Triple P – Positive Parenting Program

This blog post is in partnership with Triple P Parenting. All thoughts and opinions are my own unless noted otherwise.

“I feel like I’m FAILING at being a parent.”
“They just don’t listen to me.”
“I keep getting frustrated and I don’t know how to change it.”
“I want to be the best parent for my kids, but I don’t even know where to start.”

Parenting! They said it would be challenging, but they didn’t tell you the different layers of it and the things that would go through your head while trying to navigate it all. If you’re like me, maybe you’ve had these thoughts: the thought that you’re not doing enough, or you’re not doing it right, or even at times, you might feel like you’re just messing them up altogether! Before I share what I’ve been working on to help with those thoughts, I have to remind you (and myself) – WE’RE DOING GREAT! Even when we don’t feel like we have it in us, we are still there for our kids. Yes, some days are better than others, but you keep showing up, and that’s what matters.

To say that it is a rollercoaster with four-year-old-triplet-girls would be an understatement. Ha. I’ve struggled many times and wasn’t sure how to handle certain moments. From tantrums to fighting between siblings to not listening to running away in public – I’ve seen it all I swear. One thing I’ve started to learn and what I hope you take from this little corner of the internet is that you don’t have to do it alone.

Spoiler alert: I’m not one to reach out and say I need help. I had a tough time when the girls were born and for that first year, but I kept it to myself and didn’t ask for help. Heck. I still do that, but one thing that I did on my own that did help was online resources. Reading stories of other moms and finding programs online helped clarify things and gave me tools I could use.

Little kids can have big emotions – tantrums, bedtime battles, aggressive behavior, and more. To help with the challenges of the stage we’re in, I’ve added a program called The Triple P to my toolbox. I say toolbox, not a rulebook, because it’s essential to implement strategies and ideas that work for you and your family. You don’t have to follow everything to a T if it doesn’t feel right.

The Triple P — Positive Parenting Program is an evidence-based parenting program that uses more than four decades of ongoing research to help parents promote positive behavior and build happy, confident, resilient children.

Fun Fact: I have multiple degrees in Psychology, including my Masters where I focused on classes like Positive Psychology. However, when it comes to implementing it with your kids and keeping yourself together – it can be tricky. Still, raising my girls to be happy and confident is vital because I’ve always struggled with it—another reason I seek out resources like these.

Triple P is used in more than 30 countries, and local community organizations can customize parental education by age range, circumstance, and delivery. It is one of the world’s most researched parenting programs. With support from the Governor’s Children’s Initiative, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) and the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund (OCTF), Triple P online classes are FREE to all Ohio parents and caregivers.

The first thing I noticed when I signed up was how organized the online portal is. Second was how easy it was to navigate. Nothing is more frustrating than looking for resources to help, and you can’t even navigate them! When you get to the website, click “free parenting courses” and follow the prompts. Once you log in, you choose what works for you and your values as a family. You can do it on your phone, computer, or tablet. The videos are short and interactive – they really make you think about parenting and what you want to teach your kids. Along the way, you can earn badges and track your progress. I enjoyed that when I logged back in, they checked in to see if I was implementing the strategies (accountability) and how it was going.

Here are a few examples of what you will see in the program

They have modules set up for age groups, but you can make it specific to your family situation.

There are so many great resources throughout the course that include simple and practical strategies. I appreciate the Tip Sheets. They cover all topics, from Tantrums to Mealtimes to Bedtime and Separation Problems. I like them because you can print them off or keep them bookmarked for quick access when you help in the moment. 

What I took away from my Triple P experience:

Overall, it reassured me that I am doing a great job, helped me become more confident in areas where I felt frustration and added some great building blocks to our family foundation. It highlighted and gave meaning/understanding behind why I was feeling specific ways, why the girls were feeling/acting certain ways, and how to work on those. But, more specifically…

• I didn’t realize that I was falling into some common parent traps! Maybe I realized it, but they gave me the tools and strategies to stay out of them. For example, accidental problem behaviors and the escalation trap — they want something, so they become more demanding and louder, and finally, I will just give in — basically rewarding that behavior. I often realize I do that when I am trying to get work done or finish a project around the house. However, taking just 2 minutes to stop what I am doing and focus on them makes a world of difference.
• Another thing that I try to do, but sometimes don’t, is focus and encourage the “good” behavior instead of rewarding the “bad” behavior. I know I can’t be the only one who has given into buying my child something at the store after I’ve already told them no, for the sake of avoiding tantrums or making the shopping trip easier. Ah. I try to work on paying attention to their positive behaviors versus giving in at the store or saying, “be careful, don’t do that, please stop, etc.” – They have an entire module on this topic!
• I gained clarity on a few more things and have great tools to work with — assertive discipline, creating realistic expectations for myself and the girls, and being mindful not to give poorly timed instructions that lead to an array of emotions.

As a reminder, Triple P online courses are completely FREE to Ohio parents and caregivers thanks to support from the Governor’s Children’s Initiative, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) and the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund (OCTF).

• Triple P classes are offered virtually and FREE to all Ohio parents and caregivers. Make sure to pass this along to your friends/family/babysitters — we can all use it!
• Some free courses include topics like Raising Resilient Children, The Power of Positive Parenting, Raising Competent Teenagers, Raising Confident Children, and more.
• The benefits of learning Triple P strategies help with everything from managing your toddler’s temper tantrums, to your teenager’ social struggles, to their online devices and more.
• Triple P uses more than four decades of ongoing research to help parents promote positive behaviors such as:
  • routines: when children get better at things like routines, sharing, and getting along with others, family life gets a lot better.
  • cooperating and making good decisions.
  • problem solving: both children and teenagers can gain valuable life skills to help them now and in the future
  • talking about strong emotions: when kids can talk through issues, they can start handling strong emotions in healthy ways

This has been a great resource to have. I’m still working through the modules and will probably go through it again! If you have any questions about it, please reach out and if you ever feel alone in parenthood, send me a DM/email/SOS.