Parenting
Understanding Toddler Behaviour
Find the need behind the behaviour, with an ABC diary, a trigger checker and a development stage cheat sheet.
C$19.99Buy
Parenting courses for the everyday ups and downs
Six self-paced courses for parents and caregivers of toddlers and young children, with charts, scripts and trackers you can start using the same day.
- 6 courses
- Tools in every course
- Certificate included
Tantrums, big feelings, bedtime battles and arguments over screens are part of family life, and most have a pattern once you start to look. Our parenting courses help you spot what sets behaviour off, respond calmly in the moment and build routines that prevent the next round. They focus on skills and practical tools rather than labels.
Canadian guidance gives some useful reference points. The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines recommend no screen time for children under 2, no more than 1 hour a day for ages 2 to 4, and no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time a day for ages 5 to 17. They also suggest 10 to 13 hours of sleep a day for children aged 3 to 4, including naps, 9 to 11 hours for ages 5 to 13 and 8 to 10 hours for teens aged 14 to 17, on a consistent schedule.
You do not have to work it all out alone. Local public health units run parenting programs (names vary by province), and the 211 line connects you with community services in many provinces. Children and teens can talk to Kids Help Phone at any time on 1-800-668-6868 or by texting CONNECT to 686868.
All parenting courses
Parenting
Helping Children Manage Emotions
Emotion coaching made practical: a feelings chart, a calm-down corner checklist, scripts for big moments and balloon breathing to share.
C$24.99Buy
Parenting
Handling Toddler Tantrums
Spot the triggers, prevent the avoidable meltdowns and know exactly what to say and do in the moment.
C$24.99Buy
Parenting
Bedtime Routines for Children
A calm, step-by-step bedtime for children, with a picture routine chart, a sleep diary, a screens-off planner and ready-made calm scripts.
C$24.99Buy
Parenting
Screen Time and Family Life
Realistic screen rules for the whole family, with an honest audit, a media agreement everyone signs and screen-free ideas.
C$24.99Buy
Parenting
Parenting After Separation
Keep children at the centre after separation with a co-parenting plan, handover checklist and scripts. Not a court-mandated program.
C$27.99Buy
Which parenting course fits your family
- Toddlers: Understanding Toddler Behaviour explains why young children behave the way they do at each stage, and Handling Toddler Tantrums gives you a response card for the moment and a prevention plan for the rest of the day.
- Big feelings: Helping Children Manage Emotions uses a feelings chart, a calm-down corner and emotion coaching scripts.
- Bedtime: Bedtime Routines for Children builds a picture-based routine and a screens-off plan for the hour before bed.
- Screens: Screen Time and Family Life starts with a family screen audit and ends with a media agreement everyone signs.
- Two homes: Parenting After Separation helps you put the children first after separation, with a co-parenting plan, handover checklist and communication scripts.
What the parenting tools do
- Behaviour diary and trigger checker: note what happened before, during and after, and spot the patterns.
- In-the-moment response card: a few calm steps to follow when a tantrum starts.
- Feelings chart and daily mood tracker: help children name feelings and see how their days go.
- Bedtime routine chart and child sleep diary: a picture sequence for each step and a record of what changes.
- Media agreement and co-parenting plan templates: written agreements the adults, and older children, can refer back to.
When to ask for more support
Talk to your family doctor, nurse practitioner or public health nurse if:
- you have concerns about your child's speech, hearing, development or sleep
- behaviour is putting your child or others at risk, or is getting worse despite a consistent approach
- you feel overwhelmed, very low or close to losing control
Thoughts of suicide, or feeling you cannot keep going? Phone or text 9-8-8, which is open around the clock. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911.
Parenting courses: your questions
What ages do the parenting courses cover?
Mainly toddlers and children up to about age 10. The courses on screen time and parenting after separation also work for families with older children.
How much screen time is recommended for children in Canada?
The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines suggest none for children under 2, no more than 1 hour a day for ages 2 to 4, and no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time a day for ages 5 to 17.
How much sleep does my child need?
The guidelines suggest 11 to 14 hours for toddlers aged 1 to 2, 10 to 13 hours for ages 3 to 4, 9 to 11 hours for ages 5 to 13 and 8 to 10 hours for ages 14 to 17, with consistent bed and wake times.
Do the courses assess my child's development?
No. They are parenting education. If you have concerns, your family doctor, nurse practitioner or public health nurse can look at your child's development.
Can grandparents or caregivers use the same approach?
Yes, and children do better when the adults around them respond in a similar way. The charts and scripts can be printed and shared with anyone who looks after your child.
Where can my child talk to someone in confidence?
Kids Help Phone offers free, confidential support to young people at any time on 1-800-668-6868, or by texting CONNECT to 686868.
Official sources
Try one new response tonight
Pick one script from the response card and use it the next time things get loud.