Temper Tantrums

Temper tantrums are a major downside to parenting. They are embarrassing if they occur in public and can make a parent feel guilty even when they shouldn’t. My husband and I decided to combat this problem by trying to prevent them instead of waiting for tantrums to occur.

 

We set rules for our daughter very young, like sleeping in her own bed every night. She does fight us on this every now and then but it doesn’t last very long because we never let her win. Usually she loves bath time but occasionally she doesn’t want to take one. We let her take extra bath toys in the tub when this happens. She never whines about picking up after herself. At only 17 months she picks up all of her toys each night before bed and puts her dirty clothes her hamper. We made a game out of it early on so now she enjoys picking up.

My advice for tantrums is:

1)      Set clear rules and stick to them – Rules are no good if you do not follow through.

2)      Reward good behavior – Focusing on the good helps you to stay positive. Giving attention for good behavior helps reinforce positive actions.

3)      Make things fun – If you show excitement your child will pick up on it. Games are more fun than chores!

4)      Stay calm – Getting upset only makes matters worse. Take a deep breath or walk away for a minute to regroup if you need to.