Temper tantrums are normal occurrences when dealing with children. However, just because they are normal, doesn’t necessarily mean that they are acceptable. Following these few suggestions, you can learn how to deal with kids’ temper tantrums.
Time and Place
You need to understand that children will always have a temper tantrum at the most inopportune time and in the most embarrassing place, just to make sure they cause a stir. How you react may have to depend on where you are at the moment of the breakdown, but the most important thing to remember is that you shouldn’t care what anyone else thinks of your parenting skills. If your child learns that you will never react in public, or in front of grandma and grandpa, you can rest assured that those are the exact places where he or she will begin throwing their tantrums.
How To Deflect The Powers Of Temper Tantrum
Your child may see you as a super hero, but it’s only because he knows your only weaknesses are his mighty tantrums. Here are a few ways to “fight” back:
Ignore them: Even if you’re in a store, walk away (while keeping within eyesight) and go about what you need to do without even batting an eye. If there is no reaction on your part, there is no need for an action on their part.
Copy them: If your child begins to stomp and cry, you should begin to stomp and cry. If they throw themselves on the floor, copy their every move. They will either start to laugh and forget why they were crying or be completely embarrassed seeing what a tantrum looks like.
Time out: This could mean putting them in another area for a specific amount of time, or totally leaving the area where the tantrum is taking place. If you are in the check out line at a store, apologize to the teller, leave your cart and escort your child out of the store. You can always get your groceries later that day, but no one, including you, should have to suffer the fits of an angry child.
Children have tantrums because they are not yet mature enough to understand how to express their needs. As they grow, tantrums should become less and less of an issue. Tantrums in children over the age of five are unacceptable. If a child is old enough to read or write, then they are old enough to know how to behave appropriately.