Tuning in to Kids (TIK) is a parenting intervention for parents with concerns about the behaviour of a child between 3 to 10 years old. It is delivered by trained facilitators to families in either a group or individual format over six to eight sessions of two hours’ duration.
The information above is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
3 to 10 years old
Group
Tuning in to Kids (TIK) is a parenting intervention for parents or carers with a child between the ages of 3 and 10 who may be at risk of emotional or behavioural challenges.
TIK is delivered by one or two TIK practitioners, in six sessions of two hours’ duration each, with two additional booster sessions. The sessions can be delivered to groups of 6 to 14 families or to individual families. These sessions cover psychoeducation, role play, small group exercises, group discussions, video demonstrations, and homework activities.
The aim of TIK is to teach parents and carers emotion coaching skills, so they can support optimal emotion self-regulation in their child. Examples of these skills include parents’ increased awareness of their own emotional needs and increased awareness and empathy for the needs of their child. Activities that support increased parental awareness include opportunities for parents to reflect on their own moods, advice on how to label and empathise with the child’s emotions, strategies for managing difficult emotions, and emotion-regulation techniques such as slow breathing, relaxation, and the turtle technique.
3 to 10 years
Parents of children at risk of developing behavioural problems.
Disclaimer: The information in this section is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
Science-based assumption
Emotional competence is core to children’s prosocial development and behavioural self-regulation.
Science-based assumption
Parents support their child’s early emotional development through their own emotional regulation skills:
Ability to manage their own emotions
Reactions to their child’s emotions
Ability to empathise with their child’s emotional needs.
Science-based assumption
Families’ disadvantage is associated with an increased risk of child behavioural and emotional regulation problems.
Intervention
Parents learn strategies for managing their own emotions; and coaching the emotions of their child.
Short-term
Increased parental emotional awareness and regulation
Increased empathy for the child’s emotions
Improved parental and emotion coaching capabilities.
Medium-term
Improved child emotional competency
Improved child behaviour.
Long-term
Improved prosocial behaviour and emotion regulation as children develop.
Parents of children aged 3 to 10 who are interested in participating in parent education, and may have concerns about their children’s behaviour.
TIK is delivered in six to eight sessions of two hours’ duration each by one or two practitioners, to individual families or groups of 6 to 14 families.
Participants learn emotion coaching skills, including noticing and responding appropriately to their child’s emotions. Participants also reflect on how they cope with their own emotions and learn how to manage and express their own emotions when parenting.
A TIK-trained facilitator with training in caring profession, including psychologists, educators, counsellors, social workers, and family support workers. Peer support workers can also train to deliver the intervention.
The practitioners have either 13 hours of in person intervention training across two days, or 13.5 hours of online intervention training across three sessions. Training can also be provided to organisations. Booster training of practitioners is not required.
There are free, monthly online supervision sessions available for all trained facilitators as well as regular themed workshops. The providers offer ‘Running Your First Group’ sessions for new practitioners.
Not available
Contact person: Sophie Havighurst
Organisation: University of Melbourne
Email address: sophie.h@unimelb.edu.au
Website/s: www.tuningintokids.org.au
*Please note that this information may not be up to date. In this case, please visit the listed intervention website for up to date contact details.
TIK’s most rigorous evidence comes from two randomised controlled trials conducted in Australia that are consistent with Foundation’s Level 2 or 2+ criteria. Both studies observed improvements in parent reports of their child’s behaviour.
TIK has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome, but we cannot be confident that the programme caused the improvement.
| Identified in search | 13 |
| Studies reviewed | 0 |
| Meeting the L2 threshold | 2 |
| Meeting the L3 threshold | 0 |
| Contributing to the L4 threshold | 0 |
| Ineligible | 11 |
| Study design | Cluster RCT |
| Country | Australia |
| Sample characteristics | Participants were 216 parents (96.0% mothers) of children aged 4 and 5, living in lower to middle class communities in Melbourne |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities | Not reported |
| Population risk factors | Participants were recruited from lower- to middle-class socioeconomic communities |
| Timing | Baseline, post-intervention and six-month follow-up |
| Child outcomes | Improved child behaviour |
| Other outcomes |
|
| Study rating | 2+ |
| Citations | Havighurst, S. S., Wilson, K. R., Harley, A. E., Prior, M. R. & Kehoe, C., (2010) Tuning in to Kids: Improving emotion socialization practices in parents of preschool children – findings from a community trial. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 51 (12), 1342–1350. |
| Study design | RCT |
| Country | Australia |
| Sample characteristics | Participants were parents (93.0% mothers) of children aged 4 to 9. |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities |
|
| Population risk factors |
|
| Timing | Baseline and six-month follow-up |
| Child outcomes |
|
| Other outcomes | None |
| Study rating | 2+ |
| Citations | Duncombe, M. E., Havighurst, S. S., Kehoe, C. E., Holland, K. A., Frankling, E. J. & Stargatt, R. (2016) Comparing an emotion-and a behavior-focused parenting program as part of a multsystemic intervention for child conduct problems. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology. 45 (3), 320–334. |
The following studies were identified for this intervention but did not count towards the intervention’s overall evidence rating. An intervention receives the same rating as its most robust study or studies.
Aghaie Meybodi, F., Mohammadkhani, P., Pourshahbaz, A., Dolatshahi, B. & Havighurst, S. (2017) Reducing children behavior problems: A pilot study of Tuning in to Kids in Iran. Iranian Rehabilitation Journal. 15 (3), 269–276.
Aghaie Meybodi, F., Mohammadkhani, P., Pourshahbaz, A., Dolatshahi, B. & Havighurst, S. S. (2019) Improving parent emotion socialization practices: Piloting Tuning in to Kids in Iran for children with disruptive behavior problems. Family Relations. 68 (5), 596–607. This reference refers to an RCT, conducted in Iran.
