While most parents do whatever they can to prevent their toddlers from having temper tantrums, not all of them are preventable. There are a lot of reasons for this. Very young children may have a hard time expressing their anger or frustration through verbal communication. This can be even harder when they are over stimulated or tired. When they happen, there are some ways for dealing with toddler tantrums that can make the experience less painful for everyone involved.
- Stay calm. When you are dealing with dealing with toddler tantrums, it is crucial that you maintain your calm and collected demeanor. It can be frustrating to deal with temper tantrums and many parents report that they sometimes do want to yell at or start to lecture their child who is acting out. This is a mistake that can just make the situation a lot worse. If you stay calm and cool, you can do more to diffuse the situation rather than make it worse. The most important thing you can do when your child is having a tantrum is stay calm yourself.
- Do not engage your child. When your toddler is in the middle of a tantrum, you may want to remove yourself. You do not have to go far but if you start arguing with your child, you will make it worse. When you are thinking about dealing with toddler tantrums, you need to do what you can to show your child that they are not getting the response they want to get from you. That will help shorten the length of the tantrum.
- Remove your child from public view. If you are out shopping, for example when you child’s terrible twos behavior rears its ugly head, take your child to a safe and quiet location. Let them get some of their anger and frustration out of their system. Then, as calmly as you can, explain why you are not reacting the way they want them to. Sometimes this will be enough to end toddler screaming tantrums. Sometimes, you just need to go home. If the tantrum is caused by being overly tired, getting your child home and to get a nap in may be the best thing possible for everyone.
- Use a soothing voice. Some people find luck dealing with toddler tantrums when they repeat a phrase multiple times while using a soothing or calming voice. It may help keep you calm in situations where you cannot just pack up your child and leave. If you are on flight from one place to another, you need to find a way to soothe your child without giving into their demands.
- Try to distract your child. If there is something that is causing your child to become frustrated and that is causing terrible twos tantrums, one thing you may want to try is distraction. You can also use humor to get their mind off of what seems to be upsetting. You can try making a funny face to make them laugh or smile and that may nip the tantrum in the bud.
- Wait until the tantrum is over to try to reason with your toddler. When you are dealing with toddler tantrums, it is important to note that your child cannot be reasoned with when they are in the middle of the tantrum. They are out of control emotionally. What you should do is wait for the tantrum to end and then calmly talk to them about what happened. Ask them what they were feeling and thinking. Work with them on strategies to prevent future tantrums.
- Take notes and keep a journal. Note when your child has temper tantrums. If you keep notes about what was happening when your child has a temper tantrum, you may get a sense of the pattern or circumstances around your child’s tantrums. Maybe there is a certain time of day that they happen in or under certain circumstances. You may be able to avoid dealing with toddler tantrums if you know when they happen the most often.
Temper tantrums in toddlers will happen. These young children have a lot less impulse control and do not have the ability to express themselves the way older children can. These strategies can help with tantrums.
