Tantrums can occur anytime, anywhere and for any reason. Although nobody wants to be the parent of a child having a meltdown in aisle eight of the grocery store, most parents have been there. Before deciding how you will proceed following a tantrum, it’s a good idea to consider what triggered it, how you can help and how your child is feeling at the moment.
Isn’t a Tantrum Just a Way to Get What They Want?
Although there are surely kids who realize that mom doesn’t like being embarrassed, so throwing a tantrum in public is a great way to get her to say yes…that’s not the average child. Instead, a tantrum is more likely to be caused by hunger, fatigue or an inability to communicate.
If you think about it, being a child can be challenging. After all, you have no control over what you do, where you sleep and what you eat. You also lack the necessary verbal skills to be able to complain about it. If you add that to them being tired or hungry, it only makes sense that a tantrum will happen. Coincidentally, that is also a common situation for many young children who begin biting, since they are just overwhelmed by what is going on and they can’t deal with it, so they bite.
What Can You Do to Prevent a Tantrum?
Making sure that you are able to distract your son or daughter, when you see that they are getting irritated is happy wheels often helpful. Pulling a toy or book from your purse, as well as a snack and something to drink can help diffuse the situation. Although obviously, it’s impossible to always be able to do so, whenever possible, schedule your errands and trips around the child’s naptime. Giving them a schedule and making sure that they are well-rested will help both of you enjoy your time together a lot more.
Sometimes, a little extra positive attention can provide comfort and therefore stop a tantrum before it appears. Some children have been known to throw tantrums because of jealousy about another child or even because they miss spending time with their mom. If there has been a recent change, like moving, daycare or family changes, they may be feeling insecure and want to make sure you will pay attention to them.
Tantrums are a common part of childhood and are especially common for toddlers. Providing comfort while verifying that they know what is or is not acceptable behavior can go a long way towards preventing future problems. Children crave routine and providing them with one will allow them to feel they have control over the situation….and that could be the best idea of all.
Although you obviously don’t want to encourage tantrums, ignoring them is generally thought to make it worse, because it becomes a battle of wills. You may win, but you could have a crying, hysterical child by the time that it is over.
