How to deal with toddler tantrums
Toddlers throw tantrums. Fact. Mammies are driven demented. Another fact. We asked our readers what strategies they adopted to deal with the inevitable meltdowns – and when they outgrew the tantrums (please don’t say 18…)
1. “The only thing that worked with Daniel was to stay calm. Easier said than done, I know, but I found that Daniel would get so worked up that he’d frighten himself and by staying calm I reassured him that he was safe and it was a lot easier then for him to regain control of himself.”– Gail, mum to Daniel, 3
2. “Distraction and reading the situation are key when it comes to tantrums in public places. I became an expert in recognising when Ella was about to flip, and if I caught it in time, I was able to distract her from the meltdown by changing location or pointing something out to her. Mind you, when the tantrum is about something as silly as the colour of a wall, it’s a bit difficult to predict and prevent!”-
Sinead, mum to Ella, 2
3. “Izzy always threw a strop when it was time to leave the playground; it got to the stage when it was expected as part of the routine! Eventually we used to warn her when it was time to leave, for instance, last time on the slide, then choose one last item to have a go on. We’d also make a big deal out of where we were going next. Being firm, letting her have a choice in a final activity and getting her excited about the next activity all helped to tame the inevitable tantrum.”- Mary, mum to Izzy, 3
4. “Just accept that it’s a phase and it will pass. Eventually. Take a deep breath, try to calm them down by whatever means necessary and rest assured that we’ve all been there. Ignore the stares and just get on with it. Repeat after me: this too will pass!”-Jane, mum to Charlie, 6, and Rosie, 4
5. “Jack threw tantrums because he knew it would get our attention. So I started ignoring him. I just walked away and let him get on with it. He soon twigged after the third or the fourth time that his strops weren’t getting the desired effect.”- Maria, mum to Jack, 4
6. “Be firm. Stick to your guns and don’t give in. Have a definite way of dealing with tantrums and make sure your partner and childcare provider is onboard with it too. If you all follow the same way of dealing with the tantrum, your child will know exactly what will happen and hopefully they will think twice before throwing one.”- Rachel, mum to Daisy, 2, and Nicholas, 5
maternity & infant
Originally posted 2015-10-27 10:41:07.