Dealing With Toddler Temper Tantrums

Most of us have experienced the incredible tantrums of toddlers. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are, all toddlers experience those moments. Toddlers have tantrums because they get frustrated easily and have very few problem-solving skills. Most likely, a tantrum will happen when toddlers are hungry, exhausted, or over-excited.

So what are you supposed to do when faced with a tantrum? Here are a few recommendations.

First, try to remain calm. Shaking, slapping, spanking or screaming at your child will only make the tantrum worse. Set a positive example for your child by remaining in control of yourself and your emotions. Count to ten (or 100) if you have to, but keep yourself in control.

Second, pause before you act. Take a deep breath, then take at least 30 seconds to decide how to handle the tantrum. Consider distracting them or taking them to a private place to calm down. Also, you might just hold them. Gently put your arms around them. You might even try whispering softly, telling your child to take a deep breath and then let the bad feeling go. This can be comforting to children because they don’t like to be out of control – it scares them.

Third, always wait until your child calms down before talking about the situation. You cannot reason with a screaming child. When your child is calm, talk about how he or she felt just before the tantrum and offer ways your child can show his or her frustration without the tantrum.

And, fourth, comfort and reassure your child that you still love them, even though you disapprove of their behavior. Tell your child that as he or she grows, they will be able to be in better control of their frustrations and angry feelings.


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