Controlling temper tantrums in toddlers can often feel like a losing battle.  Somehow through the screaming you are expected to keep a level head and remain calm.  How can you possibly do this if your own patience level is low and your instinct is to react?  Unfortunately, reacting is the worst thing you can do since you are probably frustrated already, this will only fuel the tantrum to escalate.

So how can you remain calm and stop the temper tantrum?  Every child is different and how they react in any given situation isn’t going to be predictable, but the tips below are ways that have helped many others get through the difficult toddler years. 

The first step in controlling temper tantrums is to distract your child from the event causing the negative feelings.  Distraction is a wonderful tool to use on children, it is often very easy to get their minds on other things and prevent a tantrum altogether.  Try it the next time you see your toddler’s emotions start to turn.  

If the tantrum has already escalated, and it is too late for distraction, the next step is to remove your child from their current surroundings.  You do this for two reasons; the first is to get your child to a safe place where the tantrum can run its course where they won’t be able to hurt themselves or others.  The second reason is to hopefully shorten the length of the tantrum; sometimes without an audience your child’s tantrum will come to an end much faster.  Your lack of reaction to the tantrum will also speed up the process; children are attention getters, if they aren’t receiving attention for throwing a tantrum there won’t be much reason for having one.  Controlling temper tantrums is possible by being patient and calm; it isn’t always easy to stay this way during the tantrums, but in the end it is the best thing you can do.

Tantrums can be very frustrating, sometimes scary and almost always embarrassing if you are in a public place.  Just remember to stay calm when a tantrum begins and don’t let the tantrum dictate the choices that you make.  If your child is throwing a fit because you won’t buy them a toy they’ve just seen, don’t just give in and buy the toy to avoid a tantrum.  It is important to stand your ground, show your child that you are the authority figure and that you will not be influenced by their tantrum.  Yes, you may have to endure a tantrum, but in the long run if your child knows that they will not be getting what they want, future tantrums are less likely. 

In conclusion, often the best way of controlling temper tantrums is to distract your child and see if the tantrum can be avoided or at least lessened in severity.  Stay calm and keep your own emotions in check, get your child to a safe place to hopefully shorten the tantrum’s length and keep your child safe. Also, stay strong, and don’t give into their demands, this will only increase the frequency of the tantrums as they will know how to make you do what they want.

Filed under: Controlling Temper Tantrums by admin Tags: difficult child behavior, terrible twos, toddler temper tantrums, toddlers