Keeping a behaviour diary
A behaviour diary is a useful tool to help you spot patterns in your child’s behaviour and get them the right support.
Children’s behaviour changes over time. If any of your child’s behaviours are worrying you, keeping a diary can help you to understand what causes the behaviour and what you can do to change it. Keeping a record of behaviours can also help you get support for your child if they need it.
Behaviour diary template
A behaviour diary keeps a note of certain behaviours and what was happening at the time.
You can print out or type on this Behaviour diary template (Word).
Or to make your own diary, record:
Situation
- What was happening before?
- Who was there?
- Where were you?
Behaviour
- How did your child behave?
- How long for?
Consequences
- How did you and others respond to the behaviour?
Reflection
- What did you notice?
- What could you do differently?
Make sure you record the date and time when the behaviour happened. You might notice patterns of behaviours at certain times of the day or week.
Example behaviour diary entry
“On Monday at 8:30am G was watching TV ay home with her sister, sitting calmly.
We were getting ready for school.
When I turned the TV off, G started screaming and hitting me.
It lasted about 45 minutes.
I shouted at G. Her sister got very upset too, and we were all late for school.
Next time I will give G a warning before turning TV off and try to stay calm.”
Record the positives too
It can be easy to focus on upsetting incidents. However, it can also be helpful to keep track of where strategies have worked.
Example
“On Sunday night we laid out clothes for the morning and made a chart to show what we need to do before school.
In the morning, G needed a lot of reminders to get dressed, but did get dressed on time and we got to school on time.
Next time we will keep getting things ready the night before and remember that G still needs a lot of reminders and visual cues.”
Sharing your behaviour diary
It can be helpful to share the behaviour diary with professionals if you are worried about your child’s mental health or think they might be neurodivergent.
You can share it with:
- your GP or health visitor
- your child’s school SENCo or teacher
- early help services
Page last reviewed: February 2026
Next review due: February 2029
This advice was written by our experienced Parent Talk coaches. Parent Talk is a free online service for parents and carers, provided by the charity Action for Children. For more advice, message our parenting coaches with our online chat.
