Dealing with Toddler Tantrums

Remember when they were babies; cooing, laughing, exploring and crying when they wanted something? Now they’re walking, talking, laughing, exploring and – in an instant screaming the house down!  For me, my daughter was such an angel for so long that it was inevitable the tantrums would eventually come around. We got it in spades! Here we discuss Dealing with Toddler Tantrums.

Started over silly things:

wanting to walk when we get two steps out the door and want to be carried or we need to take the buggy or not wanting to nap but still doing anyway.

Now it seems to be over every single thing that I need her to do or want her to stop doing: getting dressed, tidying up time, not getting every item of food out of the cupboard etc. It’s important to pick my battles.

Here’s their advice:

 Distraction! ‘Look at that aeroplane/train/fast car!’ ‘Oh, I’m sure I just saw the Gruffalo hide behind there – shall we go and look?’ etc etc. Keep in mind that tantrums are nothing personal, that most toddlers throw them and they grow out of it…eventually. They got easier to cope with once I started to bear that in mind. (I had three toddlers at the same time at one point!) Rachel from Coffee Cake Kids

Sometimes I feel that they need to just get all their frustrations out so I lay my children down on the floor and allow them to kick, scream and cry as much as they want. After a few minutes, I then go over, pick them up and cuddle them. My eldest daughter was one to throw herself backwards so placing her on the floor prevented any head injuries. Sarah from Boo Roo and Tigger Too

If you’re in public don’t assume you are being judged harshly, I think most are sympathetic. Natasha from Mummy and Moose

Effective Discipline Method

We use the 3strike rule and you’re out and on the naughty step. We tell our son that he needs to stop and that his behaviour is not acceptable (he’s tried hitting us/head butting us and throwing his head back during tantrums) after he has been warned twice the third time he got put on the bottom step of the stairs for a 2 minutes (one minute per year of his age) after that we explained for a second time why he is there then he is asked to apologise and give a kiss and a cuddle. This works very quickly and either stops the tantrum straight away or after the step. Helps him learn acceptable behaviour and better ways to express himself.

Stand your ground, don’t say no then in the next breath give in to stop a tantrum – although at the time you’ll be grateful the screaming has stopped but the reality is you’re enabling the behaviour. Another tip I do is giving my daughter odd jobs to do, like putting empty boxes, and paper/ plastic in our recycling bin, loading the washing machine, ‘sweeping’ the kitchen floor, unpacking shopping and putting clean clothes away.

It minimises boredom for her when I’m doing household chores and reduces her tantrums too. Some may argue that as a 2-year-old (nearly 3) she shouldn’t be doing jobs around the house, she likes to feel involved and helpful.