Overview of Essentials

Essentials for Parenting Toddlers and Preschoolers is a free, online resource developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Designed for parents of 2 to 4-year-olds, Essentials for Parenting addresses common parenting challenges, like tantrums and whining. The purpose of the resource is to provide as much information as possible on things you can do to build a positive, healthy relationship. Skills focus on encouraging good behavior and decreasing misbehavior using proven strategies like positive communication, structure and rules, clear directions, and consistent discipline and consequences.

Essentials for Parenting includes:

• Articles with a variety of skills, tips, and techniques
• “Frequently Asked Questions” answered by parenting experts
• Fun and engaging videos featuring parents, children, and parenting experts who demonstrate and discuss skills
• Free print resources like chore charts and daily schedules

Essentials for Parenting is based on:

• Decades of research and practical parenting experience suggesting that certain skills are useful in building a positive relationship and in handling children’s challenging behaviors.
• Research conducted by CDC about the types of questions parents have, where and how they look for information, and how they want to receive information.

All Families are Not Alike

We know that every child and every parent is unique. You face many different situations and challenges every day. We don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach or think of this as a set of strict parenting rules that must be followed. We hope to give you new ideas for parenting so you can make the best decisions about what can work with your child and family