My daughter has some hellacious toddler tantrums! She has red hair and gets her daddy’s red headed temper! It doesn’t help that she also gets it from my mom, who is also a red head!
A lot of times when toddlers start throwing these tantrums, they are either tired or hungry. So when you see signs of a tantrum that might be in the works, see if they want something to eat! If they don’t, try for a nap!
If you have been separated all day, try to reconnect with your child and spend some one on one time before starting to do any household chores that you might need to do! When my daughter is away from me for any amount of time, she’s needy when we are back together! She just wants my full attention!
Don’t get onto your child when he or she starts throwing a tantrum! Often, there is a reason that they are getting upset, and when you try to show you are in power, it can make your child feel like they have no say in anything! Often children try to prove that they are a real person and that they DO have a say in things, so let your child help with some decisions!
Even though my daughter is only 25 months old, we eat lunch at home about 99% of the time, especially during the week, since it’s just her and me at home. She has a say in what we eat! If we have soup or something that is in a can, such as ravioli or something similar, she will help me out by choosing what she wants! On the chance that she doesn’t help, and if she doesn’t want to eat what I fix, there are problems with her eating! She refuses to eat! That’s why over 90% of the time when I make lunch, I let her choose! We might have chicken nuggets one day, and the next day, left overs from the night before, but whatever we have, she has the final say! I always eat what she eats.
Once a tantrum is over, make sure you very calmly explain to your child that they didn’t act in the appropriate manner! Don’t ever give into what caused the tantrum in the first place. If you are at the grocery store and your child wanted candy but you didn’t want them to have it, so they threw a tantrum, do not go back and get them candy! That is a good way for them to think, “Hey! I threw a fit and got what I wanted, so next time mommy says no, all I have to do is throw a fit and ‘ll get what I want!”