How Do You Survive A Toddler Temper Tantrum?
We’ve all seen a face-down flopping toddler at the grocery store: here are some tips for coping when YOUR child is the one flopping! Relax. Count to five in your head before you act at all. This will give you a moment to consider your options. Ignore it. You can try ignoring it- sometimes the act of walking away form a child can snap him or her out of the bad behavior. Be quiet. By speaking quietly yourself to the child, he or she will need to stop screaming/yelling in order to listen to you. Distract. Often you can snap a child out of a tantrum by completely changing the subject. When a child is throwing a fit because they want candy, ask them “Would you like to have chicken or hamburgers for dinner?” Fight or Flight. Decide whether you will be able to negotiate the child into a calm mood (for example, quietly say “If you stop crying, I will read you a book.”) or whether you simply need to physically remove the child from his or her current environment.
