own family.”
Ms Markie-Dadds said the Triple P Children and Screens course helped parents identify common screen-time challenges, why they happen and how to prevent them.
“It also offers practical tips for teaching healthy digital habits, managing conflict over screens, and supporting children to be safe online,” she said.
“With the Australian Government moving to delay social media for under-16s, parents and carers need these skills now more than ever to have the confidence to provide preventive digital wellbeing guidance.”
The program is live and free from Tuesday morning, December 9.
Access it through www.triplep-parenting.net.au/au/parenting-courses/triple-p-online-children-and-screens/
