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10 Ways to Tame Your Kid's Tantrums
The smart parent's guide to coping with your kid's fits.
Brad Killer
When your kid's in the middle of a tantrum, it can be tough to keep yourself from having your own meltdown, too.
"Meltdowns are terrible, nasty things, but they're a fact of childhood," says Ray Levy, PhD, a Dallas-based clinical psychologist and co-author of Try and Make Me! Simple Strategies That Turn Off the Tantrums and Create Cooperation. "Young kids -- namely those between the ages of 1 and 4 -- haven't developed good coping skills yet. They tend to just lose it instead." And what, exactly, sets them off to begin with? Every single tantrum, Levy says, results from one simple thing: not getting what they want. "For children between 1 and 2, tantrums often stem from trying to communicate a need -- more milk, a diaper change, that toy over there -- but not having the language skills to do it," says Levy. "They get frustrated when you don't respond to what they're 'saying' and throw a fit." For older toddlers, tantrums are more of a power struggle. "By the time kids are 3 or 4, they have grown more autonomous," Levy adds. "They're keenly aware of their needs and desires -- and want to assert them more. If you don't comply? Tantrum city."
So how can you stop these outbursts? What follows are 10 freak-out fixes that both parenting experts and other moms swear by.
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I have a one year old and he throws a tantrum everytime we turn around.He don't let me sleep cause he don't sleep long and when he is up he just cry or wind until I pick him up.
11/16/2010 11:18:54 AM Report AbuseMy son (3 years old) when he get anger he start shouting and the big problem that he throw anything in his way and because of this he broke many things in the house one of them the T.V. so how can I stop him doing that?
7/7/2010 03:30:17 AM Report AbuseIt is important for the ENTIRE family circle be involved in keeping the child from putting on a tantrum.
4/8/2010 08:23:32 AM Report AbuseAlso, before you walk into the store let them know they can pick only one thing that they can have. By giving them that choice, they will have to think about what they want. Explain to them that if they start their yelling/screaming that we will go home right away and no tv tonight or something. Also, follow through with a threat, no second chances. Don't say "okay one more fit and we go," no it's one fit and we go
3/28/2010 11:29:08 AM Report AbuseDon't ever give the child candy to shut them up, they will see it as a reward. Ignoring them works best. If you are in the grocery store, don't walk down the potato chip aisle, or the cereal aisle. If you need something, don't hesitate to ask somebody (another customer or a person who works there) to retrieve what you need. If you tell them your reasoning (my child will throw a huge fit if I don't get what he/she needs) they should be happy to help you.
3/28/2010 11:28:59 AM Report Abuse