Article Written By: Chloe Bilboa
If you have young children then the chances are you will have had to endure the sometimes cringe-worthy temper tantrums sometimes throw. It can cause other people present to laugh at the sight of your child rolling around the floor screaming because they cannot fit something in a hole or because you will not let them have a sweet or be able to do something. But is embarrassing for the parent.Other people that witness your child's tantrums may be amused at this outburst from your child, particularly if they have always been relatively well behaved prior to this, but laughing at the child may just add fuel to their fire and provoke an even worse outburst.Blowing your top and screaming at your child will inflame the situation and may cause your child's tantrum to get worse! So take a deep breath and speak slowly and calmly, rather than shouting. Try to reason with your child rather than throwing your weight around, you are much bigger and they may feel intimidated.If the child sees you react to the tantrum, they may repeatedly throw tantrums just to get some attention and therefore a reaction from you as they will think it is funny.If you can see all the signs of a tantrum on the way, then the best thing to do is to try to distract your child away from whatever is making them cross in the first place. Start singing a nursery song, or asking them to look at something with you.Bear in mind though, that if they are reacting to you saying 'no' to something, do not give in and give them or let them do whatever it was that you have said 'no' to. If you let them have their way it is giving them the wrong message by telling them if you say 'no' then they play up, they will get their way anyway.For slightly older toddlers you may find that sitting them on the bottom stair or sitting away from other children and stopping playing resolves the situation rapidly. Do not leave them to sit on their own for too long, just a minute or so is enough.Whichever method of stopping the tantrums you use, you must always explain to the child, no matter what their age, why they cannot throw a tantrum and the reasons you have told them off or made them take time out. Once your child learns that their tantrum will not get them anywhere they will soon stop them.
This Article Has Been Published on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 and Read 298 Times