When children enter their toddler years, they have a lot going on. They are just at the very beginning of the journey to become independent. They are starting to learn the important skills of impulse control. They are also learning to control the way they act and how to control their bodies. This is not a smooth nor a linear progression. They will have times when the process breaks down and the result is often a temper tantrum. It is not always possible to prevent every tantrum. How to stop toddler tantrums? Here are some ways to help you deal with them.
- Work on prevention techniques. When you are looking at how to stop toddler tantrums, an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure. You can plan activities, outings and errands in ways that will make it less likely that your toddler will have a tantrum. Right before meals is not a great time go out. They also need nap time so if you push that, you are going to risk problems. Make sure they are well rested when you do anything outside of the home (as much as is possible).
- Let go some. Childhood is messy but the play time is important for their growth and development. Try not to stress about the messes they make. They need the freedom to run around and not be scared of making a bit of a mess. They need to have fun. Try not to say no to them during happy play time unless you really need to. Your use of the word “no” will mean more when you do not use it as much.
- Do not let tantrums rattle you. This is another tool in the “how to stop toddler tantrums” arsenal. When they have tantrums, they need to see that you are staying cool, calm and in control (of yourself anyway). Remove your child from whatever it is that is upsetting them. This will prevent you from feeding into their anger.
- Distraction is your friend. If you can do this before the tantrum reaches its apex, you may be able to stop it. When you see a tantrum coming on, find ways to distract your child. A toddler’s attention span is not very long and moving them to another place or finding something else for them to focus on may be an effective way to stop the tantrum in its tracks.
- Humor can also work. This tactic is a bit dicey. You have to thread the needle between getting your child to laugh while not making them think you are laughing at them. If your child thinks you are laughing at them, the tantrum will only get worse.
- Help them deal with their frustration. Everyone on the planet deals with frustration. When you are dealing with toddler tantrums it is important to recognize that toddlers have a hard time expressing themselves and that is a cause for a number of tantrums. They may not be able to get on their shoe, they get frustrated and they act out. One important part of the origins of toddler screaming tantrums is to help them deal with and express their frustration in a productive way.
- Talk them through some tantrums. Your toddler wants to ride the dog and you do not want them to. This causes a tantrum. When you are thinking about how to stop toddler tantrums, you may not immediately think about reasoning with them but it can help. Explain why you will not let them ride the dog rather than just telling then, “no.”
- Reason with your child but do not give in. A child’s tantrum should not be rewarded. Some people give in because it ends an embarrassing situation. This is counterproductive and will lead to more tantrums down the line. Tell them why they are not getting what they want with their tantrum.
- Talk to your child about their behavior.andnbsp;Your child may be going through the “terrible twos” but once it is all over, sit down and talk to them about what upset them and what was going on. Remind them that you love them. They may be embarrassed.
Cookies and milk. Mac and cheese. Toddlers and tantrums. They all go together but you can work with your child to prevent tantrums.
