Is the child hungry, tired, or needing exercise?
Any parent knows that a tired and hungry child who has been cooped up in the house for three days due to bad weather is not the best company. Sometimes it’s harder to remember that a delayed lunch or a missed nap can also be a setup for a tantrum. One mother I was seeing in therapy regularly complained to me that her two little daughters, ages 3 and 2, were constantly crabby. Then I spotted her and the kids at the grocery store at 11 p.m. several weeks in a row. (Yes, I shop then. I enjoy the alone time.) The next time I saw her, I asked why she had the girls up so late. She said she couldn’t stand a crowded store and since the kids could sleep late, she didn’t see it as a problem to do late night shopping a couple of times a week. She didn’t understand that interrupting the kids’ sleep cycle every couple of days was what was turning her sweet girls into little monsters. 2. Is it medical? I learned about this one the hard way. When my third-born was about 4, there was a week when he be