Bjørk, R. F., Bølstad, E., Pons, F. & Havighurst, S. S. (2022) Testing TIK (Tuning in to Kids) with TEC (Test of Emotion Comprehension): Does enhanced emotion socialization improve child emotion understanding?. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. 78, 101368.
Bølstad, E., Havighurst, S. S., Tamnes, C. K., Nygaard, E., Bjørk, R. F., Stavrinou, M. & Espeseth, T. (2021) A pilot study of a parent emotion socialization intervention: Impact on parent behavior, child self-regulation, and adjustment. Frontiers in Psychology. 12, 730278. This reference refers to a quasi-experimental design, conducted in Norway.
Edrissi, F., Havighurst, S. S., Aghebati, A., Habibi, M. & Arani, A. M. (2019) A pilot study of the tuning in to kids parenting program in Iran for reducing preschool children’s anxiety. Journal of Child and Family Studies. 28, 1695–1702. This reference refers to an RCT, conducted in Iran.
Eikeland, P. K. (2021) Predictors of the implementation of Tuning in to Kids in Norwegian kindergartens (Master’s thesis). This reference refers to a quantitative study, conducted in Norway.
Havighurst, S. S., Duncombe, M., Frankling, E., Holland, K., Kehoe, C. & Stargatt, R. (2015) An emotion-focused early intervention for children with emerging conduct problems. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. 43, 749–760. This reference refers to an RCT, conducted in Australia.
Havighurst, S. S., Harley, A. & Prior, M. (2004) Building preschool children’s emotional competence: A parenting program. Early Education & Development. 15 (4), 423–448. This reference refers to a pre-post study, conducted in Australia.
Havighurst, S. S., Wilson, K. R., Harley, A. E., Kehoe, C., Efron, D. & Prior, M. R. (2013) ‘Tuning into kids’: Reducing young children’s behavior problems using an emotion coaching parenting program. Child Psychiatry & Human Development. 44, 247–264. This reference refers to an RCT, conducted in Australia.
Husna, M. T. & Ambarini, T. K. (2022) Tuning into Kids training to improve emotion coaching’s skill of mother with early childhood children. Al-Qalb: Jurnal Psikologi Islam. 13 (1), 28–38. This reference refers to an pre-post study, conducted in Indonesia.
Isobel, S., Meehan, F. & Pretty, D. (2016) An emotional awareness based parenting group for parents with mental illness: A mixed methods feasibility study of community mental health nurse facilitation. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing. 30 (1), 35–40. This reference refers to a feasibility study, conducted in Australia.
Mastromanno, B. K., Kehoe, C. E., Wood, C. E. & Havighurst, S. S. (2021) A randomised-controlled pilot study of the one-to-one delivery of Tuning in to Kids: Impact on emotion socialisation, reflective functioning, and childhood behaviour problems. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. 26 (4), 359–374. This reference refers to an RCT, conducted in Australia.
Otterpohl, N., Buchenau, K., Havighurst, S., Stiensmeier-Pelster, J. & Kehoe, C. (2019) Tuning in to Kids. Kindheit und Entwicklung. This reference refers to an RCT, conducted in Germany.
Omre, A. N. (2021) Predictors of the implementation of Tuning in to Kids in Norwegian kindergartens (Master’s thesis).
Qiu, C. & Shum, K. K. M. (2022) Emotion coaching intervention for Chinese mothers of preschoolers: A randomized controlled trial. Child Psychiatry & Human Development. 53 (1), 61–75. This reference refers to an RCT, conducted in China.
Skåland, V. R. (2021) Qualitative evaluation of the implementation of ‘Tuning in to Kids’ in Norwegian kindergartens (Master’s thesis).
Wilson, K. R., Havighurst, S. S. & Harley, A. E. (2012) ‘Tuning in to Kids: An effectiveness trial of a parenting program targeting emotion socialization of preschoolers. Journal of Family Psychology. 26 (1), 56
Note on provider involvement: This provider has agreed to Foundations’ terms of reference (or the Early Intervention Foundation's terms of reference), and the assessment has been conducted and published with the full cooperation of the intervention provider.
Rated 1: Set up and delivery is low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of less than £100.
Rated 2: Set up and delivery is medium-low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £100–£499.
Rated 3: Set up and delivery is medium cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £500–£999.
Rated 4: Set up and delivery is medium-high cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £1,000–£2,000.
Rating 5: Set up and delivery is high cost. Equivalent to an estimated unit cost of more than £2,000.
Set up and delivery cost is not applicable, not available, or has not been calculated.
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Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing child maltreatment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Enhancing school achievement & employment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing crime, violence and antisocial behaviour: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing substance abuse: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing risky sexual behaviour & teen pregnancy: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing obesity and promoting healthy physical development: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Rated 2: Has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome from a quantitative impact study, but there is not yet evidence of causal impact.
Rated 2+: Meets the level 2 rating and the best available evidence is based on a study which is more rigorous than a level 2 standard but does not meet the level 3 standard.
Rated 3: Has evidence of a short-term positive impact from at least one rigorous study.
Rated 3+: Meets the level 3 rating and has evidence from other studies with a comparison group at level 2 or higher.
Rated 4: Has evidence of a long-term positive impact through at least two rigorous studies.
Rated 4+: Meets the level 4 rating and has at least a third study contributing to the Level 4 rating, with at least one of the studies conducted independently of the intervention provider.
Rating has a *: The evidence base includes mixed findings i.e., studies suggesting positive impact alongside studies, which on balance, indicate no effect or negative impact.
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