Ten Ways to Prevent And Deal With Temper Tantrums

Every child has them.  Their nasty, draining, and can drive a parent absolutely crazy.  We’re talking about temper tantrums.

Why do children throw temper tantrums?  Imagine if every day someone told you what to do, made your decisions for you, and you couldn’t communicate what it was that you wanted.  It’s a perfect storm.  In addition, there could be many other factors that are at play.  Are they hungry, tired, and wanting attention?  Of course, it could be that the transition periods (going to bed, getting ready for dinner, leaving the playground, etc…) are creating stress for your child.  There are obviously many reasons why children throw temper tantrums.

So what can we do to prevent temper tantrums?  And, if we fail to prevent them, how can we deal with them?  Listed below are ten ways to avoid and deal with temper tantrums:

Five Ways to Prevent Temper Tantrums:

• Warn your child.  Give them a heads up if you know you are going to be transitioning from one activity to the other so they know what to expect.
• Stick to a routine.  Eat breakfast, lunch, dinner at the same time.  Let them nap at the same time.  Plan your outings so that you’re not out for long periods of time.
• Let your child make some decisions.  When appropriate, give your child options to make choices.
• When you sense a tantrum coming, help them verbalize what they are feeling so that they are able to associate words with their feelings.  For instance, if you can tell they are frustrated, say, ‘I know you are frustrated because…’
• Set reasonable expectations that are age appropriate.

Five Ways to Deal with Temper Tantrums:

• Distract your child with a toy.  Always keep a toy handy to shift their attention elsewhere.
• Use timeout to let them gain control.  This allows them to gain composure and calm themselves down.
• You maintain your cool.  You’re the grownup in the situation, so it is imperative that you lead by example.  If you want them to calm down, you must remain calm as well.  And if you find this hard to do…
• You take a timeout.
• Be there for your child.  If a temper tantrum takes place in a public place, it can be embarrassing.  But, you must stick by the side of your child.  This shows them that you will love them unconditionally.

Do you have an tips on how to prevent and deal with temper tantrums?  Leave a comment below for all to benefit from.  Thanks!

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