Temper tantrums may sometimes occur without warning. They may take place at
home, in the car, or while seated in a quiet restaurant. The level of tantrums
varies, and some parents are able to calm their toddler without causing a full
blown disruption. However, regardless of how mild or severe an episode may be,
parents are always looking for practical ways to stop temper tantrums
altogether. To avoid an outburst, some parents simply give in to a child's
request – but this does not solve the problem. If anything, allowing the child
to win the battle will give the impression that making a fuss is the way to get
what you want. Discouraging tantrums requires patients and consistency. Here
are a few tips to help smooth anger spells.
React Calmly
The key to calming a child is
remaining calm. Naturally, parents who deal with frequent tantrums during
the day may begin to lose their cool. However, yelling will likely upset
the child, and make the problem worse. Don't get me wrong – parents should
take control over the situation. Looking the child directly in the eyes and
talking in a stern calm tone will give the message that the parent means
business.
Encourage Communication
If a child is of age where
they are able to talk, parents should calmly inquire of why they are
upset. If the child refuses to calm down, parents should walk out of the
room and explain that when the child is ready to act like a big boy or
girl, they will return to discuss the matter.
Ignore
Ignoring a temper tantrum is
an effective way of getting a toddler to calm down. Some children thrive
on the attention. The more their parents try and calm them, the louder
they scream. However, if the parents ignore the outburst and continue with
their routine, the child will quickly realize that they do not have an
audience, and the tantrum will cease. Some children are determined to
upset their parents, thus they may purposely scream at the top of their
lungs until they get what they want. In this situation, parents may have
to physically pick up the child, place them in their room, close the door,
and make them remain in the bedroom until calm.